Raise the Hammer

The optimist in me wants to tell myself that some of the conversions were postponed during LRT uncertainity. Combine the 2008 financial crisis and LRT uncertainity, and you get some of the delays.

Now that the LRT fully funded, we will probably have a major discussion during Year 2016-2017 about the future of some Lower City streets, like 2-way conversions (needed for construction detours too). Pre-work (e.g. sewer relocations) need to happen before the LRT as well.

Staging (sequence of events) is a question too; certain sections of the LRT may not be built till 2022-ish in the "rolling construction" (mentioned in Sept 23 LRT city meeting as a way to shorten street shutdowns).

As we need to respectfully engage the whole Hamilton region, there will be lots of time to ease the city into a new Lower City traffic system. Some conversions can happen sooner than later, while other difficult/controversial ones can easily be postponed till the early 2020s due to the rolling construction, if too contentious to do sooner. 2025 (shortly after LRT open) is a full generation away from the year that James St N become 2-way.

The next generation is a little more open to seeing Main 2-way happen, for example. Calmer streets surrounding downtown, will bring more business and residents to downtown, as it would be far less dangerous to walk downtown from surrounding neighborhoods. Unlike back in 2000-2005 when it was literally completely unthinkable to do a Main 2-way conversion, people have now seen what James St N is like today, and have a greater appreciation for the potential even if not 100% are unamious. Back in 2000-2005, we didn't have a complete ring road freeway around Hamilton-Burlington (RHVP/LINC not yet contiguous with 403/QEW/skyway); now we do and it is time to evolve Main/King back to the neighborhood as a regular artery rather than urban expressways.

We are facing a lot of delays, but we have a great opportunity, for the whole region, to engage and work together. Not everyone agrees. But with the LRT coming, 2-ways will actually make it faster to drive from business-to-business in the Lower City; where it counts.

Comment edited by mdrejhon on 2015-10-16 12:06:28