Road Capacity – “Let’s get people onto transit and into cycle lanes”

Here is a quote from the Tuesday, September 9th, 2025, council meeting during a discussion on a high-rise development proposal on Plains Road.

A city hall employee stated to our council:

“There is a point where a road becomes overcapacity, like the IMP (Integrated Mobility Plan) suggests, let’s get people onto transit and into cycle lanes. There is a point where capacity is reached – definitely.”

“People” – yes, that’s us, the people who pay the salaries of our councillors to represent us and city staff to force us onto transit and into cycling lanes.

What is the IMP?

The Integrated Mobility Plan is City Hall’s strategy for future transportation development, focusing on creating a safe, accessible, and sustainable network that provides diverse travel options beyond cars, such as improved public transit, walking, and cycling infrastructure.

The IMP was presented to our council on October 31, 2023, by K. Edgcumbe, Manager of Transportation and Parking, who said: “The fundamental assumption that underpinned the philosophy of our IMP was the directive from council that there were to be no new road widenings for the sole purpose of adding additional auto capacity.”

Starting in 2017, the city initiated a Mobility Hubs Study, focusing on the three GO Station areas. With the housing crisis and Burlington’s commitment to build 29,000 housing units by 2030, developers have been seeking approvals for massive projects in the areas now referred to as Major Transit Station Areas or MTSAs. 

Huge developments are being planned all over the city.

The old Hudson’s Bay store at Burlington Centre – “Overall, the proposed development includes 3,476 residential units”.

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1200 King Road contemplates 9,200 housing units

Bronte Creek Meadows – 9,000 Housing units

Oval Court – 2,000 Housing Units

Vision

Downtown, we see a new tower being constructed across from City Hall.

Huge towers are being planned for the Waterfront Hotel, and the football-shaped parcel of land near Emma’s Back Porch (now closed).

The list of developments goes on and on. All while the IMP stays in place with “no new road widenings for the sole purpose of adding additional auto capacity“. 

How will this work out for residents?

Our elected representatives, our council, directed City Hall staff with this statement “no new road widenings for the sole purpose of adding additional auto capacity”.

The projected cost of the IMP is $50 million a year, with bike lanes being the largest expense.

The IMP vision includes:

• Dedicated bus lanes on Plains Road, reducing the available regular traffic lanes to one in each direction.
• A Shift in how people move through the city by “Developing a spine network of high-quality cycling facilities designed to serve cyclists of all ages and abilities by building new and improving existing cycling infrastructure.”
• The city will shift how people move, reducing the share of car trips from 91% to 70%.

For over 100 years, automobiles have served as a time-saving tool. In a world increasingly focused on the environmental impact of transportation, low-cost electric vehicles are emerging as a compelling solution. Burlington is not preparing for this future. Will significant population growth and worsening traffic lower property values in Burlington?

Transit and bike lanes may be the right approach. Considering the current traffic congestion and the potential for increased car traffic in the future, they may not.