Raise the Hammer
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Nicholas Kevlahan was born and raised in Vancouver, and then spent eight years in England and France before returning to Canada in 1998. He has been a Hamiltonian since then, and is a strong believer in the potential of this city. Although he spends most of his time as a mathematician, he is also a passionate amateur urbanist and a fan of good design. You can often spot him strolling the streets of the downtown, shopping at the Market. Nicholas is the spokesperson for Hamilton Light Rail.
Email: kevlahan@gmail.com
Hand-wringing Over Spike in Pedestrian Deaths Avoids Effective Solutions - If we are serious about eliminating pedestrian deaths and injuries, we need to re-engineer our urban streets to make it difficult or physically impossible to drive at high speeds. Published January 27, 2010 in Commentary
Myth and Reality of Cycling and Safety - Too much of the car-vs-bicycle debate is overrun by myths and rank misinformation. Published October 01, 2009 in Commentary
High Speed Rail Opposition Based on False Claims - When Wendell Cox claims that "intercity roads are self-financing", this is both untrue on its face and disingenuous with respect to public transit such as LRT. Published June 10, 2009 in Commentary
Transportation Summit: Tension Between Sustainability Language and Status Quo Priorities - A significant shift in the city's thinking is that a focus on moving people and goods efficiently, not moving vehicles efficiently; yet staff highlighted the fact that decisions are still constrained by the need to maximize traffic flow. Published April 28, 2009 in Commentary
Moving Hamilton Up the Ladder of Citizen Participation - What would plans such as GRIDS, the Cycling Master Plan or the downtown urban plan look like if they if they had been designed and, most importantly, implemented, using a Citizen Power model? Published April 23, 2009 in Commentary
Moving Forward on Hamilton's LRT Initiative - The City cannot reasonably expect the province to pay 100 percent of the capital costs for light rail. Why is LRT important, and yet not important enough to warrant any City contribution? Published November 04, 2008 in Commentary
How to Shift our Transport Paradigm: Learning from Grenoble - Re-balancing our urban transport network is possible, but it takes time and a real political campaign to change people's minds. Published May 18, 2007 in Cover
The Ambitious City's Victorian Values - A history of Britain's Victorian industrial cities offers compelling lessons for Hamilton. Published March 19, 2007 in Cover
Hamilton's Future: Forget About It - A myopic employment study prepared for City Council by Hemson Consulting imagines a dreary, low-skilled future of air transport and goods warehousing. Published February 09, 2007 in Cover
Rebalancing Our Transportation Network: A Case Study - Hamiltonians often talk about how much they enjoy spending time in Europe, but we could have a European quality of urban life here as well. Published January 10, 2007 in Commentary
Urbanists, Amateur and Otherwise - Like any part of culture, a vibrant and inventive city requires professionals, connoisseurs and amateurs: people who care passionately about their city. Published December 13, 2006 in Opinion
Kuwabara on Hamilton's City Square - The architect who renovated the AGH says Hamilton needs to focus urban revitalization around Gore Park, which he calls "one of Canada's great urban spaces." Published June 16, 2006 in Opinion
Letter to Council: Reject the East Mountain Stadium Site, Published July 09, 2010 in Sports
Chedoke Trail: Construct the Railyard-Rail Trail Section Now, Published June 01, 2010 in Transportation
Burlington to Recoup Some Driving Costs, Published April 15, 2010 in Transportation
Walkability Fail on the Wellington Street Freeway, Published March 19, 2010 in Walkability Fail
Metrolinx Draft BCA on Hamilton Rapid Transit Now Online, Published February 12, 2010 in Light Rail
Remember Why We Support LRT, Published January 14, 2010 in Light Rail
Case Against Highway Tolls is Disingenuous, Published December 10, 2009 in Transportation
Selective Outrage Over Law Enforcement Illustrates Double Standard, Published December 04, 2009 in Transportation
Jobs No Longer Bundled in Bunches of 500, Published September 01, 2009 in Revitalization
The Walrus on its Way to Extinction?, Published February 11, 2009 in Media
Same Old 'Traffic Trumps Everything' Thinking, Published December 01, 2008 in Transportation
The Return of Streetcars to US Cities, Published August 14, 2008 in Light Rail
Durand Neighbourhood Association: 'Shock and Extreme Disappointment' at Transportation Master Plan Decision, Published July 13, 2008 in Transportation
Bordeaux Streetcars a Working Model for Canada, Published October 23, 2007 in Light Rail