Jackson Square

Tuesday December 6, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday December 6, 2016 New push to add LRT stop at Bay Street A late plea for a Bay Street LRT stop is one of several requested route changes project planners will chew on before spitting out a final design next spring. The city's light rail transit stakeholder committee will formally receive a letter from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Nov. 29 asking for a Bay Street stop on the east-west leg of the planned $1-billion LRT line. "It is not a stretch to assume that the Bay Street Station would immediately become the second-busiest station between the two end nodes of the B-line," reads the letter signed by representatives from large downtown players such as McMaster University, the art gallery, Carmen's Group and Vrancor. The city and project lead Metrolinx need to submit an updated environmental assessment Ñ including a finalized route Ñ to the province for approval next spring. But there is still time to consider "reasonable" change requests based on public feedback, said city LRT point person Paul Johnson. "We are looking at a number of requests now, things like pedestrian crossings, intersection changes and yes, stop locations," he said. "Just don't ask us to move the whole thing to Main Street. No, we are not going to look at that.Ó Johnson said public suggestions to date have already resulted in a relocated stop to the border of the International Village. Planners are also revisiting the possibility of a Gage Avenue stop based on a "surprisingly strong" reaction from the public. Similarly, businesses in the International Village have convinced planners to scope out an additional pedestrian crossing along that section of the King Street line. Other merchants have helped tweak partial intersection and street closures. Johnson wouldn't comment on the likelihood of Bay Street being adopted as a new stop, but noted there are some challenges to adding any new stop. It costs "a few million doll

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday December 6, 2016

New push to add LRT stop at Bay Street

A late plea for a Bay Street LRT stop is one of several requested route changes project planners will chew on before spitting out a final design next spring.

The city’s light rail transit stakeholder committee will formally receive a letter from the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Nov. 29 asking for a Bay Street stop on the east-west leg of the planned $1-billion LRT line.

“It is not a stretch to assume that the Bay Street Station would immediately become the second-busiest station between the two end nodes of the B-line,” reads the letter signed by representatives from large downtown players such as McMaster University, the art gallery, Carmen’s Group and Vrancor.

The city and project lead Metrolinx need to submit an updated environmental assessment — including a finalized route — to the province for approval next spring. But there is still time to consider “reasonable” change requests based on public feedback, said city LRT point person Paul Johnson.

“We are looking at a number of requests now, things like pedestrian crossings, intersection changes and yes, stop locations,” he said. “Just don’t ask us to move the whole thing to Main Street. No, we are not going to look at that.”

Johnson said public suggestions to date have already resulted in a relocated stop to the border of the International Village. Planners are also revisiting the possibility of a Gage Avenue stop based on a “surprisingly strong” reaction from the public.

Similarly, businesses in the International Village have convinced planners to scope out an additional pedestrian crossing along that section of the King Street line. Other merchants have helped tweak partial intersection and street closures.

Johnson wouldn’t comment on the likelihood of Bay Street being adopted as a new stop, but noted there are some challenges to adding any new stop.

It costs “a few million dollars” to add a platform and amenities along a typical LRT line, he said. But he added potential intersection changes and land purchases can inflate the “real cost” dramatically.

The light rail transit line is also meant to be an express service, with an average distance between stops of about 800 metres. Project planners are aiming for peak period wait times of six minutes.

Stops at Queen Street, Bay and James would represent some of the shortest distances between platforms along the route, Johnson said, in some cases under 400 metres.(Source: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Tuesday March 3, 2015

Tuesday March 3, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 3, 2015

Shovegate commemoration as a possible city beautification plan

Sanctions or no sanctions, Sam Merulla wants city council to rescind fellow councillor Lloyd Ferguson’s appointment to the Hamilton Police Services Board.

Merulla issued a notice of motion Sunday, seeking a second opinion on a report released last week by the city’s integrity commissioner, Earl Basse, into a pushing incident involving Ferguson at City Hall last year.

In the report, Basse determined Ferguson had violated council’s code of conduct when he pushed independent journalist Joey Coleman.

Merulla calls it “outrageous” that the integrity commissioner didn’t recommend sanctions against Ferguson.

He’d also like a “third party police service such as the Ontario Provincial Police” to investigate the matter.

In the meantime, he’d like to see Ferguson — who is chair of the police board — step down as chair of the board.

“Anyone that admits assault I don’t think is deserving of being on the police board,” Merulla said Sunday, referring to Ferguson’s apology the day after the incident.

But Ferguson — who represents Ancaster — says it was not assault and he did not admit to any assault. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Meanwhile, the plaza at the entrance to Jackson Square was reimagined by a group of digital designers participating in the first Embrace UX conference in Hamilton on the weekend.

UX stands for user experience and the sold-out conference drew more than 110 participants from near and wide to talk about how to better connect products and services with those using them.

Groups of designers spent hours at the Pearl Company on Sunday pondering the important piece of real estate at the corner of King and James. They were told they had to incorporate the large concrete pillar that once held the Birk’s Clock but now stands forlornly at the base of the stairs to the underused rooftop patio on top of the mall.

Jackson Square leasing manager Jocelyne Mainville talked to the groups about the existing use of the plaza and aspirations for the entrance to the mall.

“They all zeroed in on the same problem, which is that this is a high-profile intersection but the mall entrance is so understated as to be invisible,” said workshop leader Ryan McGreal, editor of Raise the Hammer.

“Then there is a staircase that goes to a place you can’t see, which is intimidating.”

Suggestions included adding a canopy or archway that would define the entry. One group suggested the concrete pillar could become a water feature. Another suggested it should be an interactive way-finding tool that could provide maps or restaurant information.

Another group recommended the pole be programmable so would activate lights and music as pedestrians travelled the staircase. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)