Raise the Hammer
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Sean Burak was born in Hamilton but raised elsewhere in Ontario. He returned to his birth town at the turn of the century and has never looked back. Sean is the owner of Downtown Bike Hounds.
Jolley Old Sam Lawrence - What if we could create a safe path for pedestrians and cyclists from lower Hamilton to Concession Street and beautiful Sam Lawrence Park, which would cost very little to build? Published February 19, 2021 in Special Report: Cycling
King William Closure an Opportunity to Make Easy Improvements - We have all these progressive visions and master plans in place but when it comes time to do the work at street level, none of it seems to matter. Published April 18, 2016 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
Another Failure of Our One-Way Street Network - A problem at a single intersection should not make an entire three-block radius inaccessible. Published April 22, 2015 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
The Choice Our Leaders Face - Why spend money to move backward when the same amount spent to move us forward will accomplish much, much more? Published January 21, 2015 in Special Report: Bus Lane
Will Transportation Policy Ever Translate Into Practice? - All I want for Christmas is for council to take the Rapid Ready report seriously, and put some investment behind it. Published December 23, 2014 in Special Report: Light Rail
Lack of Vision Cripples Hamilton's Transit System - With vision and leadership, our current council could be building legacies worthy of naming rights instead of focusing on potholes. Published December 19, 2014 in Special Report: Light Rail
A Downtown Merchant Supports the Bus Lane - Our one-way road network diverts hundreds if not thousands of cars every day onto King for no good reason. This is the problem, not the bus lane. Published December 09, 2014 in Special Report: Bus Lane
John and King Unsafe for Pedestrians - Despite a policy to support walking, vehicular travel lanes are consistently given top priority whether we consider permanent infrastructure design or temporary closures for construction. Published July 06, 2014 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
King-Kenilworth Interchange a Case Study in Building Without Thinking - We could reduce our costs by eliminating unnecessary infrastructure so that we no longer have to pay to maintain it. But the City seems to build and replace infrastructure as an automatic process, not according to what we actually need. Published September 10, 2013 in Commentary
Stop Trading Our City's Future for Napkin Sketches - We can't afford a vacant lot at our most important corner, on our civic square. This affects every Hamiltonian. Published July 08, 2013 in Special Report: Heritage
Does the Downtown Hamilton Secondary Plan Matter? - Allowing such a gross departure from the Plan as the Gore streetwall demolition will discourage investors (and others) from trusting Hamilton to abide by its own planning directions, in terms of both downtown redevelopment and other initiatives. Published July 06, 2013 in Special Report: Heritage
City Has Power to Save Gore Buildings - If Council Chooses to Act - If this demolition occurs on the most important block in the city, the message to property owners will be clear: neglect and demolition is rewarded. Published June 20, 2013 in Special Report: Heritage
Hamilton's Excessive Overbuilt Roadways - Every square foot of unnecessary lane capacity costs us a huge amount to install, maintain, plough, and replace. We simply can't afford to waste money on unnecessary infrastructure. Published March 28, 2013 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
Hamilton's Car-Centric Infrastructure Strikes Again - Each one of these deadly automobile-centric intersections represents negligence on behalf of the city, putting road users at risk with a benefit to no one. Published January 25, 2013 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
We Need to Ask the Right Economic Questions About a Downtown Casino - What effect will a casino have on private development, residential property values and existing businesses? What will it do to future business prospects? Published December 13, 2012 in Special Report: Casino
Demolishing the Future - If we keep making decisions that turn young people away, we will ultimately empty the city of everyone who promises to be a productive contributor to our culture and our economy. Published October 25, 2012 in Special Report: Heritage
The City of Hamilton's Selective Subsidies - We need to plant the seeds for individual Hamiltonians to succeed, because this is the only type of growth that will be long-lasting and sustainable. Published August 17, 2012 in Special Report: Creative City
Blind Faith in Bike Helmets is Dangerous - Rather than mandating helmet use for cyclists, we should be pushing for safer streets for cyclists (and by extension, pedestrians). Published July 06, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling
Aerotropolis Costs - The AEGD issue has flown silently under the radar in the mainstream media, but it threatens to have major impacts on our future growth and sustainability. Published October 21, 2010 in Special Report: Aerotropolis
Evaluate LRT on Facts, Not Irrational Fears - LRT has been proven again and again to spur development, attract new taxpaying businesses, increase property values (and tax assessments), and lure residents to the line. Published February 01, 2010 in Commentary
A Jolley Cut for Everyone - The Jolley is about to be re-paved. Let's make it accessible to everyone in the city, no matter what mode of transport they prefer. Published September 14, 2009 in Feature
City Hall or City Mall? A Vision of Transformation for Our Core - Rather than spending exorbitant sums fixing up 71 Main Street West, the City can purchase City Centre and transform it into a downtown City Hall that immerses Council and staff in the city. Published November 26, 2008 in Special Report: City Hall
Let's Do Transit Right - Light rail is a way for Hamilton to turn a one-time $300 million gift into a long-term perpetual income instead of a long term property tax sinkhole. Published December 20, 2007 in Special Report: Light Rail
Revitalization from the Inside Out - We need to stop throwing money at developers on the fringes of the city and instead get serious about economic development in the core. Published September 28, 2007 in Commentary
Changing the Rules - Most cyclists already treat stop signs as yields without incident. Why not make it official? Published June 27, 2007 in Cover
Less is Mower - The positive effects of our lawns and gardens can quickly be negated if we are not careful about the tools we use to maintain them. Published April 30, 2007 in Gardening
Positive Legacy Needed for 45 King Street East, Published January 17, 2014 in Revitalization
Tweak Transit Lane Design to Ensure Success, Published November 19, 2013 in Transportation
City Still Regards Downtown as a Commuter Route to Elsewhere, Published November 04, 2013 in Transportation
'Dismount and Walk' is Not a Bike Network Solution, Published October 22, 2013 in Transportation
This is What a Real Developer Does, Published August 16, 2013 in Revitalization
The 'Efficiency' of a One-Way Street Grid, Published June 18, 2013 in Transportation
King Street Bike Lane Over Hwy 403 Now Complete, Published December 21, 2012 in Transportation
That Personal Touch, Published December 14, 2012 in Humour
Update on Jackson Square LCBO, Published November 06, 2012 in Activism
Help Make Jackson Square LCBO Better, Published October 22, 2012 in Activism
Stop the HWDSB Madness, Published February 01, 2012 in Activism
Demolition of old Revenue Canada Building is a Disgrace, Published August 16, 2011 in Revitalization
Message at Treble Hall, Published April 15, 2011 in Revitalization
McMaster Walkability Fail, Published March 23, 2010 in Walkability Fail
Walkability Fail at King and Dundurn, Published March 22, 2010 in Walkability Fail
Walkability Fail at Main and Ferguson, Published March 22, 2010 in Walkability Fail
If We Build LRT, They Will Come, Published November 26, 2009 in Transportation
Trinity Abandons OMB Appeal over Innovation Park Big Box Mall, Published October 21, 2009 in Revitalization
GO Train an Awesome Sight Throughout Corktown, Published March 02, 2009 in Transportation
Why Two-Way Streets Work, Published July 15, 2008 in Transportation
Why Light Rail Is Good For Us All, Published May 09, 2008 in Light Rail
Moving in the Wrong Direction: A Rant, Published December 14, 2007 in Revitalization
More Big Boxes on Prime Business Development Land, Published December 11, 2007 in Revitalization
Downtown BIA Gets it Right, Published November 22, 2007 in Revitalization
A Perfect MEC Location: the Federal Building, Published October 25, 2007 in Revitalization
A Proposal for Pedestrianizing King North of Gore, Published October 02, 2007 in Revitalization
MEC's Burlington Location, Published June 27, 2007 in Revitalization
City Cycling Program Funding Restored, Published June 19, 2007 in Transportation
Mow Down Pollution, Published April 16, 2007 in Air Pollution
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