Comment 113599

By RobF (registered) | Posted August 21, 2015 at 14:08:26 in reply to Comment 113595

I hate to throw cold water on this, but we need to consider politics. The experience in the North End is that a systematic traffic management plan, produced by IBI, and approved by an OMB decision (the City was ordered to implement the plan, while the reduction of speed limits on most streets to 30km/h is a 5 year pilot study) has been modified by petition twice now ... first to eliminate chokers and bumpouts to preserve street-parking spots east of Mary St. and last week to remove a partial closure northbound on Bay at Burlington.

The first petition was done by a resident in the area and apparently garnered widespread support. The more recent petition was carried out by a newly formed group called the Progressive North End Neighbourhood Association, run by a prominent local architect who I'm told opposed most proposed street closures during the consultation phase of the traffic management plan.

I'm not going to comment on the North End plan, or the wisdom/effectiveness of specific techniques or features in it ... my point is that you can't simply treat this sort of thing as a technocratic venture, or the politics will eat it alive. I wasn't a resident of the North End when the plan was devised and debated, but there was broad support I'm told, including a petition calling for measures to slow-traffic and reduce cut-through volume on local streets. Even now, I frequently hear support for the reduced speed limit, but grumbling about other aspects of the traffic management plan: closures, turn restrictions, bollards, bumpouts, chokers, etc.

Public works and motorists from elsewhere are only part of the problem, I'm afraid.

Comment edited by RobF on 2015-08-21 14:16:01

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