Pearson used to be a dump. The idea of a cultural renaissance in Toronto once seemed like a cruel joke, a pipe dream imposed on the public by crazed cultural activists. Waterfront revitalization? C’mon. Prospects for that seemed as improbable as winning an Olympic bid.

Big Things do happen in these parts. Slowly, yes. But with perseverance and a coalition of grassroots and opinion makers, we inch along.

So, be bold and think big when it comes to transit, probably the region’s toughest and most expensive nut to crack. That’s the message from planner Joe Berridge delivered to about 100 transportation advocates convened by the Toronto City Summit Alliance yesterday.

“Who could’ve believed 20 years ago that we could spend a billion dollars on culture?” he asked, referring to the opera house and additions and remakes of the museum, art gallery and other institutions.

“Be bold. Bold works. Toronto is a big, global city. (On transit) we recognize the scale of the problem, we are forging partnerships, we have a financing plan and there’s no question we have the money in this town.

“Toronto is one huge, enormous city. We are a global leader.”

Most accept the “global leader” tag. Toronto ranks Number 9 among all cities in the world on Google City searches — ahead of Rome, Tokyo, Milan, Amsterdam, Frankfurt.

But wealthy enough to fund our transit needs? — with the help of federal and provincial governments, of course.

That’s the Toronto region’s next big challenge — to move its people across the sprawling region. Most citizens in the GTA and Hamilton don’t need smart boards and graphs and a media campaign to inform them of the fact; they live it daily from home to work or school.

The question for the next decade and beyond is this: Is Toronto up to the task of wrestling the problem into submission?

Solutions will cost billions of dollars and likely involve controversial funding tools, like road tolls. Citizens will exchange angry words. Tempers will flare at public meetings. And some politicians will be unable to resist exploiting the issue.

Still, congestion will be as pressing a public policy challenge a decade from now as it is today. That’s because all the trends are going the wrong way. Or, as a recent report puts it:

“Traffic congestion is going from bad to worse at an increasing rate.”

The local wakeup call — if one was needed — must have been the Board of Trade report in March that showed commuting time in the Toronto region had reached 80 minutes. That’s slower than the slow times in Los Angeles, the postcard city for traffic jams. Ouch.

And the pressure of more people and more cars is expected to continue. Projections show the Toronto area will add the population of Montreal in the next 25 years. Another 1.5 million cars are coming.

A region-wide transportation plan from the provincial agency Metrolinx requires $50 billion. By 2015, the plan will be short $4 billion per year, after accounting for provincial and federal funds. This means at some point, citizens here will have to pay to ease the congestion.

Our politicians are afraid to suggest road tolls, parking levies, congestion fees and various “taxes” to arrest the creeping congestion now clearly evident.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Attendees at yesterday summit debated as many as 12 options. The sooner we start talking about them in polite company, the earlier the solutions arrive.

So far, the conversation includes very little that drivers find attractive. That must change. Opinion makers must mine options that have at least grudging appeal. Otherwise, Toronto the global dynamo will choke on its success.

Royson James usually appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Email: rjames@thestar.ca

Read more about: