Raise the Hammer Newsfeed - Blogs

Welsh Government to Mandate Municipal Commitment to Walking, Cycling

2012-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

The government of Wales is about to be the first federal government in the world to insist that municipal governments include sustainable transportation in their plans.

Councils will be obliged to consider how to improve walking and cycling when planning any new road schemes.

Such greener travel options have for some time been the official ambition of ministers in Westminster and elsewhere, but campaigners say little has been achieved, in no small part because many councils show little enthusiasm for such projects, and sometimes downright hostility.

The article references a 2011 study finding that merely telling people to ride bikes doesn't make a difference, and that a successful strategy entails investing in continuous cycling infrastructure.

Hamilton Heritage in Spacing Magazine

2012-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

Toronto's Spacing magazine just published an engaging essay by Julie Baldassi on Hamilton's struggle over whether and how to preserve its built heritage of old, urban buildings.

Hamilton has a livable, vibrant urban core which is distinct from its suburban periphery. And, over the past decade, the urban core has been inhabited by a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial Hamiltonians who have raised the profile of their local arts community and thriving businesses. These facts are worth stating - not to brag or invite flattering comparisons to grander cities or boroughs - but to illustrate the point that Hamilton is its own city with its own unique set of growing pains and reasons for civic pride.

Chronicling the "anti-urban" policies of the 1960s and on, in which Hamilton bulldozed whole city blocks in a misguided, top-down attempt to repurpose the core, Baldassi also touches on the parallel phenomenon of "demolition by neglect", in which old buildings are allowed to deteriorate until they collapse of their own volition or are ordered demolished for safety reasons.

She closes by asking: "how can Hamilton's built heritage advocates convince investors to preserve culture, if what they value is only based on utility and money?"

This is the first in a series of articles about Hamilton.

More Predictions of Doom for James, John South Conversions

2012-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

Despite the fact that the sky didn't fall when James and John North were converted to two-way traffic in 2002, all the same dire predictions resurfaced when James and John South were converted to two-way traffic in 2005.

Following is a sampling of letters and opinion pieces published in the Hamilton Spectator in 2005 and 2006 - but first, an article from 2005 reminding people about the non-catastrophe in 2002:

This time it's not as historic as 2002: Phase one was the first time in nearly 50 years people drove cars north on James and south on John. This time, it seems, the devil is in the details.

Traffic chaos predictions in 2002 didn't happen. City traffic staffers didn't get a complaint. And retail chaos? A survey by the Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Area found foot traffic increased for shops on two-way James and John.

"I expect the same will happen wherever two-way conversion is created," says BIA executive director Kathy Drewitt, who opposes the two-way conversion on Cannon and Main.

-- Rob Faulkner, "One-way streets going two-way", June 21, 2005

But never mind that: on with the doom!

I don't know if you will be able to smell the roses (what roses?) with all the extra pollution in the air as cars stop at almost every street corner. Our city fathers of old designed these streets to expedite traffic.

If I am going from point A to point B, I am not going to stop and shop along the way. All it is going to do is frustrate drivers and add to more road rage.

I, for one, will ignore the core completely.

-- Letter, July 9, 2005

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Downtown Hamilton's one-way streets have worked efficiently for 49 years. Leave them alone. ...

[A] Smart Moves plan was dreamed up in 1998, "to make downtown more inviting for pedestrians and slow traffic so that motorists would stop and shop."

The miracle to achieve this is a two-way street system. The plan approved by council envisions Cannon and Wilson streets , and King and Main from Paradise to the Delta, as two-way streets . The plan did not recommend John and James be changed to two-way, but that is where the city has already begun this dramatic changeover. ...

We have only two main arterial streets below the Mountain that go all the way from east to west. Create a bottleneck in the centre and motorists will avoid the downtown like the plague.

-- Anne Jones, "Council should leave downtown one-way streets as is", July 16, 2005

Council has spent countless millions trying to [rejuvenate the core], and so far they have failed. Given the previous track record, and millions wasted, why would this be any different. ...

In the end, we will be no better off than we are now, except that the city will be $1 million poorer and taxpayers will have to endure long traffic lines while traveling up and down the hill. Is this really the best use of $1 million?

-- Paul Roney, "Exploding some myths on two-way streets", July 30, 2005

Just like London, Tokyo or New York City, we now have traffic jams, gridlock, slow-moving vehicles and a lot of very angry drivers who are vowing never to come downtown again if it means using John or James streets. ...

At various times, various councils have come up with some pretty stupid ideas, but this road conversion has got to be right up at the top.

-- Letter, November 12, 2005

Hamilton is making a big mistake turning James Street and John Street into two-way streets. ... I definitely will not use those accesses.

-- Letter, November 22, 2005

Now some bright folks at City Hall have decided to take a step back into the past. Yesterday I had occasion to visit St. Joseph's Hospital. By the time I got there, my blood pressure had gone through the roof.

It is a mistake to think that two-way traffic will flow better in a city the size of Hamilton.

-- Letter, November 28, 2005

It's always nice to sit back and reflect on the good old days, isn't it? As when John and James streets were one way and traffic flowed smoothly.

-- Letter, May 25, 2006

If there is one thing I hope the new city council does quickly, it is to put to rest the ridiculous notion that Hamilton's one-way streets are to blame for its downtown woes.

Two-way streets and lane reductions that will most certainly cause a drastic increase in downtown traffic congestion is not going to encourage people to come downtown and it will definitely not reduce smog.

-- Letter, December 1, 2006

The conversion of James and John South was more turbulent than the conversions of James and John North, at least at first, but drivers quickly adjusted and the City's traffic department tweaked the street design over the next few weeks and months.

Since then, the streets have made steady, incremental progress, with new restaurants and cafes like Bistro Parisien, Boo's Bistro, One Duke, WASS Ethiopian, Radius Cafe, Rapscallion, Incognito, Affinity, the London Tap House, and a growing plethora of restaurants and pubs on Augusta.

Reflections on the Lister Block

2012-05-16T12:00:00-05:00

Lister reflected in glasses

During Doors Open Hamilton, there were guided tours of the newly renovated Lister Block. It was a beautiful day and the building displayed perfectly in a pair of sunglasses.

Chaos Predicted for James, John Conversions

2012-05-15T12:00:00-05:00

On September 30, 2002, in the middle of a storm of controversy, the City of Hamilton converted James Street North and John Street North back to two-way traffic. The plan had been on the books since 1999, but skittish councillors and skeptical residents had held it up until then.

Here are a smattering of opinion pieces and letters to the editor published in the Hamilton Spectator from 1999 through 2002 that predicted chaos and failure when James and John were converted.

It doesn't matter that the roads aren't wide enough. The idea is to bring traffic to a standstill and then shopping will flourish. Dream on.

-- Letter, January 2, 1999

Reverting to two-way traffic on John and James streets will result in drivers using Bay Street, Victoria Avenue and Wellington Street for north or south travel, thereby avoiding downtown altogether.

I'm unsure how this will benefit businesses in the area.

-- Letter, November 9, 2000

The theory, of course, is that two-way streets will calm traffic and improve access to stores - as if it's traffic flow and not the scarcity of shopping destinations that's challenging retail activity in parts of the core.

Although at some point there may be an argument to be made that converting James North to two-way will help the evolution of the harbour, it's bogus to suggest that it will boost business activity in the area.

-- Andrew Dreschel, "City should say no way to two-way street switch", March 6, 2000

I asked a city planner how making pedestrians cross two-way traffic, increasing the number of left turns, slowing traffic and increasing in exhaust gases is going to help downtown Hamilton. The only response was that, yes, there will be more danger spots but they won't be a problem because traffic will now be moving slowly. That's not good enough, either.

-- Letter, March 9, 2002

With two-way movement, the core would be reduced to a stalled, honking traffic jam, as has already happened at the recently narrowed section of King Street , west of Wellington. Pollution would rise and there would likely be more accidents as drivers attempted left turns across busy streets. ...

Sure, traffic flow is fast downtown and intimidating to pedestrians. But the answer to that is increased law enforcement, more red-light cameras and increased police patrols to catch speeders and stop-sign runners.

-- Letter, March 15, 2002

It is astounding, given the facts, that there is a plan to abandon one-way streets in a back-to-the-future move that defies logic. ...

I walk a great deal downtown and I believe one-way systems are twice as safe. It's logical that facing only one flow at an intersection instead of two is safer. A perusal of the results of introducing one-way over a four-year period, before and after, shows that.

Even if the facts were not enough to discourage this move, council would do well to heed the wise counsel of [Councillor] Larry DiIanni and shelve the proposal.

-- Jack MacDonald, "Two-way streets will drive us crazy", May 7, 2002

Until intelligence prevails and efficient traffic flow is restored on core streets, the downtown has seen the last of me.

I will miss eating in the ethnic restaurants on James Street North, shopping at Jackson Square and going to Copps Coliseum, the cinemas and Hamilton Place. But it is a sacrifice that I am more than willing to make to emphasize my point.

Slowing down traffic has nothing to do with attracting business. The keys to business success are easy access, interesting goods, good value, and friendly, helpful staff.

-- Letter, October 1, 2002

Of course, we know how that those predictions turned out. Within days, people were already acknowledging that their fears were unfounded and that James and John really did feel better with calmer, two-way traffic. By 2003, observers were already detecting a new "buzz" on James ... and the rest is (very recent) history.

The Hamiltonian Asks: How Can Hamilton be the Best Place to Raise a Child?

2012-05-14T12:00:00-05:00

RTH associate editor Adrian Duyzer and editor Ryan McGreal were honoured to contribute responses to the latest Perspectives Virtual Panel over at The Hamiltonian. The question is:

To meet the goal of being recognized as The Best Place to Raise a Child in Canada, what do we need to: Continue doing, Start doing, Stop doing?

The panel also includes responses by Herb Shields, Larry Di Ianni, Graham Crawford, Herman Turkstra, Mark-Alan Whittle, Marvin Ryder, Laura Babcock, Michael Baldasaro, Paul Tetley, M Adrian Brassington, and Tom Cooper.

Walkable Neighbourhoods Are Vital Infrastructure For Creative Industries

2012-05-11T12:00:00-05:00

The Spectator recently gave front-page coverage to a new report from the Chamber of Commerce that found that "Hamilton should invest in making its neighbourhoods walkable and accessible if it wants the local creative industry to continue to grow."

In response, I wrote the following letter to the editor. They didn't publish it, so I'm sharing it here instead.

UPDATE: They just called to let me know that they are publishing it, in Saturday's paper. Thanks, Spectator!

As part-owner of a creative business, the study that found walkability is critically important to attracting, retaining and growing creative businesses comes as no surprise.

The corollary is that low-density sprawl criss-crossed by one-way thoroughfares is stifling the growth of this important economic sector.

That doesn't need to remain the case. Hamilton should certainly keep pushing forward with its LRT plans but given the necessity of provincial funding for that project, its ultimate fate is not entirely within our hands. We do have the means, however, to convert our one-way streets to two-way.

Two-way streets are economically more healthy than one-way streets. They nurture the variety of businesses and amenities that are important to making walking a viable mode of transportation. They are also far more pleasant to walk down, as anyone who has walked along James Street North and Main Street can attest.

It's no accident that a disproportionate number of creative companies are found on two-way streets like James, John, and Locke. Convert more of our one-way streets to two-way streets with wider sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and ample transit opportunities and creative companies will flock to them.

I've only recently become aware of just how important the creative industry is to Ontario's economy. According to the government of Ontario the industry is responsible for $12.2 billion of Ontario's GDP annually, which is "now larger than Ontario's energy industry, is approaching 70% of the auto manufacturing sector and surpasses those of agriculture, forestry and mining sectors combined."

Downtown Residents Plant Seeds for Co-Op Grocery Store

2012-05-11T12:00:00-05:00

A group of citizens is developing a concept for a community-owned grocery store in downtown Hamilton. Called The Mustard Seed, the organization is studying the feasibility of launching a cooperatively-owned grocery store. According to their news release:

The Mustard Seed community grocery anticipates incorporating a variety of elements including a focus on local producers, stocking natural and organic foods, a cooperative ownership model, and nurturing a thriving urban food culture.

With an online survey, they hope to assess local demand and solicit feedback on the co-op model they are developing.

Momentum for a co-operative downtown grocery store has been building. The proposal to lure a grocery store downtown with a public incentive cast light on the issue of downtown Hamilton's "food desert" and the potential for a new grocery store to improve livability in the core.

According to Mustard Seed member Emma Cubitt, last week's On The Cusp event further galvanized the organizers to action. "Coming out of that discussion about how we need momentum on local initiatives, we've really stepped up the pace on developing concepts for a downtown community-owned grocery."

2012 is also the International Year of Cooperatives, tying Hamilton to a larger global movement.

For more information or to get involved, you can contact Graham Cubitt, Mustard Seed Steering Committee Co-Chair, at 905-546-7348 or via email at themustardseedcoop@gmail.com.