Hannah Gordon-Roche and Jeffery Roche were married June 6.
The Burlington couple, both 29, was killed June 26 by an out-of-control SUV Friday, just four days after returning from their honeymoon.
An 81-year-old cyclist, Tong Vi Duong of Hamilton, was also killed in the late afternoon series of collisions that left a trail of destruction along York Boulevard near the High Level Bridge and closed the road for 11 hours.
The tragedy unfolded at 5:28 p.m. Friday when a black, Ford Explorer driving north on York Boulevard at the start of the High Level Bridge hit a cyclist.
Witnesses say the SUV continued north dragging the cyclist for about 15 metres and then continued around a curve and eastbound across the bridge before colliding with the rear of a small, eastbound sedan near Valley Inn Road. The car then bounced into the path of an oncoming pickup truck at Valley Inn Road near the border with Halton.
The driver, 40-year-old Allan Maki, of Stoney Creek, has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and three counts of dangerous driving causing death.
Police shut a huge swath of York Boulevard and Plains Road West while collision reconstruction investigators examined the scene and kept it closed overnight.
The force of the collision destroyed the small sedan, killing the Roches and their West Highland Terrier, Piper-Bear.
Staff Sergeant Glenn Jarvie, of the police emergency response section, said today the SUV then continued off the road and police found the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, there with minor injuries. He was taken to hospital, treated and released.
The three deaths brought the number of traffic fatalities in Hamilton so far this year to 10.
At the other end of the bridge, Conrad Zurini said he tried to help Duong, but it was too late.
"The man was on a bike with fenders and a large container on the back," Zurini said. "It dragged the bike and man for about 40 feet. We got there and he was spread out on the ground. A nurse rushed in to give him CPR but when I felt for a pulse, there was no pulse. There was bleeding coming from the back of his head."
Although intial police reports indicated the driver of the SUV may have suffered a medical emergency, Jarvie said today that is still the subject of investigation and there has been no final conclusion on that issue.
Jarvie said investigators do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Jarvie said the evidence at the scene warrants the charges laid.
He also said police need witnesses to the collision to come forward and urged anyone with information to contact the collision reconstruction unit at 905-546-4753.
Funeral Service for Hannah Gordon-Roche and Jeffery Roche will be held Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 11 a.m. at St. Christopher's Anglican Church, , 662 Guelph Line, Burlington, where visitation will take place one hour prior to the service before burial at Parklawn Cemetery, Toronto.
In lieu of flowers friends have been asked to please make a donation to Interval House, Hamilton, UNICEF or a charity that supports children.
jburman@thespec.com, 905-526-2469
Monday, June 29, 2009
carnage
Sunday, June 28, 2009
terminal start
Ken Mann (CHML 900 AM) 6/26/2009
The city has released conceptual drawings of the new MacNab Street Transit Terminal.
The design includes a "green" roof and heated platform, as well as public washrooms, new shelters and improved accessibility.
Plans also call for the closure of MacNab Street, between King and Main, starting on Sunday as the pre-construction work begins.
The new terminal will be completed by next fall.
- - - -
Details from the HSR here.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
pass it on...
HSR pass provides discounts around city
Environment Hamilton and partners give you a gem to see other gems in Hamilton
Free energy-savings kits, cake and a special tour bus were not the only excitement at the Passport to Hamilton birthday celebration. Environment Hamilton also received a $50,000 grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation.
"We've supported Environment Hamilton on a number of occasions. They are an important voice for the environment," said Sharon Charters, manager of grants at the Hamilton Community Foundation, who shared the news with residents on June 16.
Environment Hamilton has partnered with more than 80 locations in the city, including museums, recreation centres, restaurants and cafes to offer discounts for groups that present a valid HSR day pass.
An $8 transit pass allows groups to travel by transit all day around the city. Two adults can travel with up to four youth under the age of 19, one adult with up to five youth, or up to six youth together. In comparison, six passengers taking transit would pay a total of $14.10 for a single bus trip.
"This pass is a gem to see all the gems in the city," said Brenda Johnson, project manager at Environment Hamilton. "We want to eliminate the stigma that goes with taking transit and not having a car -we are going to have fun on the bus."
Joined forces
Don Hull, director of transit in Hamilton, said he was proud to partner with Environment Hamilton on such an initiative. He said the sales of HSR passes have gone up 55 per cent since they joined forces last year.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of this event because transit is a key component in the environmental solution," he said.
Duane Dahl, assistant director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton, said having the city map makes people aware of where to go, and the HSR pass provides the opportunity for kids and parents, especially low income families, to visit these sites together.
Anne-Marie Lavelle, who was at the celebration with her husband and daughter, said this was the first time she heard about the transit pass.
“Because I live on the Mountain I can see using it a lot,” Mrs. Lavalle said. “This is good for families that would spend a lot more on the bus without the pass.”
Thursday, June 25, 2009
passing lanes
A few of the cyclists leaving the City Council meeting at the Hamilton Convention Centre, after council passed the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan last night. The task remaining is to see that council funds the program at budget time. It will make the difference in seeing this long-overdue plan in place during the next decade, or in forty years. To get active on this issue, please contact tlchamilton@gmail.com and help us make it happen!
shifting gears at council
Nicole Macintyre, The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 25, 2009)
They came on two wheels, helmets in place, to remind council that not every Hamiltonian wants to drive to work.
About 20 cyclists attended last night's council meeting to encourage the city to approve and fund its new cycling master plan.
Councillors unanimously backed the plan without debate, but referred any funding commitments to the budget process.
It will take $51.5 million to implement the integrated cycling network on city streets, a cost of $2.5 million a year if it was completed over 20 years.
Staff recommended the city only commit $1.25 million a year and focus on urban bike lanes.
The investment, which would be staged over numerous years, would more than quadruple the city's designated bike lanes to 566 kilometres.
However, several councillors have expressed concern about the size of the investment, questioning if the bike lanes would be used enough to justify the cost.
They want to consider the expense in relation to the city's other financial demands.
Randy Kay of Transportation for Liveable Communities Hamilton wants the city to fast-track the plan. The yearly price tag, he argued, is affordable and offers the city a cheap way to improve its image.
"Hamilton is moving in the right direction, keep going. Don't be left behind," he said.
"People want choices in their transportation."
In a letter to council, cyclist Brendan Simons said he's lived in several cities, but finds Hamilton the most "hostile to cyclists."
"No matter which roads I take, I have to contend with cars and trucks whizzing by my elbow at 70 plus kilometres per hour," Simons wrote.
Kay said local cyclists intend to follow the plan to next year's budget process.
"We're hoping this is just the start of a campaign to see this through."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
press for bike lanes
Monday, June 22, 2009
links in the bicycle chain
BIKE SHOPS
MaCycle
Downtown Bike Hounds
Central Cycle
Main Cycle
Ancaster Cycle
Pieriks Cycle
Freewheel Cycle (Dundas)
Bicycle Works (Waterdown)
OTHER LOCATIONS
OPIRG McMaster
Skydragon Centre
Mixed Media
Locke Street Library
Dundas Library
My Dog Joe
Global Village (Westdale)
King William police station
Saturday, June 20, 2009
cycling: the new kid on the block?
Terry Cooke, The Hamilton Spectator, (Jun 20, 2009)
They built the Great Pyramid in ancient Egypt in 20 years. But in Hamilton it's going to take us 40 years to construct a network of bicycle paths. Maybe we should be just a little more ambitious.
Or perhaps our city councillors should ask any randomly selected group of younger Hamiltonians what they think about encouraging the use of alternative forms of transportation to the private automobile.
Because young people just get it. They have figured out that our political future looks very different than the recent past on a bunch of different issues. Take gay marriage for instance, about which people of my generation remain deeply divided. Yet everybody I've talked to under 30 believes it's a no-brainer -- live and let live.
Just as young people know successful urban areas have to move away from planning that focuses exclusively on moving large numbers of vehicles quickly through the heart of our cities.
I guarantee that a city council comprised of 25-year-olds would jump at the opportunity to convert a five-lane urban expressway such as Main Street into something that actually nurtures local neighbourhoods and businesses while encouraging people to cycle and walk along it.
But in Hamilton, the car remains king and political change never seems to happen easily.
I learned that lesson the hard way as a political novice when I initiated the creation of a regionwide system of bicycle paths in the late 1980s.
We formed a committee to oversee the process, hired technical experts to design a plan (including both on-street bike lanes and rail trails) and got council to approve a capital budget. So far so good, I thought.
But when we actually converted one of the five lanes on Main and King streets to dedicated bicycle paths in 1993, all hell broke loose. Angry drivers who experienced some minor delays due to the changes literally lit up the switchboard at City Hall. The Spectator then piled on with front-page coverage of an accident in which a cyclist was hit on Main Street.
Regional council quickly caved to the pressure and abandoned the project. That political debacle remains seared in the memory of veteran councillors, explaining in part their trepidation about moving too aggressively now on bike lanes.
It's too bad because had we stayed the course Hamilton today would have a cycling network that would be the envy of mid-sized cities in North America.
Meanwhile, places like Portland, Ore., and Montreal have managed to get up to 15 per cent of their commuter traffic out of cars and onto bikes, helping the environment while reducing the demand for new road construction.
Thankfully much has changed in Hamilton in the last 15 years. Both our civic attitudes and our infrastructure are better equipped to support a fundamental shift in favour of neighbourhoods, transit, pedestrians and cyclists.
Not the least of these changes is the opening of the Linc and Red Hill expressways which provide a better way for drivers interested only in getting across town quickly.
There are political champions for change such as downtown Councillor Bob Bratina and Mayor Fred Eisenberger who are pushing for a more aggressive approach to building the cycling network in perhaps five or 10 years rather than 40.
Let's hope council considers not only the wisdom of Bratina and Eisenberger on this issue, but also takes the time to listen to our next generation of leaders in trying to figure out the future.
Terry Cooke is a director of the Canadian Urban Institute. He is president of Cooke Capital Corp. and former Hamilton-Wentworth chair.
http://thespec.com/Opinions/article/586576
Thursday, June 18, 2009
cyclists to city council
If cyclists attend one city council meeting, this is the one! Come out and bring your friends!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
shifting gear to a brighter future
tlchamilton.org
905-525-9140 ext. 26026
PO Box 19, 1280 Main Street West
Hamilton ON L8S 1C0
Dear Councillors,
How can we make Hamilton a better place to raise a child, address poverty issues, and prove to the rest of the world that Hamilton is interested in attracting bright young professionals?
Continue to support sustainable transportation, specifically at this juncture, the Shifting Gears cycling plan.
If you build it, will they come? Yes, they will.
Today we are constantly reminded that "Young professionals are attracted to diverse, explorable cities that are easily walked and biked, that have lots of green spaces and trails, exciting nightlife, clean air and water and good transit." (American consultant Rebecca Ryan, keynote speaker at the second annual Hamilton Economic Summit on May 6, "Young workers want a city they can love", Hamilton Spectator, April 27, 2009)
Getting the cycling network in place will help attract the "creative class" and will do much to "change Hamilton’s image as a faltering industrial city paralyzed by conflict and indecision....Hamilton must celebrate itself, recreate its sense of pride and stop listening to the naysayers." (Summit hears mega-region on road to prosperity, Hamilton Spectator, May 1, 2008)
In a city where 20% of households lack cars, and 40% of residents say they cycle regularly or occasionally (Hamilton-Wentworth Community Cycling Survey, 1997), investing in cycling provides long term benefit for comparably little cost: the bike racks on city buses are a good example of spending to invest in infrastructure that pays long term dividends, both in practical terms for cyclists, and in enhancing the city's image.
The argument that we can't afford to invest in cycling infrastructure that meets the stated objectives of city policies like Vision 2020, The Transportation Master Plan, Making Hamilton the best place to raise a child, and other long range planning goals does not get us where we say we want to be. Compare the annual operating bill for the 8 km valley parkway: $2.65 million, with the hoped for annual cycling investment of $2.5 million a year. Whereas the highway costs will likely rise over time, cycling infrastructure presents much lower maintenance costs for a city.
With these, and other considerations, such as public health and climate change in mind, Transportation for Liveable Communities encourages city council to fully support implementation of the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan, on a timeline that will allow us and our children to reap the rewards.
Thank you for your consideration,
calling all cyclists!
Contact Your City Councillor
If you cycle, or know someone who does, we need you to let your local politician know that you support an integrated cycling network of bike lanes and paths.
7pm, Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summers Lane
If cyclists attend one city council meeting, this is the one!
Come out and bring your friends!
A full list of councillors, contact info and ward boundaries can be found here:
http://www.myhamilton.ca/
The best case scenario: City councillors approve $2.5 million in funding each year , which would see the urban cycling network completed in 10 years and the rural web of bike paths completed in 20 years
AGAINST:
“Councillor Tom Jackson frequently hears from residents who want more recreational trails.
He’s not sure if those same people want to bike to work on city streets. ‘I’m not detecting a huge clamouring for commuter lanes. ’”
Flamborough’s Councillor “Margaret McCarthy is sceptical additional bike lanes would be well used given the escarpment, weather, transit improvements and heavy traffic. ‘It seems to me an unsafe practice, ’ she said. ‘For my money, this wouldn’t go forward. ’”
Terry Whitehead: "Convince me that investing over fifty million dollars on a seasonal activity would be better than making this investment into public transit."
FOR:
Councillor Bob Bratina “If you’ve been to Europe and seen it, you believe it,” he said. “We need to evolve a little more.”
HOW?:
“The key to achieving high levels of cycling appears to be the provision of separate cycling facilities along heavily travelled roads and at intersections, combined with traffic calming of most residential neighbourhoods. Extensive cycling rights of way...are complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists, and a wide range of promotional events intended to generate enthusiasm and wide public support for cycling.”
COMPARE:
Annual Cost of Operating the Red Hill Parkway (8km total): $2.65 million
Annual Cost to Implement the Cycling Plan over 20 years : $2.5 million for a total of 566km of bike lanes
A working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) McMaster
Monday, June 15, 2009
how many more years?
John Kernaghan, The Hamilton Spectator, (Jun 15, 2009)
Bike shops are reporting more people selling second cars and buying commuter bicycles.
And Hamilton is trying to meet that growing interest with a master cycling plan that would quadruple annual budgets for bike paths.
But even that $1.25 million wouldn't complete a recommended network in 20 years.
And the plan, to be presented to the city's public works committee today, offers a more aggressive alternative that would ramp up investment to $2.5 million each year.
That would complete the urban network in 10 years and the rural web of bike paths in 20 years.
The plan prepared by Hart Solomon notes Hamilton would have to match per capita spending in Burlington and Toronto, of $5.25 per person per year, to achieve that. A lower amount of $2.50 per capita "reflects the reality of our limited capital budget for road improvements."
The plan updates the Shifting Gears plan devised by the former region of Hamilton Wentworth.
It suggests a middle ground between no real cycling network and the ideal -- an upgrade of all city streets for cycling use.
It seeks the "satisfactory" concept of a cyclist travelling less than a kilometre to access a formal cycling route. That means a grid with two-kilometre spacing for urban areas.
The total cost to upgrade about 270 links to create that grid would cost $51.5 million over time, split $22.6 million urban and $28.9 million rural.
In asking the plan to be adopted, the report recommended that the position of project manager, alternative transportation, be made a permanent job.
The plan follows a series of six public meetings that left two people in the bike business optimistic.
"It's moving slowly," said Sam DiBussolo, of All The Right Gears cycle shop. "But it is moving forward and I think they'll get it done."
And Elaine Pierik, of Pieriks Cycle in Westdale, said she was hopeful, "as long as they keep moving forward. In the past it's been one step forward, two steps back."
She said customers in her store are increasingly giving up cars and using bikes for work.
"We have a number of people buying folding bikes, so they can cycle to the GO station, then collapse the bike and carry it on the train to work."
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/583607
catching up with cycling?
CATCH News – June 14, 2009Comprehensive cycling network proposed
The city has prepared a master cycling plan that could put every urban resident within one kilometre of a bike lane or trail and establish a full rural network as well – for less than the city’s financial commitment to the proposed Pan-Am stadium. The plan goes to the public works committee tomorrow morning, but with recommended funding that would require over 40 years to complete the full network.
Over 260 bike lanes or multi-use paths in all parts of the city are listed in the plan to be added to the current network. Most of those (220) are in the urban area and are expected to cost $22.6 million to put in place. The 46 proposals for the rural area would add another $28.9 million, for a total price tag of $51.5 million.
“The core facility type will be the designated, painted lane,” explains the staff report. “The plan is based on the philosophy that a cyclist should be able to access the network in the urban area by travelling no more than 1 km, so a grid based on a 2 km spacing has been developed.”
The current budget allocation for cycling infrastructure is $300,000 a year. That was originally established at one percent of the road building budget, but has not increased for several years. Using that rate of annual spending, it would take 172 years to pay for all the projects. Staff are suggesting increasing annual spending for cycling to $1.25 million – enough to finish the master plan in 41 years.
That schedule could be cut to under 20 years if efforts are concentrated in the urban area – a direction that is suggested in the staff report.
“The funding level suggested in this report is about one-half that level and reflects the realities of our limited capital budget for road improvements,” says the staff report. “While $1,250,000 annually is less than the amount required to complete the entire network in twenty years, it will allow for good success on the urban portion and is compatible with staff’s ability to undertake these projects.”
An option offered to councillors is to double the allocation to $2.5 million a year – equivalent to five dollars per resident per year. That would bring Hamilton closer to Toronto’s annual per capita allocation of five dollars and twenty-five cents.
The city’s last major cycling plan was prepared ten years ago and staff say about 75 percent of its recommended projects have now been completed. But they note that 1999 “ Shifting Gears” plan “did not provide a comprehensive network of cycling facilities across the City.”
The new master plan has been developed over the last year in consultation with the public aims to correct this deficiency. It is “primarily focused on developing new on-road facilities, connecting wherever possible to existing or planned off-road facilities” says the report. It goes on to explain that the intent is to support both “commuter/utilitarian cycling and recreational cycling”, noting that the latter “is often the first step toward commuting or utilitarian use.”
Council is also being asked to approve permanent status for the “ alternative transportation coordinator” – a position that is currently only temporary.
“Integral to delivering the plan is the requirement for a full-time staff member dedicated to delivering the program,” advises the report. Before the temporary coordinator was hired, actual spending on cycling infrastructure was running far behind the annual $300,000 budget.
The majority of the proposed projects in the urban area are budgetted at less than $50,000 each. Of these 39 would cost less than $10,000 each, and another 93 are in the $10-50,000 range. Only two of the first 65 in the priority list attached to the report would cost more than $50,000.
Many of the more expensive projects are multi-use trails. Nine of the 215 in the urban area exceed $500,000 each with one of those budgetted at over $1 million.
Many of the more costly would be scheduled as part of road widening or reconstruction, with the cycling budget picking up any additional costs required for bike lanes. In the rural area, where over 250 kilometres of lanes are proposed, 70 percent of the projects would require paving road shoulders.
The completed plan, if approved by the committee and ratified next week by the full council, will then be posted for 30 days of further public comment required under provincial environmental assessment rules.
CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) updates use transcripts and/or public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media. Detailed reports of City Hall meetings can be reviewed at www.hamiltoncatch.org. You can receive all CATCH free updates by sending an email to info@HamiltonCATCH.org.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
back to the future
(how are we doing since this event in 2001?)Transportation for Liveable Communities: MEMORIAL PROCESSION - MARCH 22 2001
LIST OF PEDESTRIAN & CYCLIST DEMANDS
Presented To: Hamilton City CouncilPresented By: Transportation For Liveable Communities, a Working Group of McMaster OPIRG
- That the 1999 staff report Shifting Gears: A New Cycling Plan for Hamilton-Wentworth be implemented.
- That the $300,000 budget that has been dedicated to cycling initiatives each year since 1992 be maintained in 2001 and beyond.
- That motor vehicle speeds are enforced and, in residential areas, reduced to 30 km/hr.
- That traffic calming and other vehicle speed reduction techniques be implemented.
- That a Pedestrian Plan be developed for the New City of Hamilton.
- That a sidewalk needs study be conducted and priority areas identified.
- That sidewalks be built as part of any new development and that these sidewalks have a boulevard or separation between the sidewalk and the road
- That intersections in the New City be systematically reviewed and prioritized for necessary pedestrian-friendly improvements
- That snow clearance on frequently used sidewalks and trails be made a higher priority than road clearing and salting in residential neighbourhoods.
- That a City-wide Transportation Demand Management Plan be developed and implemented. Such a plan would provide incentives for walking and cycling and deterrents for single occupancy vehicle use.
- That the New City support development within urban areas and deter greenfield development.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
re-turning to nature
and politicians from both Burlington and Hamilton, and all the other players (including many members of TLC) who helped this happen.The route is now open to only pedestrians and cyclists (and work vehicles when required), with the bridge over the mouth of Grindstone Creek much quieter than when previously cars would rattle the timbers of the old structure.
The other side of the route is closed off as well, so a very nice connecting route to link Burlington and Hamilton is now in place. Enjoy!
Monday, June 08, 2009
quick survey on rapid transit in Hamilton
As Hamilton moves forward with plans to implement rapid transit in Hamilton, we want your thoughts on how you think the rapid transit initiative will best serve Hamilton. Help us by completing a short survey to provide your feedback and identify your preferred rapid transit alignment along the Main King corridor through downtown.
Access the survey online at www.hamilton.ca/rapid-transit or pick up a hard copy at some City of Hamilton offices, local libraries or municipal service centres. Comments are welcome at any time, but responses received by July 31, 2009 will be included in the September 2009 staff report to Council.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
two-timer
The Hamilton Spectator, (Jun 4, 2009)
City staff are recommending King Street and Main Street revert back to
two-way traffic for the new rapid transit line proposed to cross
Hamilton between McMaster University and Eastgate Square.
Staff prefer a typical transit system running along the median of King
Street, with vehicle traffic in the north and south curb lanes. The
two main arteries would convert to two-way traffic between Paradise
Road in the west and the Delta in the east.
Council and citizens have overwhelmingly backed a Light Rail Transit
(LRT) for the line, but that still has to be decided by the provincial
agency MetroLinx and it could support a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
system.
Residents can learn more about the staff preference at an open house
next Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel, between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The city wants to hear what residents think about the proposed
operation and also to confirm support for a LRT. It held two open
houses this week, one held in west Hamilton Monday that was attended
by 20 people.
Lisa Zinkewich, senior project manager, said a transit line running
down the median would disrupt the least traffic and has also been
shown to boost economic development.
One resident, Larry Berberick, said at an open house last night he
prefers to have the system in the south curb lanes and keep Main and
King as one way streets.
"My thinking is this would be safer."