Councillors call for Main Street to be converted to two-way traffic after pedestrian deaths
12 traffic fatalities in Hamilton so far this year, 11 involving pedestrians
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...swqZfLn5O2jnmE
Hamilton councillor Maureen Wilson has shared a copy of a motion calling for Main Street West to be converted to two-way traffic as a safety measure, following a series of crashes that have killed and injured pedestrians.
The motion, which Wilson said she and Ward 3 Councillor Nrinder Nann will bring before council Wednesday, references the fact that 10 pedestrians had been killed in Hamilton this year.
An 11th incident was reported Tuesday morning after a 64-year-old man died after being hit by a transport truck at a business in Flamborough.
Wilson and Nann's motion points to the city's annual collision report, stating it reveals an "overrepresentation of fatal and injury collisions" along Main and King Streets — both multi-lane, one-way roads through the city's core.
"The number of collision deaths/injuries along Main & King is reported annually," Wilson posted on Twitter, along with screenshots of her motion. "These outcomes would not be accepted on any other city road."
The councillor pointed to the Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry that's currently underway, saying the number of collision-related deaths and injuries along Main and King streets is already reported annually.
"More study? Time to act," she wrote.
The motion also calls for staff to find ways to immediately improve safety along the two streets, suggesting more pedestrian space, temporary lane reductions, a reduced speed limit and looking at the synchronized traffic lights on Main Street.
Wilson writes that staff should report back early next year with an implementation plan for making Main two-way, including costs and a construction timeline.
Ward 8 Councillor John-Paul Danko shared Wilson's post about the motion, adding comments of his own.
"Council knows the problem: the one way configuration of Main is inherently dangerous and killing people," he tweeted.
"Council knows the solution: immediate safety improvements & two way reversion."
In a follow-up post, Danko said anything less than immediate action was "unacceptable."
"There is no excuse, no rationalization, no dithering," he added.
https://twitter.com/ward1wilson/