The city has completed a number of short-term improvements following a safety review of three busy high-risk Hamilton intersections.
In accordance with its Vision Zero plan, changes on Dundurn, at Main Street and King Street, and at the Delta where King and Main intersect in East Hamilton, include advanced signals for pedestrians, better lane markings and trimming vegetation for better sight lines.
A report, presented to the public works committee, says future medium- and long-term alterations will be guided by the two-way conversion of Main Street and LRT construction.
“So we’ve passed these comments, recommendations on to the two-way conversion group and also the LRT office for consideration,” said acting manager of transportation operations Mike Field.
Longer-term suggestions range from designated turn lanes, modified lane configurations and reduced weaving to better lighting and bike lanes.
The roadway safety audits were ordered by councillors last spring, in response to a series of pedestrian deaths and injuries at the three intersections.
Two particular occurrences early last year spurred on the dramatic altering of the two major roads in the city centre.
At the top of the list is the March 19, 2022, collision that saw four people lose lives, including three pedestrians on King Street East near the Delta intersection.
On March 30, 2022 a teen was struck and critically injured in a collision at the intersection of Main Street West and Dundurn Street South.
Two annual reports, in 2020 and 2021, identified Main Street West and King Street West at Dundurn Street South as intersections with a high frequency of collisions.
Ancaster Coun. Craig Cassar said he’s “really looking forward” to seeing how the improvements play out in the long term.
“We can’t just keep tweaking what we already have, we have to do different,” said Cassar. “Safety should be a minimum, a bare minimum.”