There is little evidence that taxpayers would support Gerald Flood's suggestion to invest cash from the sale of Winnipeg Hydro to build an inner beltway (Hydro sale would electrify city, Free Press July 8)

An earlier Free Press report noted that a wide-ranging community consultation on transportation found that "Money is short and the time is not right for transportation megaprojects to improve traffic flow in Winnipeg." (Just fix the system we've got, Free Press, September 25, 1995

Indeed, numerous residents remarked on a lack of congestion in Winnipeg compared to other urban areas in Canada. Others questioned why would we want to build more roads when we can't afford to fix the ones we already have.

If there is extra money to spend, Winnipeggers are much more inclined to want a rapid transit system than more roads. A telephone survey was conducted as part of the community consultation. It found that Winnipeg residents ranked development of a rapid transit system over roads for automobiles by a ratio of almost three to one.

It is also unlikely that building an inner beltway to reduce what little congestion there is in Winnipeg will cause people to flock here. Factors other than the level of congestion have a much greater influence on where people decide to live.

For example, the nationwide poll recently conducted by Angus Reid found that Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary were the three most popular cities to live in if Canadians had to make a choice. These cities also happen to have the worst traffic congestion of urban areas in Canada.