The Toronto City Council voted on July 14, 2008 to approve an environmental assessment in regards to a proposal to take down a part of the Gardiner Expressway, from the Don Valley Parkway to Jarvis.

Any proposal to take down the Gardiner Expressway is a bad and stupid idea.

What the mayor and the anti-Gardiner councillors doesn’t realize is that we are built as an auto city. As a North American city, it was expected that each city across this continent become an auto city.

I understand why the mayor and several councillors wish for this city to become a “Transit City” and why they wish to promote alternative modes of transportation, however, the massive and quick changes proposed by this group of people will hurt the city economically and environmentally.

Why would taking down the Gardiner hurt the city?

By taking down the section between the DVP and Jarvis, they are essentially removing the busiest part of the entire expressway. On a average workday (i.e. the weekdays), thousands upon thousands of vehicles are travelling on the Gardiner. During rush hour, traffic jams are a “natural” occurrence. This goes for the same section on Lakeshore Blvd, which is essentially the same road, but runs directly underneath the elevated expressway. Now wonder if both traffics are combined. The magnitude of such a traffic jam would be great, and vehicles would be stuck there longer than if both the Gardiner and Lakeshore were operational. The longer vehicles are suck in one place, the more idling there will be, and the more pollution and greenhouse gases there will be. As such, this will hurt the environment and reduce the air quality in Toronto and cause more smog.

Businesses, small and large, in the downtown area will also lose out if the Gardiner is taken down. As stated before, it would take people longer to get to work due to the possible and most probable massive traffic congestion. This will result in a later start in the work day, and as most offices close at 4-5, a short work day, and therefore, a loss in revenue. As such, removing the Gardiner will hurt the City’s economy.