Parking lots on Hamilton's outskirts, no traffic on Reid Street, a developers' fund for parking facilities and improved access for the less mobile are all recommendations included in a draft Transport Strategy for the City which was made public yesterday.

Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson told MPs yesterday: "There is a widely held view that we can no longer let motor vehicles dictate the form and character of the city environment.

"We cannot continue to adapt city roads and city spaces to accommodate the needs of motor vehicles at the expense of the city's pedestrian environment.'' The draft is the culmination of work carried out by overseas specialist consultants Symonds Travers Morgan who studied the city's traffic circulation pattern and traffic management systems.

Once a strategy for traffic in the city over the next decade is finalised, it will be incorporated into the new City of Hamilton plan which is scheduled to be tabled in the House of Assembly this summer.

Corporation of Hamilton Alderman David A. White, who is the chairman of the Corporation's Street Committee said the draft contained a number of ideas on how the quality of life in Hamilton could be improved through improving traffic flow, reducing traffic volume and providing a pedestrian friendly environment.

Mr. White recognised that some proposals might be contentious but a plan for the future was needed.

"One thing is clear from the statistics contained in this Paper. The number of vehicles on our roads in Bermuda continues to rise -- with no end in sight -- and most of those vehicles are driven in to Hamilton despite the fact that we have a tiny city with limited space for parking.'' The proposed strategy encompasses six key objectives, said Mr. Hodgson.

"They are to reduce and better manage the flow of commuter traffic; improve traffic management and circulation and minimise essential traffic in the central area; provide a logical hierarchy of parking provision for different City users; promote the use of public transport; improve the quality of the pedestrian environment; and improve access for the less mobile.'' Recommendations are put forward in the report on the planning, infrastructure and management measures that can be implemented to improve these areas.

Four of the key recommendations are to: Locate long term parking and/or park and ride facilities on the outskirts of the City to intercept traffic before it enters Hamilton; Require developers to pay a parking levy into a central fund which would be used for the development of public car parks in appropriate locations when their new development cannot provide on-site parking; Pedestrianise lower Reid Street between Burnaby and Queen Streets to provide areas for alfresco dining while allowing service vehicle access at certain times of the day; and Secure high standards of accessibility for the less mobile to all buildings, public transport facilities, open spaces and pedestrian areas.

Developers may pay for new Hamilton car parks Mayor of Hamilton William Frith said: "The new City of Hamilton Plan will be an extremely important document in charting a way forward for the city as we move into the next Millennium.

"We in the Corporation see traffic, and traffic-related problems, as one of the major issues to be addressed in the new city plan and we are very grateful for all of the work that the Planning Department team has put into preparing this Transport Strategy Discussion Paper.'' Said Mr. Hodgson: "Every Bermudian has something to say and an opinion to offer on the subject of traffic in Bermuda -- particularly traffic in the city.'' He said traffic problems were not limited to Hamilton and the recommendations would be implemented with the cooperation of the Islandwide transport authorities and would complement the National Transportation Management Plan being prepared by the Transport Ministry.

ENVIRONMENT ENV TRANSPORTATION TRA TRAFFIC TFC