Public statements from other supporters
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Adrian Duyzer says,
For the health, safety, and economic well being of this city it is imperative that we make concrete, measurable, and substantive steps towards becoming a much more walkable city than we are now.
- Barbara Parker supports this.
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Connie Rudzitis says,
We live on a very busy street and know the difficulty crossing without a light. We too have to walk north or south to get to a light in order to cross. Bad enough all of the traffic is speeding often over the limit...please keep our people safe.
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Brandon Sommerville says,
We used to live on Amelia and crossed here every day as part of our journey to school. It's crazy that there isn't at the very least a cross walk.
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Laura Parker says,
A safe pedestrian crossing at Kent and Aberdeen is a must given the number of children who take this route everyday to get to Ryerson Middle School.
As a frequent pedestrian and cyclist in the Kirkendall neighbourhood it is easy to get the impression that cars come first, especially along Aberdeen. Adding a safe crossing at Kent and Aberdeen would send the message that pedestrians are important too, and would help make Kirkendall more liveable.
Forcing pedestrians to go significantly out of their way to cross a busy street that they would rather not be on is not a reasonable solution. Moving cars quickly through a residential neighbourood should not be our top priority.
- Joanna Olsen supports this.
- Mike Anderson supports this.
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Meredith Broughton says,
We need to make Hamilton streets safe and attractive to all people, not just thoroughfares for cars.
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Susan Lau says,
Would love to see this happen. Pedestrian safety can always be improved!
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Alain Lajeunesse says,
Make the city walkable!
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Andy Coltman says,
The folks behind this initiative have clearly made a solid case for a dedicated pedestrian crossing signal at the location. I hope the City fulfils their request expeditiously. Hamilton is in desperate need of improved pedestrian infrastructure in a number of locations.
- peter m. wilson supports this.
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Ryan McGreal says,
It's simply crazy that the City would respond to a community's call for a safer road crossing with signs instructing pedestrians to go 400 metres out of their way just to cross the street.
It's far past time that this city start actually prioritizing communities and sustainable transportation over vehicular flow-through and thoroughfares.
This decision can be the first of many decisions that transform Hamilton into a truly livable, vibrant place that realizes the city's vision as "the best place in Canada to raise a child", "the best place in Canada to promote innovation", "the best place in Canada to engage citizens", and "the best place in Canada to provide diverse economic opportunities."
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Christiana Christiana says,
Hey, that's the gretaset! So with ll this brain power AWHFY?
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Bobbi Bobbi says,
You've hit the ball out the park! Increidlbe!
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Rocky Rocky says,
In awe of that answer! Rlelay cool!
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Alla Alla says,
AFAIC that's the best aswner so far!
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Jeneva Jeneva says,
Walking in the presence of ganits here. Cool thinking all around!
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Eloise Eloise says,
Superior thinking demonstrated above. Tnkhas!
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Jenita Jenita says,
Such a deep aneswr! GD&RVVF
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Seven Seven says,
I'm not easliy impressed. . . but that's impressing me! :)
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Tawny Tawny says,
Kudos to you! I hadn't thouhgt of that!
- jack wilkinson supports this.
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Noneto Noneto says,
Leona - Dan, Thanks so much for making this exeeniprce so painless (for Neil). All of the pics turned out GREAT. I am so glad we took the chance on the weather. You sure do know what you are doing. Thanks again,Leona, Neil and Gavin
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Evelyn Evelyn says,
Michelle, I have an affinity for chcuhres duomos' if you will, and can relate to your sentiments and your painting in a personal way. I once came upon the term transducer' as described by an artist of whom I cannot remember his name. but the jist of it was that art/architecture stores the psychic' energy of all that have viewed a painting for instance or passed through a portal/worshiped/lived in a dwelling place and this energy is present and interacts with the current participant in the experience. I can remember sitting in the guggenhiem many years ago in aroom with Ver Meers girl in a hat' I had an uninterupted half hour sitting on a leather bench,just me and her. After awhile the girl started to lift off of the canvas and became holographic' the sense of light was so amazing that i beleive I was connecting with what the artist saw as he painted it. I see' the essence of what you are trying to capture here and applaud your sensitvity cheers e
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Efan Efan says,
I received the fonwolilg message from a Boulderite and am sharing it with you here: Claire- just wanted to let you know I finally made it down to Fleet Feet today to buy my Excel poles and new shoes. While there, Matt offered that he would really like to start a Boulder Nordic Walking group on Thursday afternoons/evenings. I told him about your blog and he enthusiastically asked me to let you know of his interest. His email is . I will also communicate the blog site to him via email and hopefully you can connect with him at some point. Thanks again for your encouragement and recommendations love the blog! It is no surprise to me that Fleet Feet is the first Boulder running store out of the blocks (pun intended) to be interested in starting a Nordic Walking group. If anyone else in the area is interested, definitely contact Matt.
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Alyan Alyan says,
I've slowly grown to see setret-facing parking lots as a sort of asset for developments. Especially in this case as you mention, building right to 24th could have created a much more pleasing pedestrian environment. However, leaving these lots empty for the time being means that future development can leverage off the earlier growth in the area and become the much-anticipated missing pieces in the block, meaning the likelihood that tenants would be easily secured is greatly increased. As 24th transitions into a major route, the high setret then becomes the quieter, pedestrian alternative. Now if only we could get some extra floors of housing/office on top of those shops even just 1 or 2, no need to go all Morgan Crossing on it!
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Selin Selin says,
I've long felt this to be true. I also feel that there is potential for enoormus synergies between manufacturing and the creative sector, which is why I was so disappointed that the city's report on the creative sector chose to focus on film and music as the areas to focus investment on. I won't bore you with my patented rant on why I think it would be a mistake to hitch our economic wagon to the film industry, but suffice it to say we should be building on our strengths and heritage by focusing on industrial design.
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Andreea Andreea says,
I think the problems are two-fold.Firstly, the cinocul place too much weight on the opinions of business leaders. I'm not anti-business by any means, but it's a mistake that people in the public sector in particular can easily make. If someone has made a lot of money in business, it means that they've made a lot of money in business, it doesn't mean that they have a better understanding of what people need, how cities should develop or anything else. Being successful' in business is easy to measure made lots of money? success! The problem is that being good at making lots of money doesn’t mean you’re good at improving cities, or inspiring people to take pride in their city, or anything.It was interesting to hear that the two most recent Aberdeen City Council chiefs had a “local businessleader” sitting on their interview panel. This might be good, or it might be bad. Why not have a local cinocul service user? Or a small business owner? I think an effect of this is the abandonment of a strong plan for the city, on the promise of ‘prominent business leaders”.The city had a plan, which started with moving the cinocul HQ into Marischal (– a brave decision, which was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but did solve 2 problems in one go), followed by the demolition of St Nicholas house and the creation of a civic space, showcasing two of the city’s most important buildings. Helping to boost civic pride. At the same time, a plan to rehome one of the areas most important artistic organisations would have seen a DCA style gallery, rejuvenating the city centre gardens. This idea had a business plan, supported by Acsef, Scottish arts cinocul, Scottish enterprise, local cinoculs, and with investment of less than a314m (mostly funded from outside the area at last) would have brought in a return of several million a year to the local economy. Instead, we have a vague idea, which will cost ten times as much, and either not enough faith in the concept to release a business plan, or no plan at all. Meanwhile, people who don’t like the idea are written off as ‘whingers, tree-huggers or anti-progress”, all of which makes people more disillusioned with the way their city is going, leading to more of…The second problem. A lack of pride, a lack of ownership and of any sense that the city belongs to the people and that the people belong to the city.I’ve lost the link, but there was an article on what makes a city appeal to its inhabitants, and right near the top of the list was having a sense of control over how the city is shaped. Aberdonians don’t feel they have any control over this. The city has developed without any thought as to te effect on the people, and communities within it. It’s not a new thing (St Machar Drive/School road happened in the 1920s, I believe, but the effect on the community of Old Aberdeen is still clear.– and it’s not unique to Aberdeen – look at the way the M8 splits Glasgow in two – (and I’m only using roads as examples here), but most cities have learned the lesson. Aberdeen hasn’t, which means that while almost everyone in the city agrees the place needs to change, people are divided on how to do it, because they worry the same mistakes will continue to be repeated.It leads to more frustrations – think of the AWPR “just build the road”, vs “don’t build the road”, with a lot of people in the middle alienated by both for asking “is it in the right place?”Aberdeen’s people are some of its greatest assets, but instead of working on ways to encourage positivity, and to get people to shape an idea they all want to be behind, instead a small number formulate a plan, and try to persuade us that everyone else likes it.We don’t listen to questions – we don’t think critically enough, and if we do ask the awkward questions, we’re dismissed as ‘negative naysayers’.I love this city, and would love to see investment in improving it, but it needs to be a strong plan, instead of any plan, and trying to spin it as something good.It’s a very old fashioned way of doing things – and it doesn’t work. People question and query and ultimately get sick of the whole thing and move to Dundee
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Barca Barca says,
I think the problems are two-fold.Firstly, the cocniul place too much weight on the opinions of business leaders. I'm not anti-business by any means, but it's a mistake that people in the public sector in particular can easily make. If someone has made a lot of money in business, it means that they've made a lot of money in business, it doesn't mean that they have a better understanding of what people need, how cities should develop or anything else. Being successful' in business is easy to measure made lots of money? success! The problem is that being good at making lots of money doesn’t mean you’re good at improving cities, or inspiring people to take pride in their city, or anything.It was interesting to hear that the two most recent Aberdeen City Council chiefs had a “local businessleader” sitting on their interview panel. This might be good, or it might be bad. Why not have a local cocniul service user? Or a small business owner? I think an effect of this is the abandonment of a strong plan for the city, on the promise of ‘prominent business leaders”.The city had a plan, which started with moving the cocniul HQ into Marischal (– a brave decision, which was neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but did solve 2 problems in one go), followed by the demolition of St Nicholas house and the creation of a civic space, showcasing two of the city’s most important buildings. Helping to boost civic pride. At the same time, a plan to rehome one of the areas most important artistic organisations would have seen a DCA style gallery, rejuvenating the city centre gardens. This idea had a business plan, supported by Acsef, Scottish arts cocniul, Scottish enterprise, local cocniuls, and with investment of less than a314m (mostly funded from outside the area at last) would have brought in a return of several million a year to the local economy. Instead, we have a vague idea, which will cost ten times as much, and either not enough faith in the concept to release a business plan, or no plan at all. Meanwhile, people who don’t like the idea are written off as ‘whingers, tree-huggers or anti-progress”, all of which makes people more disillusioned with the way their city is going, leading to more of…The second problem. A lack of pride, a lack of ownership and of any sense that the city belongs to the people and that the people belong to the city.I’ve lost the link, but there was an article on what makes a city appeal to its inhabitants, and right near the top of the list was having a sense of control over how the city is shaped. Aberdonians don’t feel they have any control over this. The city has developed without any thought as to te effect on the people, and communities within it. It’s not a new thing (St Machar Drive/School road happened in the 1920s, I believe, but the effect on the community of Old Aberdeen is still clear.– and it’s not unique to Aberdeen – look at the way the M8 splits Glasgow in two – (and I’m only using roads as examples here), but most cities have learned the lesson. Aberdeen hasn’t, which means that while almost everyone in the city agrees the place needs to change, people are divided on how to do it, because they worry the same mistakes will continue to be repeated.It leads to more frustrations – think of the AWPR “just build the road”, vs “don’t build the road”, with a lot of people in the middle alienated by both for asking “is it in the right place?”Aberdeen’s people are some of its greatest assets, but instead of working on ways to encourage positivity, and to get people to shape an idea they all want to be behind, instead a small number formulate a plan, and try to persuade us that everyone else likes it.We don’t listen to questions – we don’t think critically enough, and if we do ask the awkward questions, we’re dismissed as ‘negative naysayers’.I love this city, and would love to see investment in improving it, but it needs to be a strong plan, instead of any plan, and trying to spin it as something good.It’s a very old fashioned way of doing things – and it doesn’t work. People question and query and ultimately get sick of the whole thing and move to Dundee
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