Let's talk about one-way streets

[ScreamingViking]

Two-way where? More Hamilton one-way streets will be converted to bidirectional traffic
Main and King streets are certainly the biggest, but not the only two-way conversion projects being planned in the lower city.

Matthew Van Dongen
The Hamilton Spectator
Thursday, December 28, 2023

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-re...6ce5406-37f4-5814-9f90-79a3d9a65399.html




Two-way traffic is making a big comeback in Hamilton's lower city thanks in large part to the looming redesign of parallel Main and King streets.

Council heard plans for a $26-million overhaul of Main Street between Dundurn Street and the Delta earlier this month and urged transportation staff to come up with a fast-tracked schedule, ideally within two years.

King Street through the core, meanwhile, will be converted to bidirectional traffic by default once a planned $3.4-billion light rail transit line is built, although that could easily take five years.

But lost in the noise of those massive, pricey projects are tentative proposals to bring back bidirectional car traffic on several other important lower city streets for the first time since the 1950s.

Earlier in December, the city unveiled potential two-way projects between next year and 2029, including parts of Sherman Avenue and the finishing touches on critical corridors like Queen and Wilson streets.

...


Summary:
Main Street - Dundurn to the Delta; staff to come up with a fast-tracked schedule ideally finishing within two years.

King Street - conversion by default due to LRT, though that could take five years.

Hunter and Bay Streets - reconfirmed that they'll remain one-way.

Queen Street - conversion between King and Barton, probably not before 2029.

Wilson Street - Victoria to Sherman could be done by the end of 2024.

Sherman Avenue - plan is two-way between Burlington St. and Wilson, but south portion likely first with railway crossing approvals expected to slow change at the north end. Work could start in 2024 but may extend into 2026.

Victoria Avenue - Ferrie to Barton requires rail crossing approvals and resolving concerns related to the General Hospital; timeline and ultimate design uncertain. South of Barton to remain one-way with a cycle track to maintain paired-status with Wellington.

Birch Avenue - Burlington to Barton will include a multi-use path; work waits on outcome of negotiations re: overhead rail bridge construction.

[matt602]

We converted almost every street in the lower city to one-way traffic over night half a century ago but now it takes 2 years to convert one of those streets back to two-way on a "fast tracked schedule". All of this should have been done years ago.

[ScreamingViking]

I agree it should have been done sooner. But politics and decision-processes were different in the past, and there's also a more nuanced understanding (among some) about the linkages between transportation and land-use and the value of incremental change.

Imagine the outcry (and therefore councillor opposition) today if city staff had proposed a widespread and quick shift in the transportation network like what happened in the mid-1950s?

During family gatherings in the past month I've overheard conversations among 'the elders' about how they cannot understand the need to convert the one-ways mainly because they make it easy to get around the city. But these people aren't transit users, and they don't shop or do business at places along the one-ways; those streets are just a means to travel across town or get from one car-focused place to another. When I've explained my view I'm met with silence, but probably because they think I don't get it... despite my urban geography background. I also have friends my age though (late 40s, early 50s) who think the same thing, but live in very suburban areas where getting in and out of Costco and the commuter traffic on the QEW and 403 are their major concerns when it comes to transportation. Yet they feel the need to bitch about what's happening in the central city, even though they rarely (if ever) go there.

[SteelTown]

New accelerated timeline for two-way Main Street conversion
Goal of $26.5-million project is to 'make life better for more people'

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-re...74d5baa-f755-5828-908f-5be9a9dfcb43.html

City politicians have backed a plan to speed up a $26.5-million effort to convert Main Street to two-way traffic with the goal of making the crash-prone thoroughfare safer.

The revised schedule cuts about 17 months from an initial five-year outlook with construction now expected to wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028.

[Innsertnamehere]

Excited to see it accelerated. Main Street probably carries higher vehicle volumes than any other street in the city, or is at least close to taking that number, so having it resurfaced and cleaned up will not only help the downtown feel a lot more hospitable but also really improve the median driving experience in this city in terms of road quality.

With the City also resurfacing two other stretches of road which are among the busiest in the city in the next two or three years.. (Upper Wentworth next to Limeridge and Golf Links Rd next to Meadowlands), it'll be nice.

[ScreamingViking]

I imagine we'll hear much angst about Main, but improving the condition of the street alone will be welcome.

And having that additional westbound lane in the network will really help during LRT construction. Central sections of Cannon are quite slow during peak periods.

[LikeHamilton]

Form the spec.com Thursday, May 2, 2024

Wilson Street from Victoria Avenue North to Sherman Avenue North is slated for a full closure for water, road and sewer work, as well as two-way conversion. Work will run from September to December.

[rdaner]

Great news!

So how many conversions have there been in Hamilton so far? I wonder if it is too early to see if it is making a difference. I know that when it has been done in other jurisdictions the first quantifiable change is the retail begins to increase in value.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by rdaner

Great news!

So how many conversions have there been in Hamilton so far? I wonder if it is too early to see if it is making a difference. I know that when it has been done in other jurisdictions the first quantifiable change is the retail begins to increase in value.

I'm not sure, but many of the "main" ones have been or will be.

I think James St. has exhibited the biggest impact. It also had the most intact street-walls though, so the old buildings were quick to be adapted. John on the other hand suffered from having so many parking lots along its flanks; it'll now benefit from the new condo towers being constructed or proposed on many of them, though how well they interact with the street is TBD (definitely won't be like James though)

Main St. will be interesting to watch, given that it has kept much of its older built form too. King too of course but the impact of the LRT will be the major thing.

[TheRitsman]

They had a list in one of the reports that indicated the conversions to date.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton’s Main St. and other roads begin construction
https://www.chch.com/chch-news/hamiltons...ion/?mc_cid=4946dc6972&mc_eid=30335158ea

The long process of changing Hamilton’s Main Street from one-way traffic to two is taking another big step starting Monday morning.

Hamilton city councillors voted more than two years ago to convert traffic flow along the busy thoroughfare, as a way to reduce speed and increase pedestrian and driver safety.

Lane closures begin Monday on a stretch of Main St. East between Emerald Street and Erie Avenue.

Several other lanes along Main Street will be closed or restricted over the next few days.

The two-way traffic project is expected to be finished in late 2027 or early 2028.

These traffic construction projects follow after extensive roadwork began on York Blvd. and Cannon St. East in July, with Locke Street closing down last week.

[Innsertnamehere]

I imagine it's just for soil testing or something given the short term nature of the closures. Construction isn't supposed to start for over a year still.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton moves ahead with plans for 2-way conversion of Main Street
City expects to award tender in late summer

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/main-street-two-way-conversion-9.7122593

The City of Hamilton is moving ahead with plans to convert a six-kilometre stretch of Main Street into two-way traffic.

A motion suggesting the change was passed in 2022 after 11 pedestrians were killed in vehicle-related accidents from January to May of that year.

The city is hoping to award a contract in late summer for someone to take on the Main Street project, it said in a news release last week.

Brian Hollingworth, director of engineering with the city, said he expects the two-way conversion, which will span Dundurn Street, will need up to two years to be completed.

The work comes as part of a $150 million transportation investment Hamilton is making this year.

The investment includes resurfacing parts of Barton Street E., Charlton Avenue E., James Street S., Charlton Avenue W. and King Street E.

It also includes reconstruction and rehabilitation of parts of:
* Nebo Road, which will get new sidewalks and a multi-use path.
* Mountain Park Avenue, which will get a watermain replacement, and "modernized roadway."
* Sherman Cut, which will get a steel wall replacement.
* Scenic Drive, which will undergo road reconstruction with active transportation facilities.

[shoelessjoe]

So I am assuming in part due to the complexity of the Main/Paradise intersection that Main St W will remain one-way for the short stretch from Paradise to Dundurn?

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by shoelessjoe

So I am assuming in part due to the complexity of the Main/Paradise intersection that Main St W will remain one-way for the short stretch from Paradise to Dundurn?

The LRT is going to convert that stretch when it happens in a few years - no point for the city dealing with it right now.

[shoelessjoe]

Makes sense I knew there were some route/design changes between LRT 1.0 and LRT 2.0 including crossovers etc.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

The LRT is going to convert that stretch when it happens in a few years - no point for the city dealing with it right now.