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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, December 12, 2013 | 6 Spotlight "Connected to your Community" continued from p.1 Hill and Homerski are among a growing number of people opting to use alternate modes of transportation to travel to and from work. According to the National Household Survey, 12 per cent of Canadian commuters relied on public transportation for the longest part of their trip in 2011 -- a one per cent increase over those who reported taking public transportation in the 2006 Census of Population. Of the more than 1.8 million public transit users, 63.5 per cent took the bus, 25 per cent, the subway or elevated rail, 11.2 per cent travelled by light rail, streetcar or commuter train and 0.3 per cent by ferry. In 2011, 880,800 commuters reported walking while 201,800 pedaled to work. In Hamilton, public transit use is up 0.6 per cent, while the number of people who walk to work is down by 0.5 per cent. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, in Toronto, including Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills, there was a 0.2 per cent increase in the number of people who cycled to work over 2006, however, the number of people who walked to their job dropped from 4.8 per cent to 4.6 per cent. More than two million automobile trips are made during peak travel periods each morning in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), a region that spans 63,359 lane-kilometres, according to a Metrolinx report. That's expected to be three million by 2031. Greg Hill of Milton had taken to his bicycle to commute to work, but the weather is putting a damper on his wheels Municipalities -- and the Province -- are for the winter. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) or www.facebook. grappling with the problem of traf c congestion. com/HaltonPhotog With the average commuter spending more Searching for the answers Catherine O'Hara Eric Riehl David Lea Everyone has experienced it. Many endure it every day. It's the ordeal of being stuck on a traffic-choked highway or road, staring at an endless line of brake lights. Shifting Gears, a three-part Metroland West special series, reveals traffic congestion not only has serious personal implications, it also impacts the environment and economy. A relief valve is needed. than 80 minutes in transit and the economic impacts of gridlock well above $6 billion, there's no question something must be done. What that remedy is and how far it is from materializing varies, depending on the source. Some suggest new or expanded roads are the answer. Others are pushing for increased public transportation. A few say a cultural shift is needed. If action isn't taken, traf c congestion will worsen -- with negative impacts on the local economy and quality of life, reads a Metrolinx report. "I think the 400 series highways, they'll be completely gridlocked without some massive investment in public transit or people making what you would call more rational decisions about where to live and where to work," said Darren Scott, a full-time professor and associate director of McMaster University's school of geography and earth sciences. The Province is moving ahead with plans to implement aspects of The Big Move -- a Metrolinx project. The $50-billion, 25-year transportation infrastructure plan calls for construction of more than 1,200 km of rapid transit -- a move that will mean more than 80 per cent of GTHA residents will live within two km of rapid transit. The plan, when completed, would additionally see more than 7,000 kilometres of new pedestrian and cycling lanes, trails and paths -- to encourage and boost safety for walking and cycling. If The Big Move goes as planned, in 25 years, commute times will have decreased despite a 50 per cent population increase in the GTHA. So far, $16 billion has been committed to Big Move initiatives, such s the Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, the York Region vivaNext Rapid Transit project and the revitalization of Toronto's Union Station. Plans for The Big Move's next wave include the implementation of a $600-million Dundas Street (BRT) project, which would see 40 km of new dedicated bus rapid transit lanes on Dundas Street from Brant Street in Burlington to Kipling Station in Toronto. This project is currently in the planning stages. Flamborough Councillor Judi Partridge is calling on Metrolinx to consider extending the BRT project to Waterdown, which currently offers limited access to public transit. Other Big Move projects include a $1.7-billion investment to improve service along 121 kilometres of the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East GO Transit lines between Hamilton, Toronto and Oshawa. see Agreed on p.8 Volume 51 | Number 148 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON (905) 845-3824 Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. 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