UTTRI Director, Professor Eric J. Miller was one of three local city planning experts interviewed by the Toronto Star in “The cure for the social trauma left by COVID-19? Finally putting the needs of people first,” a discussion of “the need for closer, safer communities and the overcoming of crushing government debt that COVID-19 survival require[s].”
A more comforting, accommodating city, attuned to pedestrians and cyclists and less dependent on hurtling trains and beeping traffic, would be the best therapy for COVID-19’s trauma.
On the subject of transportation, Professor Miller reflects that “the really big impact we could have on improving travel in this region … is much better surface transit.” He suggests, among other things, assigning more buses to suburban routes and introducing traffic-signal priority to make trips faster.
He says expanded and faster bus service would allow people to more easily physically distance on the vehicles, and bring more equitable transit to areas where many of the essential workers who are bringing us through the pandemic live.
“And surface transit is something you can do … in very short times,” Miller says.
To read more of Miller’s recommendations on post-COVID infrastructure investments – spanning transit, affordable housing, and long-term care homes – link to the full article “The cure for the social trauma left by COVID-19? Finally putting the needs of people first,” Toronto Star, June 25, 2020.