denfromoakvillemilton
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A northern GTA perspective:
I'm guessing that part of the reason for this might be that there doesn't seem to be many jobs in Durham outside of the auto sector. My wife commuted to Oshawa from Markham for a while, but I know far, far more people who commute from Durham to York (and Toronto, obviously).
Most of western Durham seems to just be houses, and unless I'm visiting a friend I don't really ever have a need to go out there, whereas I know a lot of people from Durham who come to Markham for Pacific Mall (and even Markville), Unionville, the restaurants, etc. I'm not saying there's nothing worthwhile in Durham, but there aren't as many "big draws."
I think when Seaton is built in north Pickering, Durham Region will become a bit more connected to York Region, since hopefully the buses will connect along Highway 7 (at the yet-to-be-built Cornell Terminal maybe?). There will always be a gap between Durham and York because of the greenbelt, which is a good thing, but I think it will feel more connected. Ironically, the 407 extension will probably do a lot to make things more connected. Also, if the Pickering Airport ever gets built, I would expect major development to follow in the area and the entire region to shift eastward somewhat.
Interesting thread topic... agreed with canarob that Seaton, 407, and Pickering Airport will help shift the balance a bit toward the eastern part of the GTA. The western edge has several major highways and the airport which really help to drive employment. Some major planning stuff going on in Durham right now (disputes between Region and Province)
http://www.durhamregion.com/news/ar...man-calls-province-s-seaton-policy-deplorable
The airport is key. It will also provide more jobs as well.