Over 12.5% Of Land In City Used For Parking

January 30, 2023

“Over 12.5% of land within the City is dedicated to parking facilities of various forms” and “the current volume and spread of parking facilities is to the detriment of the pedestrian environment and we believe that a better balance could be achieved.”

This is according to the recently released City of Hamilton Plan 2023 Consultative Draft which said, “The City of Hamilton experiences significant volumes of traffic, particularly during rush hour. In addition to commuter traffic, there are regular vehicular movements associated with schools, commercial activities and large container haulage vehicles travelling to and from the container port.

“Traffic congestion and pollution has been a concern within the City for a number of years and there have been various technical studies which have looked at addressing these issues.

“It is important to acknowledge that traffic and public parking issues generally fall within the remit of the Corporation of Hamilton and therefore, this Plan can only have a limited influence over these issues.

“However, the Plan does have control over the traffic and parking implications of new development, including specifying parking standards. Traffic implications are generally managed on a case-by-case basis as they are dictated by the location of the proposed development, the surrounding environment and the proposed use.

“The Department has conducted extensive research on the topic of parking to ensure that the policies of the Plan are based upon an understanding of the relevant issues [as set out within the City Survey Report 2023]. We have also analysed whether there may be unintended consequences of existing and previous parking standards.

“It is clear that there is an abundance of parking within the City, including on-street, private and public parking facilities, in addition to the vast number of motorbike parking bays. This creates the feeling of a City which is principally designed for the movement of vehicles.

“Whilst we fully appreciate the importance of having parking options within the City, the current volume and spread of parking facilities is to the detriment of the pedestrian environment and we believe that a better balance could be achieved.

“Parking is a multi-layered and complex topic as there are numerous shifting dynamics which make it difficult to gain a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the issues. However, the Department has gathered data from a number of different sources, and we believe that the policies set out within this section offer a sensible and reasonable way forward.

“The starting point for addressing the traffic and parking issues of the City is to encourage a greater uptake of sustainable modes of transport, including ferries, buses, pedal cycling and walking. Where possible, we will continue to encourage and facilitate the use of these modes of transportation.

“Traffic and parking issues cannot be considered in isolation as the implications of these issues are far reaching and fundamentally impact upon the functionality and appeal of the City.

“Over 12.5% of land within the City is dedicated to parking facilities of various forms. This not only facilitates high volumes of traffic entering the City, but it also discourages development of lots being used for parking and detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the City as parking facilities are generally unattractive and can be large, dead spaces at certain times of the day.

“Furthermore, there is a significant volume of parking at the Waterfront which is not only visually intrusive in a highly visible part of the City, but also a missed opportunity to capitalise upon one of the City’s best assets. Accordingly, this Plan favours the consolidation of public parking facilities across the City in order to release land in key, strategic locations for alternative uses which would increase the vibrancy of the City.

“Another concerning trend which has been observed within the City is the demolition of vacant buildings and the subsequent use of these sites for parking lots. This Plan aims to prevent this from occurring as, not only are many parking lots a blight on the streetscape, a concentration of such uses contributes little to the vitality of the City.”

The public is invited to submit feedback on the plan and comments can be submitted to the Department at cityplan@gov.bm.

The City of Hamilton Plan 2023 Consultative Draft follows below [PDF here]:

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Comments (4)

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  1. Joe Bloggs says:

    “the current volume and spread of parking facilities is to the detriment of the pedestrian environment and we believe that a better balance could be achieved.”

    And there is the PLP Government war drum for the takeover of the City of Hamilton

    • sandgrownan says:

      Well, they need the money having destroyed everything else.

  2. trufth says:

    “Furthermore, there is a significant volume of parking at the Waterfront which is not only visually intrusive in a highly visible part of the City, but also a missed opportunity to capitalise upon one of the City’s best assets.”

    Says the same people who think the dump and prison deserve prime waterfront property.

  3. question says:

    How much prime waterfront property is given over to the exclusive use of drunks and bums? What percentage of Hamilton stinks of urine?