Comment 117335

By kevlahan (registered) | Posted March 30, 2016 at 14:40:24 in reply to Comment 117332

The problem with that interpretation is that Whitehead is not proposing a moratorium on all changes only until the final LRT alignment, neighbouring street re-configurations and construction plan are determined. This would make sense and it is indeed already city policy not to make changes to Main and King until the LRT plans are finalized.

Instead, he is proposing a moratorium only on those street changes that will reduce capacity for the entire period of the LRT planning and construction in the entire lower city, possibly nine years. And this is regardless of what the Rapid Transit team's recommendations are and what traffic modelling show.

Taken at face value, this proposal would prohibit staff from implementing the sort of changes that might be necessary to optimise LRT if they would reduce capacity. But it would allow big changes to the road network if they would increase capacity, even if they hurt the LRT project.

Indeed, his second motion, to increase the minimum service level from D to C goes in this direction and is clearly counter to his claim that his motion is about not modifying the street network until staff have studied how it will be affected by LRT and what changes will need to be made to make sure LRT is successful.

Similarly, he insisted the city end the bus lane pilot project prematurely despite the fact one of its main goals was precisely to measure how adding a transit lane would affect traffic, and to nudge motorists towards transit and other routes ahead of LRT construction.

The basic issue for Whitehead is to preserve the current low traffic congestion conditions along Main/King regardless of LRT and to pre-emptively block complete street conversions throughout the lower city.

And these changes would make it impossible to have a successful LRT system which requires making the entire LRT corridor as pedestrian friendly as possible and prioritizing the efficiency of LRT movement over motor vehicle movement.

Whitehead's three motions (to kill the bus lane, impose a moratorium on a street changes that reduce capacity for the entire period of LRT planning and construction and increase the target service level from D to C) are all aimed at hobbling the LRT project and efforts to make Hamilton's streets more complete (i.e. comfortable and safe for all road users).

Comment edited by kevlahan on 2016-03-30 14:55:25

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