Raise the Hammer

with all due respect to everyone involved here, are we really debating the merits of whether a 15-minute crosstown trip is better or worse than a 15-minute highway trip?? That's the big deciding factor as to whether we allow our urban neighbourhoods to flourish and boom back to life, or keep them as horrible, dangerous, depressed inner city dead zones??

I could understand if the difference was 30 minutes driving time vs. 15 minutes, although even then I'd firmly be in the camp of vibrant neighbourhoods instead of saving myself a few minutes. I live near Victoria Park downtown. It takes me 15 minutes to visit friends at Greenhill Ave via 403-Linc. It takes roughly 15 via inner city streets too. That's our big debate??

Let's keep what is most important in mind: the health, safety and vitality of our oldest, poorest neighbourhoods and their retail/commercial streets.

One of Canada's greatest urban neighbourhoods: http://goo.gl/maps/uyDbm

It's quite a drive to the closest freeway. I don't hear anyone clamouring for St Laurent to have sidewalks hacked, parking restricted and the street turned into a 4-lane defacto freeway with timed lights just because there's no highways around. King Street could look like this someday if we give it a chance, and stop being our own worst enemy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/punxutawney...

How about another example closer to home. Midtown Toronto:

http://goo.gl/maps/tbyJL

Literally some of Canada's most desirable urban real estate and streetfront retail/commercial space. Should we kill it for the convenience of residents who have no freeways in sight? It's a long trek to the 401 or Gardiner.

http://www.peterrussellrealestate.com/ac...

It's mind-boggling that with our totally convenient ring highway system we would even fathom continuing to kill the lower city for more freeway-type streets that aren't needed. Again, from Victoria Park to Confederation Park on the lake it's 10-15 minutes via Burlington Street.
We're not talking massive time savings by having Cannon, King, Main, Victoria, Wellington etc..... in fact, we're not talking ANY time savings.

Toronto and Montreal have vibrant successful urban cores, despite freeways being quite a distance away....perhaps we can learn something and begin to make changes that will allow Hamilton to flourish again. Instead of being an imaginary shortcut for folks who suddenly don't want to use our half-billion $ freeway network that they begged for.

Comment edited by jason on 2013-05-31 22:35:25