Raise the Hammer
To help provide clarity to people who are still confused or unsure about it, here is a boiled-down list of facts about the bus lane.
By Ryan McGreal
Published January 21, 2015
There has been a lot going on with respect to the transit-only lane on King Street between Mary and Dundurn. Council votes tonight on whether to keep the lane, keep the lane with staff-recommended modifications, or scrap the lane.
To help provide clarity to people who are still confused or unsure about it, here is a boiled-down list of facts about the lane:
An independent survey conducted last night found 67% of Hamiltonians support keeping and fixing the bus lane.
Councillor Whitehead's survey was a methodological disaster: bad questions, no demographic weighting, contradictory responses and misrepresented numbers (percentages excluded unsure/undecided responses).
Local business opinion on the lane is split, but many opponents object to the loss of north curbside parking. Staff say they can restore that parking using money left in the Quick Wins fund.
Staff also say they can reduce traffic delay at rush hour through advance turn signals for buses and signal timing adjustments, also funded from Quick Wins.
The city issued 30 new business licences along the bus lane corridor last year, plus another 15 in Jackson Square. Not all businesses need licences so the total number of new businesses may be higher.
During the same time, 37 properties along the bus lane were approved for grants to support $1.3 million in facade renovations.
Frisina Group is announcing a new $50 million development at King and Hughson.
The Queenston-King-Main corridor now carries 42% of all transit riders in Hamilton. Ridership along the line has grown by 20% in the past 5 years.
During rush hour, the bus lane carries more riders than the other lanes combined: 83 buses an hour, conservatively carrying between 1,484 and 3,045 passengers.
The higher number of King Street collisions in 2014 compared to the seven-year average is matched on Main Street, which indicates it was not due to the bus lane.
Even though it is only 2 km, the bus lane has improved bus schedule adherence, providing a more reliable ride to passengers.
Please add your voice to the Support Hamilton Transit campaign to keep the bus lane.
By DowntownInHamilton (registered) | Posted January 21, 2015 at 17:51:44
Local business opinion on the lane is split
Has that been quantified? I was under the impression it was overwhelmingly anti-bus lane, seeing as many (most?) businesses had the "no more bus lane" sign in their windows as well as the chamber of commerce being against it.
By CBC (anonymous) | Posted January 21, 2015 at 18:15:49
Check out the numbers on CBCHamilton
21 dont like
9 like
8 unaffected
By Ugh (anonymous) | Posted January 21, 2015 at 20:38:37
This so-called democracy doesn't work.
By Cranky cyclist (anonymous) | Posted January 21, 2015 at 21:11:07
"Staff say..." hardly qualifies as fact.
By SonsofHSR (anonymous) | Posted January 22, 2015 at 10:25:17
Organize acts of civil disobedience.
By eggem (anonymous) | Posted January 22, 2015 at 10:49:45
Egg Collins et al. Just like Johnny Bair and G Bush were egged so too do these tyrants deserve to be egged and 'shoed' away.
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