Hamilton council votes to partially close James St. North during Art Crawl

A proposal to shut down a portion of James St. North for Art Crawl in Hamilton this summer passed unanimously at city hall Wednesday.

Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch pitched the partial closure in an effort to create a safer space for pedestrians.

The pilot program would see only pedestrians accessing James St. North between Barton St. West and Cannon St. West from 6 to 9 p.m. on June 9, July 14 and Aug. 11 when Art Crawl takes place.

In the past, motorists could drive along James St. North during Art Crawl as thousands of people filled the sidewalks to check out local restaurants, galleries and local vendors.

READ MORE: Councillor proposes partial closure of James St. N during summer Art Crawls

Kroetsch said he was prompted to recommend the street closure after pedestrians and local business owners expressed concern for their safety.

“This is going to make the neighbourhood and the event safer,” he said.

“My goal is to make sure that we increase pedestrian safety in this term of council and make people feel like they belong to their neighbourhoods and their communities can be vibrant places.”

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