Transportation

Park Avenue a Model for Main Street

By RTH Staff
Published May 30, 2012

In an article posted on CBC Hamilton, RTH contributor Jason Leach proposes Park Avenue in Manhattan as a model for how Hamilton could redesign Main Street.

Park Avenue in Manhattan: curbside parking and a raised, tree-lined median with midblock pedestrian crossing (Image Credit: CBC)
Park Avenue in Manhattan: curbside parking and a raised, tree-lined median with midblock pedestrian crossing (Image Credit: CBC)

Leach writes, "I found a picture that most closely represents my idea for Main Street becoming 2-way with a narrow median 'boulevard' that will allow for greenery, lots of overhead trees and mid-block pedestrian crossing access." He notes that the median creates a "massive visual impact" despite its narrowness and concludes, "Now is the time to get serious about such ideas."

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By CakeandEatit2 (anonymous) | Posted May 30, 2012 at 10:27:37

This is hilarious. When people comment on RTH that one way streets have been working great in walkable cities like Paris, NY, Portland etc, the RTH posse pile on the person. How could they be so stupid as to not realize that Hamilton is NOT New York? They say that One Way streets only work in those cities because they're bigger and better than us.

And now this article, using an example from New York? Apparently you guys cherry pick your facts and your examples.

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By jason (registered) | Posted May 30, 2012 at 10:43:38

the point of the article isn't to cite traffic flow or volume in comparison to other cities. It's simply a design idea. I thought about using University Ave in TO, but I figured someone would come on here and say "we could never fit a median that size on Main St...." Which, of course, we all know. The size would have to be scaled to fit our Main Street....the concept, however, works whether it's a narrow median like Park Ave, or a large one like University Ave: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9QmN77pxag/Th...

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted May 30, 2012 at 13:25:00

To be fair, I see an extra lane of parked cars in that photo, meaning that street is actually wider than most of our 4-lane streets.

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By Conrad66 (registered) | Posted May 30, 2012 at 13:41:39 in reply to Comment 77586

Thats wright Pxtl thats NEW YORK were hamilton can you fighure that one out ... make it fit .... don`t try to bring Park Ave on main street for god sake pls wake up .. stop living in this smale box get out of it and see other places .. !

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By Conrad66 (registered) | Posted May 30, 2012 at 13:38:22

I don`t care what other pls think .. like the others on here said if yous ever been anywaer befor 2 way is the way to go what will it take for this CITY to get the picture for pete sake !!!!!!!!

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By Pennybags (anonymous) | Posted May 30, 2012 at 15:23:19

FWIW, CBC, "the high-price spot on the Monopoly board is actually Park Place."

Main is probably more Baltic Avenue.

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