Hey all,

What are some things you like and dislike about the City? What are some issues that you would like to see youth groups focus on for 2010 and beyond?

The Hamilton Youth Advisory Committee (HYAC) is meeting up tomorrow and formulating goals for 2010. We'd like to have your input as McMaster University students. Speak your mind in this thread and I will be sure to raise the points made at our meeting tomorrow. Please try and be as specific as possible.

All comments posted at or before 3:30 PM on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 will be brought up in the meeting.

Thanks,

Goce

HYAC co-chair

Hey Goce,

The SRA external affairs committee is already conducting a survey on Hamilton for the past few weeks, we have a decent number of submissions for that.

You can contact the people in charge of it Joe Finkle & Aaron Wade for the results or info

https://www.msumcmaster.ca/studentGo...w/yourcity.htm

Still, I would like to here issue specific suggestions. What would you like to see from the City, what concerns you (parking, downtown, poverty, the environment, etc)?

Thanks. I will still contact them and hope that it can lead to better relations between the school and the City.

[quote=Goce;124424]Still, I would like to here issue specific suggestions. What would you like to see from the City, what concerns you (parking, downtown, poverty, the environment, etc)?

Thanks. I will still contact them and hope that it can lead to better relations between the school and the City.[/quot

Yeah that was pretty much the answers for Q9

Most people I made fill out surveys responded with less pollution, more buses, on time buses, less crime, less sketchiness, more things to do and so on.

Hence I'm assuming you will get better quality responses here!

p.s: Try getting in touch with Mcmaster Student Affairs initiative Pop the bubble. They should be willing to help you out

One thing I've noticed, that strikes me as odd, is the giant Crimestoppers banner hanging across Main St when heading eastbound into downtown (ie, from Mac). I think it's around Caroline, but Im not 100% on that. What I get from that is that crime is enough of an issue that necessitates a giant banner draped across the street. Ive never actually seen a crime downtown, but the fact that the huge sign is there makes me feel like its all over. Get rid of it.

Downtown looks sketchy, whether it is or not. Clean it up, and renovate some buildings to make it look a little nicer, at least at street level. The only way to REALLY clean it up is to get big businesses here, with their own fancy buildings, but that wont happen until the core looks nice enough to attract them.

Besides that, I can't think of anything off the top of my head. I'll prolly post more later when I'm more sober.

I dont want to be "that guy" who wont shut up about waterfalls, but ...


Hamilton has a nice selection of waterfalls. We should make sure the bruce trail people are properly funded because they slave away to maintain most of the paths and sites. My suggestions are the following:

1) More financial support(or volunteer support, any support) for the people who maintain the Bruce trail
2) At locations where the falls are easily accessible, make sure there is available parking, or atleast signs suggesting parking areas (that might not be obvious/visible/close)
3) This is a big one. There are usually signs near the falls with historical information or information about the local wildlife. These signs get defaced and burnt/melted. I realize it is hard to stop people from doing this, but the signs should be replaced more often. There are very few left that you can actually read. Most of the trail map signs are useless now.



Hamilton has this amazing set of waterfalls and we need to promote this so more people can enjoy it, and maintain it properly so future generations can also enjoy it. Hamilton has a reputation of being the stinky steel armpit of Ontario, but the Bruce trail and our waterfalls can help destroy that image. By supporting the Bruce trail and falls, we can promote physical activity, eco-sustainability, and knowledge of the life that surrounds the town.

If you havent yet, go see tiffany falls, albion falls, websters falls, or sit at the top of the devil's punchbowl. Very few places in the world will you find so many cool places within such a short distance (and accessible by local transit[w00t HSR represent!]).

I hate to say it, but Hamilton depresses me. I guess maybe because i'm a born & raised Torontonian & being in Hamilton gets me down, but it's just so old. Downtown is way sketchy, and every building and street in Hamilton is so old and it almost seems like the city is falling apart in most places, depressing.

The HSR needs to follow their schedule much better. There has been SO many times where I've been late for work because a bus simply hasn't shown up when it was supposed to, or when the bus is running something like 10 minutes ahead of schedule. This is completely inappropriate and needs to be addressed. The HSR is honestly one of the worst bus companies I've had to deal with just because of this issue and how often they're late or don't show up at all.

Increased sunday service around McMaster and along Main st west would be an improvement too. For some reason the HSR runs like nobody does anything on Sundays - they need to be reminded that this is the 21st century and most people do things on Sundays.

^ agreed! The HSR is horrible! Again though, this is coming from someone who's used to a Subway running every 4 minutes in Toronto, so I don't know if my opinion would be vaild, haha.

There is one HSR bus that has huge, comfortable seats. They go all the way up to your neck and they curve to your back. I would love to see these seats on more busses! The ones they have now are terrible, especially if you're like me and taking the bus over 3 hours per day.

And I will happily be the person to say that I think the HSR follows the schedule perfectly fine, and in the four years I've taken it, there have only been one or two instances where the bus has been late. I'm very happy with the schedule and personally, I don't think they need to change anything.

I think you lucked out with what routes you have to take then. I know this discussion came up in another thread previously, but many people have had HSR problems. They need to make sure every bus is running to the same standards as the one you're taking. One idea which seemed easy enough to implement was to have all the bus drivers's clocks match up to each other and the HSR phone's time. I was honestly shocked that they weren't already doing that.

I echo the sentiments about a lot of Hamilton just having a depressing vibe. I know there aren't any practical things that can be done about it, but it does need to be noted. It seems like some area's are just falling apart, and I'd much rather see more time spent on maintenance of existing structures than trying to attract people into the city. If its clean and well maintained, people will go there.

I also know there isn't much that can be done about this, but the sewer system smells terrible. You can immediately tell when you are approaching a storm drain or access pipe. I haven't encountered another city that has this problem to the same extent that Hamilton does, so they must be doing something differently. Looking into what other cities do might help.

I know it seems like a lot of my points are just knocking on Hamilton, and a lot of these problems don't have an easy answer. But these are concerns I've heard repeatedly from students, and its things like these that create the image of Hamilton as a sketchy place. Addressing them is the only way to "pop the bubble".

tear down every abandoned building, and turn each spot into a relatively low maitenance park!. It would be the park city of the world. Then move all the best shops to an area close to the park lands. put up nice walkways with lanterns and bridges over creeks, get a bit of cobblestone. some cafe's. **** yea

The HSR actually has really good service compared to what bus companies can provide. The people who complain need to experience some of the worse systems.

The one suggestion I would make is the following:

1) Put GPS systems on the busses
2) Hook it up to the HSR website
3) Make is to people can use their phones to check the page (or an app)

That way people can see where there bus is, how long it will take to get there, and if the bus is broken down etc. It will also allow them to analyze where there are problems in the system with traffic flow and late busses. It would help us and the HSR.

I think the HSR already has GPS systems (for the voice/sign that says each upcoming busstop). I think hooking the GPS to the website is a good idea, so people can see where the bus is.

Originally Posted by Goce

Hey all,

What are some things you like and dislike about the City?

Wireless Hamilton sucks.
HSR busses occasionally are obscenely crowded.
Too many crazies ride the bus.
The harbour water is filthy.