Comment 65402

By shabooga (registered) | Posted June 30, 2011 at 14:18:37

I find that the lack of redundancy in our one-way system leaves our network vulnerable whenever a major blockage happens on one of these streets. You have fewer alternatives to travel in the direction you need to go when a tie-up happens. For instance when a major accident blocks many lanes on Main Street, the only other viable option to get you cross-town eastbound is Wilson Street which is blocks away. With two-way streets you would have many more options to get around the issue without going a long way out of your way. Also I have spoken to a few drivers who have a choice of getting to Burlington using the highway or cutting through downtown using our one-ways (one from the East Mountain and another from East Hamilton). They have told me that they prefer cutting through downtown due to traffic light synchronization. In rush hour, it saves them time to whip through downtown! I know these people will find alternate routes and avoid cutting through downtown if we change these roads to two-way or at least calm traffic somehow. We sometimes hear arguments saying there is no way to convert a street because it will not be able to handle current traffic volumes, however traffic patterns are influenced by the way a street is designed. The way you design a road can encourage or discourage the type of traffic that uses it.

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