Gore Park becomes pedestrian friendly

Dozens of people gathered on King Street East today for the kick-off of the Gore Park summer promenade.

An area once frequented by buses and cars – the south branch of King Street East between James and Hughson – is now a 97-metre-long roadway for people on foot. The downtown Hamilton BIA filled the park with 30 artisan and food vendors, with some local entertainment to celebrate a new pedestrian-friendly space.

Large planter boxes have been set up to stop drivers from entering the space and a raised crosswalk in the centre-block makes it easier for pedestrians to go between park space and sidewalks.

Area councillor Jason Farr says “the more we make downtown Hamilton a people place, the more we think about a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, what they call pedestrian mobility, the more attractive we are to the outside world.”

“We’re already starting to see, and you’ve seen the reports from EcDev, there are people coming and living here, they’re buying condos, they’re buying homes in our core, the more people we have in our core, the more we intensify, the better.”

The Gore Park summer promendade will run every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 am to 5:30 pm throughout the summer.

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