Transportation

Strathcona Community Council Executive Supports Dundurn Bike Lanes

By RTH Staff
Published January 15, 2010

The Executive of the Strathcona Community Council recently sent a letter to Ward 1 Councillor Brian McHattie expressing support for the planned inclusion of bike lanes on Dundurn St. S. and hope that the bike lanes can form part of a continuous bike lane network that improves transportation choice between York Blvd and Aberdeen Ave.

Here is the text of the letter.

Dear Brian,

The Executive of the Strathcona Community Council is writing to you on behalf of our neighbourhood to express our support of the planned bicycle lanes on Dundurn St. South and our enthusiasm at their impending construction.

Strathcona has an interest in Dundurn St. S. bike lanes, as we hope to have bike lanes designated on Dundurn St. N. as part of our Transportation Management Plan and would certainly benefit from a continuous cycling network that could get residents north of Main St. to destinations to the south.

Neighbourhood divisions are merely artificial boundaries on a map. The more convenient it is for us to frequent businesses that may be technically outside the neighbourhood, the more likely it is for us to do so.

We understand that there is some merchant objection to the Dundurn St. S. bike lanes. We would remind these merchants that a continuous bicycle lane from York Blvd to Aberdeen will provide safer, more efficient transportation for a number of the residents of our neighbourhood who prefer not to or cannot drive. A conveniently located bike rack near the front doors will encourage patronage all the more.

The City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan states a goal of reducing vehicle-kilometres by 20% and increasing pedestrian and cycling trips from 6% (2001) to 15% (long-term objective). The plan aims to achieve this goal by offering “a choice of integrated travel modes, emphasizing active transportation (walking and cycling), public transit and carpooling.”

We believe that Dundurn St. S. bicycle lanes are a necessary step to implementing the City’s Transportation Master Plan. Not only will the bike lanes enhance the infrastructure for cyclists, but they will make the streetscape more pedestrian-friendly.

We look forward to similar initiatives being implemented in the Strathcona neighbourhood.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 15, 2010 at 22:08:44

well written.
I love living in this neighbourhood with smart people working hard on our behalf.

Dundurn North is primed for bike lanes. It's currently 2 lanes northbound which are speedways 24-7 and one lane southbound which is always wide open other than from 4-6pm on weekdays when it's slower. The second northbound lane can be removed (there is no street parking allowed anywhere on the entire street) and bike lanes can be added in each direction with 1 traffic lane each way. I'm sure this configuration would work right to Main St. The 4 main lanes (not counting turning lanes) in front of Fortinos are never slow or more than 2 or 3 deep at a red light.

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By grassroots are the way forward (registered) | Posted January 16, 2010 at 06:55:09

Jason: You can park in some spots Dundurn North on a Sunday. At least there are people parking near the church. The single lane going south at rush hour is very full and slow. The lanes going north sometimes they are busy and sometimes not, depends on the time of day.

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By JonC (registered) | Posted January 16, 2010 at 08:50:04

You can't legally park there on Sunday, it's just that the bylaw officers magically have off the period from 5:45am to 10pm on Sundays, so the police would have to issue the tickets instead of bylaw officers. Since they don't care about parking violations and focus more on real problems, the city has in essence given churchgoers a free pass to have people park where ever they want.

To report an illegally parked vehicle, call Hamilton Municipal Parking System at (905) 540-6000 from Sunday 10:00 p.m. to the following Sunday at 5:45 a.m., with the location, make, and violation. Your call will be dispatched promptly to a Parking Control Officer.

To report an illegally parked vehicle on Sunday from 5:45 a.m. to Sunday at 10:00 p.m., contact the Hamilton Police Services at (905) 546-4925.

Comment edited by JonC on 2010-01-16 07:53:20

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 16, 2010 at 22:31:52

you're not one of those are you? Calling bylaw for dumb things. Those cars sitting in the curb lane really affecting your quality of life on Sunday mornings?

Hamilton has some of the stupidest parking regulations. Other cities just line the sidewalks with street parking from corner to corner. Here we have all of these over-regulated rules and annoying signs all over the place limiting parking for 40 feet in the middle of a block for no reason or not allowing parking within 30 feet of a corner so drivers can just roll through the intersection instead of actually having to stop. They've regulated this city to death. Don't empower them.

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By JonC (registered) | Posted January 17, 2010 at 08:47:58

No. Quality of life, no, but frustrate the hell out me, sometimes. You should skip work and check out the mess of churches near Locke in an hour or two from now. People parked in no stopping zones, in crosswalks, in wheel chair loading zones, in front of fire hydrants, in front of bus stops, and blocking through fares. Every week like it was their god-given right. Their need to park 100 feet closer to church outweighing their desire to obey the law or care about other people's needs. Either that or they're completely ignorant, but the bylaw officers probably would have pointed that out to them on numerous other days that aren't Sunday.

No need to get defensive just because I pointed out the city specifically gives bylaw officers that time off and I've presumed it's favouritism towards churches. I'll assume today's sermon is about the moral authority to ignore mans' laws. You can get defensive about that if you'd like, but you did essentially okayed it above. Just try to keep them at parking violations. Much appreciated.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 17, 2010 at 09:14:16

not defensive about anything...I just can't stand it when people call bylaw for the most innocent things - you didn't specify that folks were blocking wheelchair loading zones, hydrants, thoroughfares etc.... that definitely deserves a call. You example was the 2nd northbound lane on Dundurn. It's a speed zone all week long. If people park there Sundays, I would welcome it as the only time of the week that it isn't being driven like a freeway. We have enough of those downtown.

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By Caesar (anonymous) | Posted January 17, 2010 at 11:23:41

All I'm asking is that churchgoers who illegally park should render unto me that which is mine.

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By highwater (registered) | Posted January 17, 2010 at 14:07:09

...or not allowing parking within 30 feet of a corner so drivers can just roll through the intersection instead of actually having to stop.

It's not 30ft. More like 3m. And it's to keep sightlines clear to protect PEDESTRIANS. If you want to make this city more pedestrian friendly, obey the parking bylaws.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 17, 2010 at 17:34:01

are montreal and toronto more pedestrian friendly than Hamilton? by a country mile. And they have street parking wall to wall everywhere they can cram it. more cars parking, coming and going slows down the traffic. You and I both know that Hamilton has done zero with pedestrians in mind. It's all about high speed car travel in this city. All the time. Even Cannon and Wilson would function a little more normally with street parking on both sides from Bay to Sherman. Folks parking and pulling out of their spot would keep drivers alert and folks getting into and out of their cars keeps drivers slower and more watchful - such as Locke, James North etc.....

Comment edited by jason on 2010-01-17 16:35:49

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By michaelcumming (registered) - website | Posted January 19, 2010 at 05:27:28

The addition of bike lanes along Dundurn and the calming of its traffic would make it a safer street. This is welcome news.

I also think that Dundurn N should have a pedestrian crossing light near the church. It is a dangerous crossing point for our kids who go to Strathcona School. The crossing guard helps considerably when she in on duty but she is there only briefly each school day.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 19, 2010 at 08:18:31

a child was hit at that crosswalk a couple of years ago, but nothing has changed since. Hamilton has far too many downtown streets like that where you can speed along for many blocks before hitting a stop sign or stop light.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 19, 2010 at 09:40:15

yea, it's pretty sad how fast this city will jump to put in an entire new signalized entrance for a private shopping mall, yet pedestrians are expected to hike all over town just to cross the street.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 23, 2010 at 15:49:10

a couple of points regarding the Dundurn bike lanes:

  1. the owner of Ray's Place has asked to appear before council to complain some more about the bike lanes coming to Dundurn South. I've been many times to Ray's and will never set foot in there again if he succeeds in convincing council to stay stuck in the 50's. I would recommend the same response from others who would like to make their point - letter writing won't do a thing. The bottom line will.

  2. My young daughter and I were almost run right over by a guy riding his bike down the sidewalk on Dundurn the other day. We stepped out of Zarky's and he was absolutely flying in the dark. How we managed to avoid him is still a shock to me. I now know how someone could be very badly hurt or killed in a collision with a bike. He was going full tilt.

Maybe I should appear before council and share that story?

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