约克区的道路拓宽工程弊大于利

2020年1月22日，我参加了在万锦市政府举行的特别发展服务委员会的会议。主题演讲者是交通工程师洛克伍德。他专门研究交通，市中心改建，并帮助各个市政府在城市规划、设计和工程方面的协调。

On Jan 22nd, 2020 I attended the Special Development Services Committee meeting in Markham's City Hall. The keynote speaker was Ian Lockwood, a Transportation Engineer who specializes in active transportation, Downtown revitalization, and helping cities through collaborative planning, design and engineering.

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召开这次特别会议的“理由”是市民努力的结果。 2019年10月15日，万锦市民在发展服务委员会面前抱怨，要求市府推迟将道路改善资用于加快第16大街的道路加宽工程。市议员麦克阿尔派恩在市议会提出了一项动议，要求推迟道路加宽工程，直到有人给万锦市议会和市民就道路拓宽工程搞一个讲座。讲座会定于2020年1月22日举行。

The “reason” for holding this Special Meeting came as a consequence of residents' efforts. On October 15, 2019 residents made a case in front of the Development Services Committee to defer the switching of the road improvement money towards acceleration of 16th Ave Widening. Ward Councillor Reid McAlpine brought a motion to defer the item until Council and residents are getting an educational session about widening roads. The session was scheduled for January 22, 2020.

2019年12月，约克区议会批准了2020年的33亿元的年度预算。2020年的预算包括地税增长2.96％。其中，约克区的市政服务预算上涨1.7％和储备金上涨1.26％。预算将未来10年的基建资本投资加大到71亿，这比2019年的数字多了5亿。这些钱将使14个与人口和经济增长有关的关键道路项目能够更快地进行。

In December of 2019, York Regional Council approved a $3.3 billion budget for 2020. The 2020 budget includes a net tax levy increase of 2.96 per cent. This includes 1.7 per cent to maintain Regional services and a further 1.26 per cent contribution to reserves. The budget increased the 10-year capital plan to $7.1 billion, up $500 million over 2019, which will allow 14 key growth-related road projects to move ahead more quickly.


 
在预算通过的同一天，约克区的环境评估也完成了。评估建议将第16大街的从Woodbine大街到York / Durham Line路段拓宽为6车道。这让万锦市议会推迟该项目的动议成了一纸空文。要对第16大街路拓宽提出异议的截止日期也定为2020年2月3日。在许多市民留意到，道路拓宽项目正在加速进行，以适应曾为“ York Downs”高尔夫球场周围的地产开发。许多混合住宅项目即将在那里建成。

On the same day, the Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed recommending the widening of 16th Avenue to 6 lanes from Woodbine Avenue to York/Durham Line. This totally defeated the Markham Council's motion to defer the project. The deadline to file objections was also set to February 3, 2020. It would seem to many residents that the road widening project is accelerated to accommodate the development of the area around the previous golf course “York Downs” where many mixed dwellings are to be built soon.

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在特别会议期间，市民听取了约克区政府规划师和万锦市规划师的意见。显然，规划人员已决定增加两条对开的高乘车（HOV）车道。对于听众来说，HOV车道在缓解交通拥堵方面效率低下。

During the Special Meeting, the residents heard from York Region's planners as well as Markham's planners. It is evident that planners have decided to go ahead with two additional High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, one in each direction. To the audience, HOV lanes are inefficient instruments when it comes to alleviating traffic congestion.
 
在交通高峰时间，由于没有警察执法，许多违规者在HOV车道上行驶。我本人和其他人目睹的高峰时段HOV车道的交通流量很低，这使我们质疑其存在的理由。

Many violators are driving alone in the HOV lanes during rush hours and there is virtually no police enforcement to issue traffic tickets. The low volumes of traffic in HOV lanes during rush hours as witnessed by myself and others make us question the justification for their existence.
 
城市规划人员不希望考虑其他替代方案，包括非常高效的环形交叉路口。当被问到关于环形交叉路口的实施时，他们一带而过。似乎他们只想听令于他们的政府老板，而不是去想办法找替代方案。

City Planners do not want to consider other alternatives, including that of the very efficient Roundabouts. When questioned came up about the implementation of Roundabouts, they were simply brushed aside. It would seem that they only wanted to side with their political masters rather than insisting on perusing alternatives.


 
毋庸置疑，约克区政府决定拨更多钱加快道路拓宽的决定对许多市民来说都是有争议的。许多市民强烈反对扩阔道路的概念，因为所有证据都表明，它根本无法减少交通拥堵，并且对健康，环境和社区的负面影响很大。

Needless to say, York Region’s decision to bankroll faster road widenings is controversial to many residents. Many residents strongly oppose the road widening concept, as all evidence concludes it simply does not reduce traffic congestion and the cost, disruption and negative effects on health, the environment and the community are massive.
 
有研究表明，增加车道会加剧交通拥堵。市民们认为，较宽的街道对行人，特别是儿童和老人来说，危险更大，而且这将鼓励开车，增加非高峰时间的超速驾驶，减少社区意识，增加污染并增加维护成本。

There are studies that show adding lanes can make traffic congestion worse. Residents argue that wider streets are more dangerous for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly, and that they encourage driving, increase speeding in off-peak hours, reduce a sense of community, add to pollution and boost maintenance costs.

解决交通拥堵的方案在于研究其他已实施了的措施，如免费或廉价公交和高峰时段收费公路等。增加更多的行车道只会鼓励更多的堵塞。

The answer to fighting traffic congestion lies in studying other jurisdictions that have implemented such measures as free or cheap transit and toll roads during peak hours. Adding more driving lanes only encourages more traffic.



多伦多大学经济系和蒙克全球事务与公共政策学院的助理教授霍尔说，多年的研究表明，扩阔道路只会导致交通拥堵的短期改善。

There is a long history of research showing that expanding roads only leads to short-term improvements in traffic congestion, said Jonathan Hall, an assistant professor with the University of Toronto’s economics department and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

他说，增加车道是有助于社区的发展，但它会鼓励更多的人开车上路。 “最后，如果要减少交通拥堵，我们需要的是加大开车的成本。”

Not only do additional lanes contribute to a community’s growth, but they encourage existing residents to make more trips on the roads, he said. “In the end, if we want to reduce traffic congestion, we need to raise the cost of driving.”

1月22日的演讲嘉宾洛克伍德在讲座上都说了什么？我将在下一篇文章中介绍。

What did the guest speaker Ian Lockwood say in the educational session then? Let us explore that next time.