Comment 2298

By (anonymous) | Posted November 23, 2006 at 19:43:51

One look at the disaster that is James Street South will tell you why this is not a simple thing. Those eight or ten blocks are a significant bottleneck, with idling cars, buses, and the ever present Canada Post trucks slowing all traffic to a crawl.

You have large vehicles blocking the curb, and eight out of ten buses changing three lanes to turn left, all of which makes this a street that really isn't safe for bicycles. The St Joe's corner at the parking garage isn't even close to safe for pedestrians.

As much as I love public transit - GOOD public transit - bikes, and even walking, the reality is that Hamilton, and especially downtown is far from being a place that is easily liveable without cars.

The lack of basic services like a decent grocery store, a hardware store, and other things means that people sooner or later need to drive. For many things, especially for families, the HSR just doesn't work. Have you ever shopped for family of four? You don't haul that much stuff on the bus!

Despite the somewhat romantic notions about recreating a downtown form days gone by, the practical reality is that King and Main are valuable arteries for the thousands of people and businesses that need to travel across the city.

Moving those people through at a steady 50 kmh reduces idling and emissions. Those are good things.

Rather than spending more money on ill conceived transitions to two way traffic, I'd prefer to have the money spent on expanding and improving HSR service so that people will move away from cars by choice rather than because there is no option.

Like the buses to and from the Mountain that bring people into and out of downtown. Twenty minutes between buses on the 35 route is NOT an incentive to use transit.



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