Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s promise to build an enormously expensive car and transit tunnel under Highway 401 has been met with predictable derision. The only thing that’s missing is a better solution to the gridlock that’s crippling the GTA.

Sure, it’s a little hard to wrap your head around the idea of a tunnel that could be up to 50 kilometres long and cost between $60 billion and $120 billion, depending on the length. Consider, though, how important a properly functioning road system is to the GTA and to the rest of southern Ontario. Right now, the 401 is a roadblock that hampers the movement of people and goods across the province. As population continues to grow, it will get worse.