London City council put forward a motion to widen Wonderland Road to alleviate traffic.
William Pol is an Urban Planning Professor at Fanshawe College and a registered Urban Planner in Ontario.
Professor William Pol on February 27, 2025. (Laura Carlit/XFM News)
He says that he is not opposed to the city’s plan to widen the road on Wonderland, but the city has to be mindful of the changes they want to make.
“Adding lanes may not solve the congestion problem, because even if you build more roads, it just brings more traffic and it solves the problem in the short term. But then five years after you build it, you almost have the same congestion.” says Pol.
“The city’s idea to replace those traffic lanes with bus rapid transit or better public transit really makes more efficient use of the of the lanes they have today.”
The road widening project on Wonderland road was shot down in 2021, after city council agreed that there wasn’t enough of an environmental concern to commit to the project.
Pol says that London has grown faster than roads, like Wonderland, can accommodate. “The amount of traffic and new residence has outstripped the expectations.” he says.
City council should have their formal decision out by April 1st.
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