Complete Two-Way Streets in Hamilton

Presentation for Durand Neighbourhood Association 2012 AGM

Ryan McGreal

raisethehammer.org

Introduction to Complete Streets

What is Traffic?

Traffic does not mean cars. It means people going somewhere.

Introduction to Complete Streets

What is a Complete Street?

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Complete street, before and after

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Wide sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Wide sidewalks, shade trees

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

Introduction to Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street Look Like?

People actually like to congregate

carcassonne_square_market_fountain.jpg

Introduction to Complete Streets

Benefits of Complete Streets

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

What About Two-Way Traffic?

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Safer for Pedestrians

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Better for Local Street Retail

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Better for Local Street Retail

Our windows are no good nowadays, people have no time to stop and look. Nobody comes from the west end of the city any more. We would like to see King Street two-way once more.

— Ben Wunder, King Street business owner, May 1957

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Better for Local Street Retail

Try telling someone to find our store from the west end. It's a complex set of directions, wastes both time and gas, creates more travel and really thwarts our accessibility to customers. For a retailer, making it hard for a customer is never a good thing!

— Aaron Newman, King Street business owner, May 2012

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Supports LRT Success

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Two-Way Will Not Create "Gridlock"

Complete Streets and Two-Way Traffic

Cities Converting to Two-Way

Berkeley CA, Calgary AB, Cedar Rapids IA, Columbus OH, Crystal City VA, Danville IL, Denver CO, Fort Collins CO, Greensboro NC, Iowa City IA, Jacksonville FL, Louisville KY, Milwaukee WI, Minneapolis MN, Oklahoma City OK, Oregon City OR, Rochester NY, Sacramento CA, San Francisco CA, St. Catharines ON, St. Petersburg FL, Texarkana AR, Vancouver WA, Wichita KA, and Wyandotte MI

Support for Complete Streets

Experts Keep Telling Us

Dan Burden, Dave Cieslewicz, Denis Corr, Storm Cunningham, Richard Florida, Richard Gilbert, Ken Greenberg, Christopher Hume, Peter Lagerwey, Christopher Leinberger, Eleanor McMahon, Donald Schmitt, Nancy Smith Lea, Bronwen Thornton, Paul Young

Support for Complete Streets

World Health Organization

The vulnerability of the human body should be a limiting design parameter for the traffic system, and speed management is central.

World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention

Support for Complete Streets

Ontario Coroner

Ontarians not only need to walk, they need to walk safely. To do so, they need safe walking spaces.

Ontario Coroner's Report on Pedestrian Deaths, 2012

Support for Complete Streets

Public Health Research

Neighborhood walkability was inversely associated with the development of diabetes in our setting, particularly among recent immigrants living in low-income areas.

— Gillian L. Booth et al., Unwalkable Neighborhoods, Poverty, and the Risk of Diabetes Among Recent Immigrants to Canada Compared With Long-Term Residents, Diabetes Journal, 2012

Support for Complete Streets

Quality of Life Research

One-way street residents were significantly more bothered by traffic (noise, volume, danger), less satisfied with their block (cleanliness, peacefulness, air quality), and therefore made more life-style adjustments (less use of front of house, rearranging use of rooms, installing buffers).

— Bernie Jones, One Way to Neighborhood Deterioration?, Journal of Planning Education and Research (April 1986)

Support for Complete Streets

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

Walkable environments should be viewed as economic infrastructure that attract employment and should be invested in accordingly.

Walkability and Economic Development, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, 2012

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Hamilton Streets Today

Main West - not a complete street

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Hamilton Streets Today

Today, Hamilton streets overwhelmingly cater to drivers:

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Hamilton Streets Today

Pedestrian crossing prohibited, King and Dundurn

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

2002 Durand Traffic Study

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Downtown Transportation Master Plan

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Two-Way Implementation Schedule

Street Name Target Date for Implementation in 2001 New Target Date after 5-yr Review Date Completed
James 2006 - 2005
John 2006 - 2005
York/Wilson beyond 2006 2009 2010
King beyond 2006 2010 (pending LRT) X
Bay beyond 2006 (optional) optional X
Hunter 2006 removed from list X
MacNab 2003 2008 outstanding
Park 2003 2008 outstanding
Hughson 2004 2009 outstanding
Hess 2004 2009 2004 (South section instigated by DNA, north extension outstanding)
Caroline 2002 2009 2012 (only from Main to King - York Street extension outstanding)
King William 2006 2010 outstanding
Rebecca 2006 2010 outstanding

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Hamilton Streets Today

City of Hamilton: designed so you can drive like no one lives here!

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Studied to Death

Vision 2020, Downtown Ideas Charette, Smart Moves, Putting People First, Downtown Transportation Master Plan, Transportation Summits, Economic Summits, Pedestrian Summit, Pedestrian Charter, Durand Walk and Bike for Life workshop, Pedestrian Master Plan, On The Cusp...

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

We Already Know What to Do

A re-imagined Main Street West

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Support is Growing

Making Hamilton Streets Complete

Support is Growing