What transit infrastructure is required for the increased density that all the downtown condo construction is bringing? This is a question I thought of today when thinking about the impact of the Mirvish-Gehry Proposal on King West. The one thing I've always done is to make an assumption that those that live or make the choice to live downtown are going to accept a new car-free and not car-dependant way of living. Of course this is not always the case, and many of the new condo projects are replete with obscene amounts of underground or onsite parking. Its only a matter of time before critical mass is reached and there will be decreasing returns on the density being placed downtown.
People that choose to live downtown should make the commitment to making car ownership or car dependant lifestyle a last case option. Not the primary option for getting around downtown. Now obviously I can't dictate how people live, but hope that there is some forward thinking going on in the minds of would be downtown residents.
Now, the burden cannot just be put on the people, real improvements to transit downtown are required by all levels of government. The most important of these is the Downtown Relief Line (DRL)
Other transit improvements are coming with the new increased capacity Subways and new streetcars which are almost double the size of the existing fleet.
More walkable communities with work, retail and entertainment are likely the most important factors outside of improved transit connections for making the flood of new residents content to get around outside of using their cars. Its a small progressive step in the right direction.
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