COMMUTING 'EATS YOU ALIVE'

Midhurst to Mississauga. The daily commute could drive anyone to near madness.

But that's what Margaret Prophet did diligently for seven years. The now-executive director of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition used to become unnerved at the thought of sitting in traffic once the snow began to fall each winter.

Commuting, whether it be to the Greater Toronto Area or just to another municipality within Simcoe County, can compromise the quality of life for thousands of local residents and damage the environment.

"We know the health impacts, we know the environmental effect," Prophet said, sitting on a bench at the Allandale Waterfront GO Transit station. "I had

many times where I'd be on (Highway) 400 in the winter and the road would be closed. I'd have to call my in-laws to take the kids. It eats you alive. You build your life around the commute — come home, fall asleep, wash, rinse, repeat."

Her solution to congestion? Municipalities must build compact, 15-minute communities that allow residents to get everything they need by walking, cycling, hopping on a bus or taking a short drive.

The next Ontario government can play a role in that, by consistently funding supportive infrastructure within municipalities, incentivizing businesses to adopt work-from-home policies. and setting planning policies that better encourage sustainable growth and development.

"If you don't have a car, you're screwed," Prophet said. "It's how we built our communities. There's extraneous (personal) costs. On top of that, you've got this huge road infrastructure that you can't keep up. Every municipality in Simcoe County has infrastructure deficits. They never get ahead of it, nor will they ever. Think about the amount of real estate governed by where we store our cars, while we're trying to talk about affordable housing."

There are plans in place at the provincial level to assist commuters — some of which, like the electrification of the GO Transit rail line and the expansion of the 400, stretch back decades.

Construction is underway along Highway 400

through the city (the Anne Street bridge reconstruction should be complete by late this year), and more is scheduled for interchanges at Essa Road and Dunlop Street in future years.

The province hasn't given any money directly this year for city-maintained road infrastructure. However, the municipality will receive $2.2 million in Ontario Gas Tax cash, money that supports Barrie Transit.

"The funding can fluctuate from year to year," city finance director Craig Millar said. "(It) can be used for both transit operating costs or capital programs, at the discretion of the municipality."

As well, the province has committed to funding a portion of the proposed Allandale Transit Mobility and Downtown Mini hubs construction.

Metrolinx, the provincial agency that runs GO, has a long-term goal of running daily 15-minute, twoway, all-day service on the Barrie line. The expansion will eventually see rider trips per week climb from 3,500 in 2019 to 10,000.

While pricing for the expansion won't be detailed until 2024, this will be a "multibillion-dollar investment" that improves the regional rail network for 25 years. Incremental improvements could start in 2025-26, with full electrification possible by 2032, Metrolinx spokesperson Suniya Kukaswadia said.

"Customers won't need a schedule because you know the next train will be coming soon," she said. "Electrified rail is planned from Union Station all the way to Allandale Waterfront. New electric trains will run faster between stations ... so that for most journeys, regardless of traffic conditions, the train will be a more compelling choice than the car. Destinations like Barrie are proposed to be about as quick and easy to reach from Union by train as making a non-stop highway journey with no traffic."

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Many Barrie residents commute outside the city for work, so we decided to explore how road and transit infrastructure is a key issue in the Ontario election.