City councillors have the fastest guns in the west when it comes to pulling out studies and reports.

The latest one to fast-draw from the hip is Coun. Harold Piercy, who asked for a report detailing the effect express lanes would have on the normal flow of traffic in downtown Winnipeg. This followed a suggestion from the transit union that city council should ban parking on downtown streets and set up express lanes for buses.

The union said parked cars in the downtown area cause a lot of congestion and disruption in service. Express lanes would provide better service and encourage citizens to use transit.

Well, they shouldn't have to look far for the information Mr. Piercy wants. In January, three years ago, parking was prohibited along stretches of downtown Winnipeg streets in order to speed transit service and improve the flow of traffic. So the information needed must be before everyone's eyes.

A ban on parking to make way for buses is the way to go. Cars are nice; they'll be here for a long time. But city planners should direct their thinking more to rapid transit, energy conservation and less costly road-building expenditures.

Traffic is snarling more and more. Millions of dollars are being spent on excessive new road building and road widening. Roads we must have; and road repairs we must have. But downtown roads on which to park cars we don't need. Not in the city of the future.

The domination of the motor vehicle must start giving way to conservation and sensible spending.