Community organizers, police and residents in London, Ont., gathered Monday evening to discuss and brainstorm ways to make Hamilton Road safer for pedestrians and cyclists along the busy roadway.
Hosted by the Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre (CRC), “Traffic and Safety on Hamilton Road” is the first event that has brought various stakeholders together to help work on both the short and long-term solutions for the locals who use the road daily.
Jennifer Martino, the executive director of the CRC, says there have been various people and businesses that have raised concerns about the safety of the roadway and what can be done to make it safer.
“We must work together to address traffic and safety on Hamilton Road so that Londoners and visitors can utilize this main street without risking injury or loss of life,” said Martino.
There has been at least one fatality from a motor vehicle collision along Hamilton Road every year for the past four years, says Martino.
Jibin Benoy, a Fanshawe College student, was struck and killed on Hamilton Road in September last year while cycling home from work in the early morning hours.
More recently in January, a pedestrian was struck and killed in the area of Hamilton Road and Watmar Avenue.
“There are people that use mobility devices that have said they can’t imagine being able to cross the street while feeling safe even while using a crosswalk,” said Martino.
Along with Martino, other officials on hand at the Hamilton Road Seniors Community Centre Monday evening were City of London transportation employees, Ward 1 Coun. Hadleigh McAlister, representatives from the Hamilton Road BIA, London police and Luis Patricio, the sustainable development goals manager with Pillar Nonprofit Network.
Patricio, who says he bikes on Hamilton Road almost every day, says he sees firsthand how the design of the road is not conducive to cyclists.
“There are so many people who don’t have access to cars but are not brave enough because of what has happened to ride their bikes,” says Patricio. “What we are trying to do here is to create a neighbourhood where people can make those choices and choose to drive or walk or bike or take the bus.”
Some of the short-term ideas that were being floated during Monday’s meeting that can offer immediate help are repainting the street lines, installing speed clocks for drivers and increasing visibility through parking space adjustments at key intersections.
While speed clocks are mostly reserved for more residential areas, city staff and McAlister says the city is considering expanding the scope of the radar machines to roadways like Hamilton Road.
Speaking to the gathered crowd, McAlister says the above listed ideas are just starting point, with the hope that more ideas come forward to help add to the city’s ongoing mobility masterplan, which city staff say they hope to have complete and implemented by the first half of 2024.
Ozzie Nethersole, traffic sergeant with the London Police Service, says the three key aspects local police target for pedestrian and cycler safety in the city are stunt drivers, impaired drivers and drivers ignoring school bus signals. Nethersole said police recently caught an individual driving 175 km/h near Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue.
When city police begin speeding and other traffic enforcement blitzes soon, Nethersole says the Hamilton Road area will be an area of focus.
The event on Monday was aimed to be just a starting point to help improve mobility safety along Hamilton Road, with the Hamilton Road BIA saying it hopes to host a community engagement session later this year to work further on the feedback gathered.
Feedback is still being welcomed at http://www.crouchnrc.org/visionzero.