The City of Hamilton’s planned redesign of the Barton Street corridor could see a significant reduction in driving lanes in some places, according to documents.
The Barton Street Functional Design Study is being conducted by Parsons, an outside consulting company, on behalf of the City of Hamilton and recommends reducing the number of driving lanes along the corridor to two in some places.
The study examines Barton Street from Locke Street to the Red Hill Valley Parkway, although the roadway is only slated for redesign between Ferguson Avenue and Parkdale Avenue.
Documents recommend a complete redesign of street cross-sections, including a reduction to driving lanes on Barton Street from Ferguson Avenue to Ottawa Street.
The recommended street cross-section from Ferguson Avenue to Ottawa Street is for a sidewalk/boulevard of at least 4.8 metres, followed by one driving lane in each direction (at least 3.5 metres each), a “flex space” on the north side of the street for streetscaping, parking, or patio space, and then another sidewalk/boulevard of at least 4.8 metres.
Currently, Barton Street from Ferguson Avenue to East Avenue has a five-lane cross-section with two driving lanes in each direction and a centre two-way left turn lane or median.
Going with the recommended change means that, in that portion, three lanes would be taken away.
The same situation applies to the portion from Leeming Street to Ottawa Street.
From Ottawa Street to Parkdale Avenue, the recommended design is for a sidewalk/boulevard of at least 3.0 metres, a 3.5-metre and 3.0-metre driving lane heading east, a 3.5-metre and 3.0-metre driving lane heading west, and another sidewalk/boulevard of at least 3.0 metres.
Current conditions include a five-lane cross-section with two through lanes in each direction and either a centre two-way left turn lane or a painted centre median.
Parsons analysts say that since the design reduces vehicular lanes, they also did “an analysis of any potential traffic impacts.”
They claim that a traffic “screening found that the proposed lane reductions associated with the Preferred Design Alternative will not result in significant operational issues under either existing or projected 2051 traffic conditions for areas evaluated. The only location of concern, the intersection of Barton Street East and Wellington Street North, can be mitigated through localized operational changes.”
However, they also note that “further traffic analysis will be conducted at the preliminary and detailed design stage to confirm the design.”
With the reduction to one driving lane in each direction along a large portion of the road, it appears as though drivers will be unable to pass HSR city buses, which operate along the roadway.
The study also does not mention if the travel of emergency vehicles will be impacted by the changes.
It should be noted that the Hamilton General Hospital is located on Barton Street.
Documents say that construction efforts will be coordinated with watermain and sewer upgrades planned for Barton Street.
Redesign options were evaluated based on cost and feasibility, user safety, the city’s existing policies (like Complete Streets Guidelines and the Transportation Master Plan), accessibility, urban mobility, roadway operations, placemaking, and climate change resiliency.
The construction start year and stages for the redesign will only be confirmed once the municipal servicing upgrades are finalized.
The study and recommendations are expected to come before Hamilton City Council at an upcoming meeting.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
