Comment 25891

By LikeHamilton (anonymous) | Posted July 11, 2008 at 10:53:53

As someone who has worked on John Street for more that 30 years I was sceptical about the conversion to two-way streets. At certain times of the day it is now absolute gridlock, but I have figured out ways to get around it. I found I did not need to drive on John or James to get to where I wanted to go. But that gridlock at other times of the day has added excitement to the streets. I have noticed more life on the street, more businesses opening up and spreading out to the sidewalk and adding to the neighbourhoods.

I have changed my mind on two-way streets. I have observed and I believe them to be an outright success!

I like what I have seen! I also believe that you cannot paint everything with the same brush or colour, not all streets can or should be converted to one-way. I believe the plan does have some streets still run one-way due to their size. King can go to two-way from the Delta to Wellington Street but stay one-way to the 403, but narrowed in certain sections. Main can go two-way from 403 to the Delta with more lanes eastbound than westbound. I believe this would be a balance between the need to move traffic and slowing traffic down.

This would also allow a better flow of traffic to and from events in the core. I now avoid going to events in Toronto due to the impassable gridlock downtown. It can take more than two hours to get out of Toronto after a show on the weekend. As the driver I do not see anything as my eyes are glued to the road and the stress is almost unbearable. I have not been to any event in Toronto for over 2 years. I have been to events in Hamilton, Kitchener, and Niagara-on-the-Lake and even Buffalo (a show that had played in Toronto and I waited until it played in Buffalo).

I would like to suggest that someone or some group invite the outside blind Councillors for a tour of James Street North and South to see the changes that have come from two-way streets. Maybe they should be invited to an art crawl and see all of the upscale intelligent people that come to James Street North! Maybe this is a job for the BIA’s.

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