Transportation findings not gospel

Spurring local citizens into civic action can be tough. Sometimes, it calls for creative messaging.

Take, for instance, the City of St. Catharines’ attempt to generate citizen interest in the development of a new transportation master plan.

First of all, it’s more than a little funny that city officials are the ones prodding residents to get excited about the need to get serious about future transportation needs.

That’s because they sat on the request to launch such a study for 10 years.

But that was then, this is now. Besides, an explanation is given on the city’s web page for the delayed launch.

The municipality’s last transportation plan was created 52 years ago, the city notes, adding that St. Catharines’ transportation needs have evolved significantly since then.

You might have thought such an observation would also have been true, say, 10, 15 or 20 years ago.

Next, though, came the reasoning for this year’s action.

“With GO train and inter-municipal (transit) coming to St. Catharines, now is the time for us to look at the long-term transportation needs of the city.”

Just curious. Is there any political purpose that GO Transit can’t be used for in St. Catharines or Niagara?

Didn’t think so.

Clearly, a transportation update is needed. Let’s face it, the last was done at a time when a major worry was how to control traffic on St. Paul Street if A Hard Day’s Night made a return engagement at the old Palace Theatre.

Still, one shouldn’t assume this latest study will necessarily provide all the correct answers for future needs.

I say this based on some of the assertions contained in the 1965 study.

I stumbled upon the Proctor and Redfern report shortly after Coun. Mark Elliott made his council-supported request for a plan update in the fall of 2007.

Believing the Elliott motion would be acted upon promptly, I figured at the time it would be useful to bring the ancient Proctor and Redfern musings to light.

As a cautionary tale, it’s worth reminding readers once again of the consultant’s goofy conclusions.

For starters, the study predicted the city’s then-population of 98,000 would rise to 180,000 in 1985 and to 275,000 by the year 2000. Much of the residential growth was forecast to take place in areas that were subsequently designated as protective farmland.

Based on these hallucinatory thoughts alone, it stood to reason most of Proctor and Redfern’s other views would be out-to-lunch.

It predicted Highway 406 between the downtown and the QEW would be completed by 1971, a 13year miscalculation.

Future downtown traffic patterns would be based on huge parking garages sited at St. Paul and Ontario (2,000 spots); Church and Queen (1,200); and Church and James (1,000).

Culmination of the plan would provide the city with a core area that “will be healthy enough, pleasant enough and extensive enough to compete effectively with the suburban shopping areas.”

Mind you, it got some things right.

“A subway or monorail system is not suitable for St. Catharines, even with an anticipated Horizon Year (2000) population of 270,000.”

Later transportation studies also had their problems. Traffic consultants Matrix conducted one for west St. Catharines in 2006 and suggested that within five years Ontario Street be widened to four lanes between Welland Avenue and Carlton Street.

This recommendation was such utter nonsense it affected the credibility of all others.

What might have come in handy back then is a suggestion that cycling lanes be installed along this stretch.

Instead, 11 years later, city council is moaning that Niagara Region failed to put them in during its recent rehabilitation of Ontario Street.

This, despite the fact the Region’s recently completed transportation master plan calls for a massive increase in bike lanes.

Political will was required. Somebody should have mentioned the need for cyclists to get to the GO station.