Quote:
Originally Posted by flar
Dolbec's piece was ridiculous. Too many so-called "leaders" simply parrot anecdotal nonsense they've heard from people who don't know what they're talking about. He says the perimeter road idea is dead, didn't they just complete the last leg of the the ring road in November? I'm sure trucks will still be able to get to the 403 if LRT is built. Besides, it's a lot more difficult for trucks to move around in Toronto, but that city seems to be doing fine.
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I sent this letter to the Spec today in response to Dolbec's claims. The example of Toronto's lively commerce with reduced traffic is the crux of the argument. We'll see if the Spec prints it (I didn't write it with a red crayon, after all):
To the Editor,
Mr. Dolbec's limited understanding of what constitutes a thriving commercial downtown core is disappointing. As a former (and returning) resident of Hamilton, I wish to contribute to this important issue.
Naturally, trucks are an essential aspect of any contemporary North American city for the transportation of commercial goods. However, I must take issue with Mr. Dolbec's claim that implementing traffic-calming measures ("diminishing lanes") in urban centres is "jumping on the bandwagon."
I would ask Mr. Dolbec to examine other North American cities' cores. Toronto's Queen Street West and Bloor Street both have traffic calming measures that allow only one lane of traffic in either direction and one lane each for limited parking and commercial stops. Neither street, quite clearly, suffers economically from limiting vehicular traffic. On the contrary, both streets enjoy a bustling and burgeoning economy. Trucks still drive down Bloor Street and unload goods for Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Lacoste, after all. That they do so more slowly does not disrupt Bloor Street's robust economy.
There is a direct correlation between traffic volume and healthy urban commerce. Paradoxically, reducing traffic enhances commerce. Otherwise, Hamilton--a national leader in one-way, inner-city expressways like King Street, Main Street, Cannon Street, and York Boulevard--would also be a leader in downtown commerce. But we know that Hamilton currently isn't, and won't ever be until authenticated planning practices like traffic calming are implemented.
Traffic-calming practices like lane reduction, two-way traffic, speed-limit reduction, dedicated car-pooling and transit lanes, are sound, proven urban planning techniques for enhancing downtown environments, revitalizing communities, and stimulating commerce, that have been endorsed and implemented by leading cities for over twenty years now. A quick glance at Portland, Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary will confirm this. I encourage Mr. Dolbec to look beyond Hamilton's borders and then to reconsider his view.
Regards,
Tim Jacobs
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