Raise the Hammer

To clearly point out the pedestrian/cyclist "preference" overlap that we have here, based on the above two StreetMix diagrams;

After a tough generational adjustment period, in a generation (25 years) one idea is to close the King Street corridor between Gage and International Village to cars -- making it LRT and cycle track, with wider sidewalks and trees in the middle of King Street (between LRT tracks and cycle track), with a nice grassy LRT track corridor like some of those found in otehr cities.

Then for Main, we can forgo the cycle track -- giving more flexibility -- e.g. 2-2 configuration (Main 2-way with 4 lanes) with wider sidewalks and no bike tracks, or a 3-2 configuration (dynamic center lane with overhead arrow), or a 2-1-2 configuration (center turning lane)

Yes, crazy idea. Some people will think I am bonkers for even merely suggesting this. But, one has got to brainstorm -- what do we see Main-King in 25 years from now? This deserves a complete article into itself. Including a honest acknonwledgement of 'favourable' 1-way scenarios.

We might just go for a simplified Main 2-way conversion for now, as we will soon badly need an LRT detour anyway, but improvements could happen incrementally (e.g. 25 years from now if there's less demand for crosstown driving on Main-King thanks to LRT ridership growth), like a Main 2-way (with no bike lanes) and a pedestrianized King cycle track, wider sidewalks, LRT corridor, all the way from Gage to downtown.

Or we may run traffic on both Main and King, but keep cycle track only on Cannon (and improve Hunter-Stinson-Delaware-Cumberland, for our southern crosstown cycle track -- once the north-south 1-way streets become much safer to cross).

Or we might end up going with the Amsterdamized Main 1-way option.

I'd prefer a scenario where slipping on the sidewalk in the winter, and falling sideways doesn't put me at risk in being run over by a car or truck. And eliminating traffic lanes from zooming inches away from baby strollers.

Trying to run StreetMix scenarios to meet that certiera, WHILE also keeping 2 lanes per direction, WHILE also converting Main into a 2-way street, ends up being almost futile in trying to create a SAFE 2-way stroad for non-motorists. So if there's a mandatory requirement of a minimum of 2 arterial traffic lanes per direction (even if slowed to 40kph), it almost ends up that a drastically Amsterdamized 1-way scenario becomes favourable. But there is also a trust issue; in "do we trust Hamilton to actually do that???". (Answer: Probably yet, albiet Fred Eisenberger is from Amsterdam). The refrain "Convert 1-way to 2-way" is much simpler, and rightfully so; it is a simpler step to (usually) taming the street. So we now must talk about the concept of shifting the bike lane around, whether it's more appropriate for King, or more appropriate for Main -- and if that's this cycle around (or the next cycle of road revitalization -- e.g. 25 years from now).

As long as it isn't status quo. Once LRT provides another option of moving people crosstown.

One has to brainstorm, dream, and see what the possible visions of Main and King are.

New article for Main/King, methinks?

Comment edited by mdrejhon on 2015-12-05 22:57:38