TLC Meeting this week

Thursday, November 23, 5:30pm TRANSPORTATION FOR LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES WORKING GROUP MEETING (open to all) - University Hall (UH) room B116

suggested agenda items:

- New Mayor and Council - let's see how we can make progress with them

- How best to move TLC's issues forward

- what are we working on?

- what should we be working on?

Projects (new and ongoing) Feel free to bring others

• Car Free Cootes Sunday Road Closure (Sept. 2007)
• Hatt Street Bike Lanes
• Victoria Park Bike Path
• Bike Racks on Buses
• MIC/Longwood/Kirkendall Traffic
• Governors Road safety (new school)
• Paved Shoulders
• North End Traffic Study
• Pedestrian Charter (City)
• Cootes Crossing*
• McMaster Front Entrance*
• Valley Inn Road
• York Bike Lanes

(*indicated McMaster Pedestrian/Cyclist Safety committee)

I propose we end the night with Nachos and a pitcher or two at the Phoenix, with TLC buying. (subject to group approval)

Workshop with Dan Burden of Walkable Communities

The City of Hamilton is conducting a Pedestrian Workshop to assist in the implementation of a new Transportation Master Plan for the City. Designed to guide Hamilton’s transportation network over the next 30 years, the Master Plan focuses on a balanced transportation network with transportation service for all users – pedestrians, cyclists, transit, vehicles and goods movement. The Pedestrian Workshop is designed to begin the discussion on urban change with an aim to preserve Hamilton’s unique physical and cultural attributes and strengthen the vitality and accessibility of the community.

The purpose of the Hamilton Pedestrian Workshop is to identify potential community improvement projects and initiatives, and to outline next steps in achieving a more walkable city, including moving towards establishing a pedestrian charter committee. To this end, the City of Hamilton has retained Mr. Dan Burden, the Director of Walkable Communities, as the workshop’s keynote speaker. Dan’s philosophy embraces “walkability as the cornerstone and key to an urban area's efficient ground transportation… leading to conserving resources (both natural and economic) and increased social interaction.” Dan’s presentation is intended to stimulate rich community input, feedback and participation.

You are invited to attend our Pedestrian Workshop. The workshop will have two connected segments: The first segment (3:00-5:30) will define participants’ shared pedestrian vision and values; and the second segment (7:00-9:30) will identify priority projects that would realize the identified vision and values. Dinner will be provided during the time between the two segments (from 5:30-7:00). Please RSVP for the event with Donnett Riley, City of Hamilton, at (905) 546-2424, x2383. We ask that you indicate if you will attend the afternoon session, the evening session (or both) as well as whether you will join us for dinner.

Details are as follows:

Date: Monday, November 20, 2006
Locations: Hamilton Convention Centre
1 Summers LaneHamilton, Ontario
Time: 3:00 pm to 9:30 pm

The consultant team will have on hand maps of Hamilton. Participants are encouraged to bring any materials which they would like the project team to have, or which represent ideas or concepts they wish to convey.

Should you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact:

Mary Lou Tanner, MCIP, RPP Manager
Strategic & Environment Planning
Capital Planning & Implementation Division
Public Works Department
City of Hamilton

Phone: 905-546-2424, x5101
mtanner@hamilton.ca
Susan Mintz, Project Manager
Urban Strategies, Inc.
197 Spadina Avenue, Suite 600
Toronto, Ontario
M5t 2C8

Phone: 416-340-9004 x212
smintz@urbanstrategies.com


We hope that you will participate in this important event. We look forward to working together on this exciting project and thank you for your cooperation and assistance.

Sincerely,

Mary Lou Tanner, MCIP, RPP
Manager, Strategic and Environmental Planning

rack one up? we'll $ee

Monday November 6, 2006

Good morning, you will be pleased to hear that Council has directed that staff submit a request for Capital funding for bike racks on the buses for their consideration during their 2007 budget deliberations, expected to begin early in the new year.

Don Hull
Director, Transit Division
Public Works Department
City of Hamilton

Rack It Up

Monday, November 6, 2006

Don Hull, Director of Transit, Hamilton Street Railway

Dear Don,

Given Burlington Transit’s adoption of bike racks on all their fleet of buses during the summer, Transportation for Liveable Communities urgently requests that the HSR come up with a definite plan for the introduction of bike racks on their buses.

These racks have been highly successful in other cities in Ontario including Toronto, Ottawa, Kitchener and now Burlington and we feel strongly that Hamilton should not be left behind. For one, Hamilton’s geography makes these racks a necessity. As the majority of our membership is composed of cyclists, we know that the Mountain can be a formidable barrier to cycling in our city; in this way Hamilton is different from many other cities. Most average cyclists would rather not race down or up the Mountain in competition with motor vehicles but would prefer a safer and more convenient option. In the absence of a dedicated, quick and efficient cycling access to the Mountain this affordable option should be provided.

As Director of Transit, you understand very clearly the impact of an over emphasis on private vehicles on our roads. Each year Hamilton experiences more and more smog days, the rate of asthma and other breathing conditions amongst children is now 1 in 5 and the menace of climate change continues to grow with each passing year; not to mention the fact that more and more Hamiltonians lead sedentary and inactive lives leaving them vulnerable to obesity and other related diseases. Every effort should be made to make cycling and public transit more attractive to Hamiltonians to combat these many negative trends.

Our group exists to make Hamilton a truly liveable community. We know that private vehicles receive much too much attention to the detriment of transit, cycling and walking. Bus racks on the HSR is the next step in making Hamilton a more cycling-friendly and sustainable city, not to mention growing the ridership of the HSR.

Therefore the Transportation for Liveable Communities formally requests a firm timeline for the proposed introduction of these racks on HSR buses. According to past HSR reports to TLC bike racks have been under consideration since 2001. Despite some reasonable concerns, five years is a long time to wait. We hope to not be still waiting for bike racks five years from now. Please don’t stall this important improvement any longer. Hamilton is already too far behind its neighbours.

We are at your disposal to facilitate and advertise this improvement in Hamilton’s cycling infrastructure.


Sincerely,

Ted Mitchell, MD
for Transportation for Liveable Communities

Cc: Mayor, City Council, Scott Stewart, Dr Elizabeth Richardson Medical Officer of Health

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About TLC:
Transportation for Liveable Communities is a volunteer working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group based at McMaster University. TLC works to improve conditions that support sustainable transportation, including walking, cycling, public transit and car-pooling.