The current design of Mary Street, despite its classification in various planning documents as a local street, prioritizes the fast movement of motor vehicles at the expense of pedestrians, cyclists and local motorists. Help us to initiate the redevelopment of Mary Street into a complete street that accommodates all modes of local traffic while improving the liveability and safety of the street.

Natural Walking and Cycling Route 

Mary Street is part of a natural walking and cycling route (together with Walnut Street) from the waterfront to the escarpment. The Setting Sail Secondary Plan specifically states that such routes should be developed.  Because of the many important local destinations found on Mary Street (e.g. Food Basics, Good Shepherd, Beasley Park, Hamilton Downtown Mosque), it is heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists.  However, pedestrians have difficulty crossing at the unprotected intersections with Wilson and Cannon Streets, and cyclists (including, at times, police officers) who use Mary as a southbound route are breaking the law.

The alternate southbound routes through Beasley suffer from a lack of connectivity to the North End (Catharine, Elgin), heavy automobile traffic (John), poor connectivity within our neighbourhood (Elgin), and a lack of signalled crossings of major intersections (Catharine at Barton, Elgin at Barton, Ferguson at Main).  They also do not connect to as many local destinations as does Mary.

Present Design

The present design of Mary Street from King to Barton is a one-way northbound street. The roadway is roughly 6.3 metres wide from King to King William and roughly 9.1 metres wide the rest of the way to Barton. The sidewalks, as on most streets in Hamilton, are a narrow 1.5 metres.

There is curbside parking on the east side from King to Wilson, on the west side from Wilson to Kelly, and on both sides from Cannon to Barton. (The absence of curbside parking from Kelly to Cannon is one of the inexplicable aspects of the current design.)

There are no street trees except in front of the houses between Wilson and Kelly and between Cannon and Barton. The northbound mixed traffic lane is over 6 metres wide for most of its length, which is far wider than the city's own design standard. The excessive width of this lane encourages dangerous driving.

Our Proposal

Our proposal would improve pedestrian amenities, create a two-way cycling route from King to the CN tracks, increase the availability of curbside parking, and improve the safety at street intersections.

For details of the proposal, click here.  In brief, we propose to:

- Add 4-way stop signs at minor intersections

- Add traffic lights and zebra crossings at major intersections

- Add additional traffic calming measures at Wilson to mitigate the dangerous 120 degree turn from the eastbound lanes of Wilson

- Widen sidewalks from King William to Cannon, and add street trees and street furniture

- Revert to two-way traffic from King William to Cannon, where the street is wide enough to permit local two-way traffic

- Create a continuous southbound cycling route from the CN tracks to King. From Barton to Cannon there will either be full two-way reversion or the addition of a contraflow bicyle lane to the existing one-way design, with no impact on street parking.  From Cannon to King William there will be two-way reversion.  From King William to King a contraflow bicycle lane will be added to the current one-way design, with no impact on street parking.

- Add additional curbside parking spaces between King William and Cannon

Many Benefits, No Inconvenience

Our proposal is consistent with the letter and spirit of the Downtown and Setting Sail Secondary Plans. It will benefit local residents and anyone who walks, uses a personal mobility device, or cycles on Mary Street.

Pedestrians will benefit from wider sidewalks and safer street crossings.

Cyclists will benefit from the creation of a safe, legal southbound bicycle route that connects the pedestrian bridge over the CN tracks south to King Street and then to the south end via Walnut Street.

Local motorists will benefit from new curbside parking spaces on three blocks and from better connectivity.

No existing parking will be lost. This proposal will not create a meaningful inconvenience to any stakeholder.