Andrea Horwath says she’s committed to listening to residents about making Hamilton’s streets safer if she’s elected mayor — starting with a stretch of highway in rural Ancaster.
Horwath was joined by community members for the campaign announcement in the conservation authority parking lot at Highway 52 and Powerline Road West on Wednesday morning.
Residents with the group Safe On 52 have been calling for a roundabout at Powerline since about 2004, expressing concern about the speed of traffic along the highway and vehicles that are turning in the area, as well as pedestrians who are accessing the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail and the Hamilton Conservation Authority bog trail.
“Cyclists and families literally use the trail and have to cross these two lanes of very fast-moving traffic, which is very dangerous,” said Horwath. “With a roundabout solution … cyclists, hikers, families, pedestrians walking will be able to use the trail much more safely and the likelihood of accidents will be reduced significantly.“
David Jones, who has lived on Powerline Road for 25 years, was among those joining Horwath for the announcement.
He said it was budget constraints that resulted in only the Jerseyville roundabout being built about a decade ago, even though residents also want one to slow traffic down at Powerline.
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“I’m a retired firefighter paramedic,” he said. “I responded to vehicle accidents the full stretch of Highway 52, I witnessed head-on collisions on a regular basis. I know roundabouts save lives.”
Earlier this year, city staff were asked to report back to councillors on the process of installing a roundabout at Highway 52 and Powerline but prior to that, staff had only recommended a left-turn lane.
Horwath said residents don’t think a left-turn lane would do enough to mitigate traffic concerns and said the city should be heeding the advice of those who are most impacted by any changes to improve road safety.
“When it comes to traffic and road users of all kinds, whether it’s cars, whether it’s pedestrians, whether it’s cyclists, families, seniors, each neighbourhood and each road functions differently and we need to be listening to the people who use those roads on a daily basis as to what the solutions are that are most beneficial in their neighbourhoods.”
Penny Santa-Barbara and her 14-year-old daughter are still attending physiotherapy appointments after they were rear-ended in an SUV at that intersection in May.
“We were just travelling back from Ancaster grocery shopping and there was about six or seven cars coming towards us, so we stopped to make a left-hand turn.”
She said police told her the driver was going about 80 kilometres an hour when he hit them from behind.
“Luckily, I was able to turn the wheel and not hit the oncoming traffic,” she said. “I try my best not to take this way anymore, I take Jerseyville around, but when I do stop to make the left and forget … I put on my four-way flashers and move over to the right a little more so people are not passing on that side because they just won’t stop.”
Ben Loewith, who runs the nearby Joe Loewith & Sons dairy with his uncle and father, said they’re planning to open a bottling facility in the months ahead that will be open to the public and is supportive of a roundabout to deal with traffic safety concerns.
“As this community and the other farms in this area start opening themselves to agri-tourism and welcoming the public in, you’re going to get more traffic on the road that is not familiar with the road and that adds its own level of danger because they don’t know the area, they don’t know the intersections.”
He said the community has been calling for this change for almost two decades.
“We’ve had the studies, we’ve been in contact with the city, and we think now is the time to have some infrastructure put in at this corner.”
Fellow mayoral candidate Keanin Loomis has also highlighted improving road safety as part of his campaign platform.
He is pledging to “immediately implement” recommendations related to Vision Zero and have a third party grade the city with an annual report card, as well as double Hamilton’s protected bike lane network, and expand advanced pedestrian signals and pedestrian “scramble” intersections.
Bob Bratina, who is also among the nine candidates running for mayor in the October election, is holding a press conference on Thursday to address “community safety priorities” as part of his campaign platform.
The other mayoral candidates are Ejaz Butt, Paul Fromm, Jim Davis, Solomon Ikhuiwu, Hermiz Ishaya and Michael Pattison.
Hamiltonians will go to the polls on Oct. 24 but can also vote by mail, provided they register to receive a municipal election voting package by Sept. 22.
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