Let's talk about one-way streets

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

Converting Main and King to two-way is verboten on account of they carry so many cars!

I know that that is soooo disappointing, but one day, one day.......

IMO, the city and pro two-way conversion people should work on baby steps. Drop the others and work on Rebecca & King William which are minor enough streets there shouldn't be too much opposition. Or trade off converting some of the others for something else those opposed want. It's called compromising.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

IMO, the city and pro two-way conversion people should work on baby steps.

You mean baby steps like converting a couple of streets (James and John) to two-way first to see how it works out, and then waiting several years before proceeding with more two-way conversions? Because that's exactly what the city already did.

As Terry Cooke wrote in a Spectator column earlier this year:

Hamilton council should summon the political courage to simply eliminate our anachronistic system of one-way streets. No more public-policy baby steps and enough already with pilot projects like the now three-year-old conversions of James and John streets.

It's time to simply abandon an idea of the 1950s that serves only as a deterrent to restoring livable neighbourhoods in the heart of Hamilton.

http://thespec.com/article/325869

It seems to me that anyone who is willing to be swayed by evidence has already come around to support for two-way streets (e.g. Terry Cooke, Fred Eisenberger, John Dolbec). Since the remainder oppose two-way conversions dogmatically, there can be no "compromising" with them. They will oppose the revitalization of the downtown core relentlessly and implacably no matter how willing you are to "compromise".

The only recourse is to find ways to circumvent their obstructionism.

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

You mean baby steps like converting a couple of streets (James and John) to two-way first to see how it works out, and then waiting several years before proceeding with more two-way conversions? Because that's exactly what the city already did.

As Terry Cooke wrote in a Spectator column earlier this year:



http://thespec.com/article/325869

It seems to me that anyone who is willing to be swayed by evidence has already come around to support for two-way streets (e.g. Terry Cooke, Fred Eisenberger, John Dolbec). Since the remainder oppose two-way conversions dogmatically, there can be no "compromising" with them. They will oppose the revitalization of the downtown core relentlessly and implacably no matter how willing you are to "compromise".

The only recourse is to find ways to circumvent their obstructionism.

Just a suggestion, which perhaps would get 2 more converted.

What you've outlined is a stalemate scenario. If that's the case one-way streets it is. Live with it and let's move on to something that can be accomplished............

Sorry, to sound flippant but something is better than nothing. And nothing is what the current proposal is destined to acheive.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

What you've outlined is a stalemate scenario. If that's the case one-way streets it is. Live with it and let's move on to something that can be accomplished............

Sorry, to sound flippant but something is better than nothing. And nothing is what the current proposal is destined to acheive.

I disagree, Fairhamilton. They initially voted down the transportation master plan, but then reversed themselves and agreed to defer it. If there's enough public outcry between now and when the vote comes up again, we may see some changed votes. This is no time to roll over.

[raisethehammer]

I still shake my head in disbelief that Terry Cooke wrote that.
Wow!

[Millstone]

I live on Rebecca and would love to see it converted all the way to James.

[raisethehammer]

apparently a pedestrian was just killed by a truck on Main St, near James.
Anyone down there to confirm??

[highwater]

http://www.900chml.com/Channels/Reg/...spx?ID=1034735

[raisethehammer]

I wonder who was at fault?
By the sounds of that report, probably the driver. Whenever it's the pedestrian, they ALWAYS make a point of stating that they were 'jaywalking' or 'crossing on a stop light' or heaven forbid 'wearing an ipod' etc.....

[markbarbera]

The spec has a witness account that the pedestrian was hit as she stepped out on James near Main.

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/453609

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

I wonder who was at fault?
By the sounds of that report, probably the driver. Whenever it's the pedestrian, they ALWAYS make a point of stating that they were 'jaywalking' or 'crossing on a stop light' or heaven forbid 'wearing an ipod' etc.....

Uh, yeah, all stupid things to do while crossing a major arterial street.

[adam]

In an urban area, pedestrians should always have the right of way. The driver probably wasn't looking or going to fast as per usual.

[raisethehammer]

I saw the scene this afternoon. The van is up on the northern sidewalk of Main. The body is back around the crosswalk on the east side of James. 14 fatalities this year in car deaths.
If that were gun-murders some of you would be screaming like idiots and piling on the fearmongering at an alarming rate.
It's time to stop the vehicular homicide in this city.

[HAMRetrofit]

Hamilton wake up and eliminate the synced one ways through the core. I hope the city gets sued on the this big time. I place blame on them their interests should be in protecting the public. Clearly not the case here. This is negligent policy at its finest.

[adam]

We have counsellors from other wards telling us its too inconvenient for their constituents to "impose" traffic calming measures. 14 deaths seems to be an acceptable loss to many. And I recall someone complaining about a homeless person banging on a window a while back. Wow.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

I saw the scene this afternoon. The van is up on the northern sidewalk of Main. The body is back around the crosswalk on the east side of James. 14 fatalities this year in car deaths.
If that were gun-murders some of you would be screaming like idiots and piling on the fearmongering at an alarming rate.
It's time to stop the vehicular homicide in this city.

No death rate is acceptable, but 14 deaths in Hamilton this year is well below the 2001 average Canadian traffic fatality rate (from http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/stats.../2004/menu.htm):

There were 2,778 deaths due to motor vehicle traffic collisions in the year 2001 - a rate of 8.9 deaths per 100,000 population.

Hamilton is trending toward a traffic fatality rate of about 3 per 100,000 this year. What do you have to say in reply?

[HAMRetrofit]

Your stats are useless what percentage of this is pedestrian fatalities? Time to give your head a shake.

[BCTed]

Originally Posted by HAMRetrofit

Your stats are useless what percentage of this is pedestrian fatalities? Time to give your head a shake.

What?

[raisethehammer]

I've been saying it for years.
Idiots like Whitebread share the blame in those 14 deaths (more surely to come by years end). He cares about shaving 2 minutes off his drive to work over the life of another human being. Disgusting. Sadly, most of council is the same.

[BrianE]

I think he's asking how many "Traffic Fatalities" where Car vs Pedestrian and how many were Car vs Car or single vehicle deaths.

I think everyone posting in the thread needs to get on the same page fast or this will be yet another pointless argument.

Someone please find the number of yearly fatalities in Hamilton due to Car vs Pedestrian. And compare it to the national average. The stats that BCTed just posted seem to include all motor vehicle collisions. Which doesn't apply in this case because we should all be talking about pedestrian fatalities.

Also, I don't know what this number of 14 traffic deaths in Hamilton this year means. Are they also including Car vs Car and highway deaths? Or is this stat saying "14 people were walking in the streets in hamilton and they were hit by cars and killed, this year"