St. Catharines - The "Modern" Automobile City

St. Catharines - The "Modern" Automobile City. . At the heart of the Niagara Region, St. Catharines continues to be a great launching-off point for exploring all that Niagara has to offer. Travel the area by car or take advantage of the city's active transportation network of trails and bike lanes that connect you to the entire region. Bus transportation around St. Catharines and the Niagara Region is another option that makes it easy to explore this lovely region. , By 1930, St. Catharines homes could boast telephones, electric lighting, and natural gas. As early as the 1880's streets in the city were lit with electric lights and the electric street railway could take people all around the community and into the downtown shopping areas within a matter of minutes. , In 1930, 56 km of main roads had been paved and mostly provided with gutters, sidewalks and tree planting, and another 39 kms of newly opened subdivisions were graded and oiled. By 1933 there were 9,200 registered passenger cars in the city. This new popular form of transportation transformed the urban landscape including the need for garages and service stations. Parking space and lines on the road accommodated the needs of drivers, and the city installed its first traffic light in 1929 at the corner of St. Paul and Queen Streets. , Tourism traffic increased as cars became more common, and the Garden City was a popular destination for travellers on their way from Toronto to Niagara Falls. When the QEW highway was opened to traffic in 1937, traffic could move more easily from Toronto to Fort Erie and through the city and across the region. , St. Catharines is now easily accessible by car, train, boat, and air, with access to three border crossings within 35 minutes, and is a wonderful place to stay and easily access all that Niagara has to offer.