Draft two-way traffic designs for Hamilton’s Main Street now public
Plans would make room for westbound vehicle traffic on currently one-way Main — and maybe strategic bike lanes — for the first time since the 1950s
Matthew Van Dongen Spectator Reporter, May 11, 2023
Hamilton’s preferred plan to convert Main Street to two-way traffic includes a section of protected bike lanes and a potential green-space buffer in front of city hall.
But first, the city wants to hear what you prefer.
The city has posted “functional design” plans online in advance of a virtual public meeting May 18 between 6 and 8 p.m. about the two-way traffic conversion. The posted design is the city’s “technically preferred solution,” said transportation director Mike Field.
But he emphasized the plan could still change, based on resident and council feedback or even new information about traffic changes on parallel King Street — where a new design for the LRT line is also undergoing tweaks.
In addition to next Thursday’s virtual public meeting, individual ward town halls on the project are also expected in the coming weeks. “It’s a massively important project,” said Field. “We’re expecting to hear from residents about it.”
A year ago, council voted to convert collision-prone Main back to two-way vehicle traffic through the core for the first time since the 1950s. The historic vote came amid a record year for pedestrian fatalities — including four deaths on the Main corridor involving cars that jumped the curb.
The city has vowed to redesign the busy arterial — which until last year, was one of the widest one-ways in Canada — as a “complete street.” That means making space for road users other than cars and using strategic design to reduce the injury fallout from errors made by motorists, pedestrians or anyone else.
The ongoing study looks at one-way Main from Longwood Avenue in the west all the way to the Delta in the east.
Field said anyone who tunes in to the public meeting will also see examples of various lane configurations considered and explanations about anticipated future traffic volumes.
It’s not yet clear when work would begin to convert the one-way street, but Field said planners have pledged to bring a final recommended design and schedule to councillors to consider this summer.
Notable options showcased in the posted design drawings include:
- Generally, the design allows at least two lanes of eastbound vehicle traffic, but in most cases only one in the westbound direction. From Dundurn Street to the downtown, it’s three eastbound lanes, primarily to accommodate heavy traffic volumes coming off the Highway 403 interchange, said Field.
The city also considered other lane configurations, like two car lanes in each direction. Field said traffic planners will have volume statistics and other information to explain the rationale for the preferred design at the meeting. Expect the King Street LRT design to factor into the equation.
- The preferred design keeps one-way traffic flow — at least for now — from the Highway 403 off-ramp to the intersection of Main at Dundurn. Think of it a “part one” of an eventual conversion that stretches all the way west to Longwood Avenue, said Field. “We want to go all the way,” he said — but to do so, the city will need buy-in from the province to make changes to the one-way-oriented highway interchange.
- The design shows optional “green boulevards” added strategically throughout the route, including one that would take up the current auto lane directly in front of city hall.
- The city is pitching dedicated, protected bike lanes in both directions on Main between Victoria Avenue, which has a protected cycle track already, and Sherman Avenue.
- The preferred design proposes street parking east of Sherman Avenue, including near Gage Park and beyond. That could be handy for area residents or businesses, said Field, but also serves the purpose of “traffic calming” by narrowing the historically wide, fast-moving corridor.
Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. [email protected]
https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2023/05/11/main-street-traffic.html
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