Improvements sparked by fatal Hamilton collision progress – Hamilton

A safety review sparked by the death of a student near St. Thomas More Catholic High School last January has led to a number of road improvements along Upper Paradise, between Stone Church and Rymal Roads.

Three levels of recommendations by third-party consultants, the True North Safety Group, were updated Tuesday at a City Hall committee with some short-term fixes such as sidewalk repairs and changes to the way traffic flows travels to and from school property.

Other longer-term measures, expected over several years, will include adding a pedestrian signal and resurfacing parts of the corridor.

Public works transport director Carolyn Ryall told councilors that long-term plans also include a complete road reconstruction, separated cycle lanes and a lower speed limit.

“A lot of these smaller jobs are already finished,” Ryall said.

“When we look to the medium and long term, it requires a little more capital. They require much more technical resolution, often design work.

A fatal hit-and-run collision on Upper Paradise at Kordun Street in early January that k**led a 15-year-old who was walking home from St. Thomas More was a catalyst for improvements to the area.

Hamilton police charged another 15-year-old, who was driving a Dodge Caliber, with failing to remain at the scene.

At Monday’s public works meeting, Ward 4 Coun. Mike Spadafora stressed to staff that his constituents are eager to see improvements as quickly as possible.

Ward 12 County. Craig Ca*sar, who was recently tasked with reviewing pedestrian and cyclist safety, noted the complexity of the one-kilometre stretch of Upper Paradise that has eight intersections and 27 driveways.

He suggested a greater emphasis on planning around “car action”, since the report found that a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour on the arterial road equates to a 72-second window for travel from either end of Stone Church and Rymal roads to the other.

This number increases to just 90 seconds when the 40 kilometers per hour reductions in school zones are in effect.

“Every mile you speed is a collision less likely to happen and much less dangerous,” Ca*sar said, citing city traffic data.

Ryall told councilors recla*sification of the road was on the long-term agenda and a speed reduction would also be part of that work.

She added that automated speed control is also a tool that will be studied to change driver behavior.

“That’s something we’ll look to use in this area if we haven’t already,” she said.

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