The future of Hamilton's public transit

[flar]

Reading this as my bus flies down the bus lane and past all the congestion on Woodroffe Ave. in Ottawa.

Hamilton is truly the stupidest city in Canada.

[movingtohamilton]

Flar, can I quote you?

[flar]

Yes, and you can even use my real name

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by flar

Yes, and you can even use my real name

I've forgotten it.

UPDATE: Never mind. Found it. I tweeted your Incredible Neighbourhoods of Hamilton photo essay. May quote your views on Hamilton transit later!

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

Bigguy, the public works committee was not discussing LRT, and I can't understand Collins' confusion about that.

LRT is very expensive and will ultimately only directly serve some parts of the city. It's understandable that some people won't understand the benefits, and oppose it based on cost.

But this bus lane, which should have existed ages ago, is a great and easy way to incrementally improve transit for people who use it today (sorry- actually, just to study how it might improve transit for people who use it today, on a pilot basis). It was going to be no cost to the city.

Collins represents Ward 5, an area of the city with a higher proportion of low-income residents, and a higher proportion of transit users. I don't think his constituents would tell him that they want him to vote against making their commute by bus a little quicker because they're concerned about taxis having to unload on the opposite side of the street.

Collins is obviously hearing something from his constituents. I may be wrong but I think he won his ward by a greater percentage than any other incumbent in the last election, he must be doing something right.

Just checked and he received 66% of the vote in a 4 person race. Not the highest percentage but in the top 5. Merulla won with 82% in his ward.

[thistleclub]

Interesting aside on the PW Chair.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Originally Posted by flar

Hamilton is truly the stupidest city in Canada.

Yeah, stupid like a fox.

[thistleclub]

Politicians put the brakes on bus-only lane for King Street
(Hamilton Mountain News, Kevin Werner, May 16 2013)

Hamilton’s public works committee created a large pot hole in front of a proposed bus-only two-kilometer lane along King Street that has been championed by city transit staff.

“I just don’t see the big win,” said committee chair Lloyd Ferguson. “We are screwing up businesses. I don’t get it.”

Ferguson, along with councillors Chad Collins and Scott Duvall opposed the $300,000 project that would see the lanes painted on King Street from Mary to Dundurn streets by August. Councillors Brian McHattie and Sam Merulla supported the project, which already received the go-head by council last February when politicians approved the city’s Rapid Ready transit report. But four committee members were absent during the May 16 meeting. They were Robert Pasuta, Terry Whitehead, Tom Jackson and Russ Powers.

The recommendation is scheduled to be voted on at the May 22 council meeting.

The bus-only lane, which would be a one-year pilot project, would relocate on-street parking only on the south side of King Street, and allow two general travel lanes until Lock Street, where the road expands to accommodate four travel lanes. Christine Lee-Morrison, manager of mobility and special projects said there will be no net loss of parking spaces.

Lee-Morrison acknowledged it is difficult to determine if there will be better transit times for users. She said overall the project will improve the image of the city, especially if the bus-only lane idea is expanded to other roads and over longer corridors.

“You may not see a great improvement,” said Lee-Morrison, although buses may be able to move faster, with more reliability.

Ferguson and other councillors found the benefits of the bus-only lane difficult to accept. Duvall pointed out there could be potential safety issues for passengers using taxis, and for delivery personnel unloading trucks.

“I think we are going too quick, too fast,” said Duvall.

Collins said congestion could increase along King Street with the removal of one lane. He said already, especially during the rush hour, traffic is backed up daily between James and Caroline streets. And with one lane blocked off nearHess Streetto accommodate construction, the congestion is onerous, councillors said.

But Ward 2 councillor Jason Farr dismissed any idea the bus-only lane will create further problems along King Street.

“I have every faith after seeing the measurables it will be a success,” he said.

Meanwhile, councillors did agree to spend $1.4 million to build up to a dozen new pedestrian facilities along the A and B transit lines.

City staff is currently examining 16 possible locations at James and Mohawk, James and Stone Church, Queenston and Nash, Main and John, Main and Longwood, Main and MacNab, and Queenston and Parkdale streets for the new facilities.

These new pedestrian amenities will include shelters, benches, waste receptacles, bike storage areas, local maps, and transit information.
City officials are targeting these facilities to be completed by the end of the year.

The funding is part of the $29.8 million Metrolinx provided to the city in 2008 to use for capital projects to improve ridership along the A and B lines. Other projects that have already been approved include the Mohawk College Transit terminal, the Mountain Transit Centre park-n-ride, the bike share program, and the MacNab Terminal passenger information at a cost of about $11 million.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Ferguson and other councillors found the benefits of the bus-only lane difficult to accept. Duvall pointed out there could be potential safety issues for passengers using taxis, and for delivery personnel unloading trucks.

“I think we are going too quick, too fast,” said Duvall.

Collins said congestion could increase along King Street with the removal of one lane. He said already, especially during the rush hour, traffic is backed up daily between James and Caroline streets. And with one lane blocked off near Hess Street to accommodate construction, the congestion is onerous, councillors said.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Where do we find these people???

[thistleclub]

Fraud ends free bus rides for disabled cane users
(Hamilton Spectator, Matthew Van Dongen, May 18 2013)

Transit fraudsters have robbed cane-using residents of the chance to ride free on city buses.

The city recently backtracked on a controversial "fare parity" policy that would have axed longstanding free rides for users of walkers, scooters, wheelchairs and four-prong canes. Instead, a temporary program starting June 1 will extend the voluntary pay regime while the city studies a new discount policy for all low-income disabled riders.

But under the new temporary program, cane users won't ride free.

Councillor Sam Merulla, who championed the voluntary pay extension, said residents with canes were excluded because of a "perception of abuse" by able-bodied fraudsters wielding walking aids.

"Staff felt there were no checks and balances in that respect," said Merulla. "We felt it was important to create a system that serves those in need, but also protects the taxpayer from abuse."

Merulla said staff brought up anecdotal examples of "abuse," but added he wasn't aware of a specific effort to track those incidents. No HSR officials were available for comment Friday.

City buses allowed about 300,000 free rides last year, but it's unclear how those numbers are divided among disabled users and "golden age" riders over the age of 80.

"Cane fraud" is on the rise, according to Eric Tuck, vice-president of Local 107 of the Amalgamated Transit Union that represents HSR drivers.

"It's absolutely getting worse. I can show you pictures," said Tuck, recalling examples of cane-holding riders "sprinting" to catch a bus or using the walking aids to hang grocery bags off their shoulders.

"You can buy one for $29 at the corner store pharmacy," he said. "That's cheaper than a monthly bus pass and it'll last you forever."

Transit advocate Peter Hutton said some disabled residents will be caught off-guard by the "buried" policy change.

"It is really punishing people who have legitimate need of assistance," he said. "Do some people cheat? Of course. But some people are always going to try to take advantage … If you're really intent on scamming the system, it's not that hard to get a walker, either."

Merulla said he hopes city staff will study and embrace his pitch for a "means test" to evaluate and accommodate all low-income disabled riders. "Eventually, I feel the goal is if someone is disabled and in need, they will be incorporated into the program."

[mattgrande]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Ferguson and other councillors found the benefits of the bus-only lane difficult to accept. Duvall pointed out there could be potential safety issues for passengers using taxis, and for delivery personnel unloading trucks.

“I think we are going too quick, too fast,” said Duvall.

Collins said congestion could increase along King Street with the removal of one lane. He said already, especially during the rush hour, traffic is backed up daily between James and Caroline streets. And with one lane blocked off near Hess Street to accommodate construction, the congestion is onerous, councillors said.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Where do we find these people???

I drive that stretch ever single day at rush hour. To call it congested is absurd. It sometimes slows to 30km/h, and that's about as bad as it gets.

On top of that, hardly anyone drives in the right-most lane. It would hardly make a ripple to implement this.

Edit: And where the hell were Jackson, Pasuta, Powers, and Whitehead? Is it that hard to show up to your committee meetings?

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

...Hopefully this tactical urbanism movement can gain some momentum and we can start showing people how easy and cheap it is to create complete streets and a livable city. In process we'll also demonstrate how completely useless and pointless our municipal government is.

There's a tiny ray of hope for Tactical Urbanism in the city.

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/stor...-urbanism.html

[thistleclub]

From the CBC Hamilton piece:

[Geoff Lupton, the city's director of energy, fleet and traffic] just cautions people that traffic challenges aren't usually an easy fix.

“The challenge is that it involves time, money and knowledge. And when you're making changes with traffic, you have to consider not only impacts on the specific area that's being targeted, but the impacts of maybe the next street over or what's happening down the road,” he said.

“But that's not to say that we shouldn't be looking for ways to improve things.”

Sounds like the city will "capture" the concerns and potentially address them as yeas or nays in the next budget cycle.

Or just file them safely with the other forward-thinking pedestrian/cycling/street conversion studies and consultants' reports.

[SteelTown]

Council is debating the bus only lane at the moment.

I have to give two thumbs up for councillor Farr, he has impressed me as councillor.

[SteelTown]

Passed! Bus only lanes are coming to Hamilton.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

I'm not sure how to respond to this news. Hooray? I'm confused and sad and tired and angry.

[matt602]

Wow, I thought that the issue was dead as of the previous meeting. Really glad that council was able to come to it's senses on something as simple as a pilot project.

[HillStreetBlues]

pEte, I prefer to think of it as Ferguson, Collins and Duvall having shown their true colours. "Meaningful incremental change paid for by another level of government? No, thanks."

It does make it bitter-sweet, knowing that any of our elected officials would oppose a pilot plan that may improve so many people's lives.

[movingtohamilton]

Did Councillor Ferguson declare a conflict of interest? Scroll through comments section here: http://bit.ly/13JwCN2

[thistleclub]

Still find it a bit odd that they're putting 90% of B-Line's enhanced bus stops on Main/Queenston even as they're ostensibly trying to generate momentum behind B-Line rapid transit on King (granted, they are located on the proposed LRT corridor).