Transportation as Social Justice Issue

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/01/04/hamilton-commuter-study.html

Kids in low-income areas at higher risk of being hit by commuters, prof warns

By Kaleigh Rogers, CBC News 

Posted: Jan 7, 2013 7:04 AM ET 

Last Updated: Jan 7, 2013 12:35 PM ET 

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Children living in downtown Hamilton may be at a higher risk of pedestrian injury, according to a new study out of McMaster University.

The study shows a link between high-levels of commuter traffic — as opposed to local traffic — and higher levels of pedestrian child injury.

Geography professor Nikolaos Yiannakoulias studied Toronto neighbourhoods and compared local traffic (drivers coming from that neighbourhood), arriving traffic (drivers arriving at their destination in that neighbourhood) and flow-through traffic (drivers passing through the neighbourhood on their way somewhere else).

'It [commuter traffic] is definitely a concern to many people living in lower Hamilton. They're scared to let their children walk to school.'—Nikolaos Yiannakoulias, McMaster University

He discovered certain neighbourhoods, especially lower income areas, with higher levels of flow-through traffic also saw higher levels of pedestrian child injury.

However, areas with high levels of local traffic did not see the same levels of injury. Even if the neighbourhood had very high volume of traffic, if it was local the levels of injury did not increase, the study found.

"It may be that drivers going through a neighbourhood may not know where children are or where schools are," Yiannakoulias explained. "Their decision to commute or not commute has an impact on everyone."

Yiannakoulias said he plans to continue the research to identify exactly what the connection is between commuter traffic and pedestrian injury. He hopes to expand the research to other cities, especially Hamilton, where Yiannakoulias says many similar issues exist.

"There are major East-West throughways in Hamilton with schools very close," he pointed out.

"There are kids walking to school and many are having to cross these major streets where there is a lot of traffic going fast and this is the same kind of commuter traffic we saw in Toronto."

High Numbers: Impaired Driving Up in Hamilton and Province

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/01/03/hamilton-drunk-driving-numbers.html

• Hamilton police made 538 impaired-driving arrests in 2012, five more than in 2011, a 15-year-high
• 166 of arrests came as a result of citizens calling in on 911 to report suspected drunk drivers
• A record of 228,315 drivers were stopped in RIDE programs (170,000 vehicles in 2011)
• The Ontario Provincial Police charged 693 people across the province with impaired driving between Nov. 24 and Jan. 2., an eight-year high according to the OPP
• The OPP laid around 8,000 impaired-driving charges in 2012, about the same as 2011's total
• There were 72 alcohol related fatalities, up from 60 the year previous

car sick

A healthy child in Canada is about 20 times more likely to be killed by a car than by the H1N1 virus, Schabas said, but that isn't going to make the national news.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/11/06/h1n1-media.html?ref=rss

Go Young Workers!

Young Hamilton workers are "green" commuters TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Young Hamilton workers are "green" commuters

OTTAWA - Young workers in the Hamilton region are more likely to pick "green" commuting options than their older co-workers, the latest census information shows.

Statistics Canada has released new data Wednesday from the 2006 census that gives more details about how people in the Hamilton region most often get to work and how far they travel.

Workers under the age of 25 in the Hamilton region use public transit 14.3 per cent of the time, while a further 10.5 per cent walk and 1.9 per cent use a bike.

That's a considerably higher reliance on environmentally friendly means of getting to work than the average commuter in the Hamilton region, who commutes by public transit 8.7 per cent of the time, by foot 5.0 per cent of the time and 0.9 per cent by bike.

The reliance on the car in the Hamilton region seems to increase as the age of commuters gets older.

Commuters under the age of 25 used a vehicle to get to work - either as a driver or a passenger - 72.4 per cent of the time. Those aged 25-34 commuted by car most often 84.0 per cent of the time and those 35 and over drove or were driven 87.9 per cent of the time.

The census doesn't ask commuters why they chose their mode of transportation, so it's not known if younger workers pick greener commuting options because of their concern for the environment or whether their choice was related more to financial considerations.

Dan McDermott, director of Ontario's chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada, says owning a car used to be a rite of passage for young people, but enviromental awareness in that generation has made gas guzzlers uncool. The high cost of gasoline is another factor for those with limited incomes.

"The desire to own a car is diminishing for a number of reasons, environmental consciousness being high on that list," said McDermott.

"Certainly, economic reality weighs in as well and with gas scheduled to hit $1.50 a litre, that makes the question about buying a car one that young people on limited resources will look long and hard at before making that choice."

Statistics Canada released initial information on commuting in the country's major metropolitan region last month. The new information breaks down the data further to the municipal level.

In the city of Hamilton, 9.3 per cent of workers use public transit while 83.5 per cent get to the job by car.

The median commuting distance for people in the city of Hamilton is 7.8 kilometres, meaning the point where one half of the city's population travels more than that distance and the other half travels less. Commuting distance is measured on a straight line from home to work, not the actual route travelled, which for most commuters would be longer.

http://thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/348567

analysis of speed data before and after speed limit change on Cootes Drive

SYNECTICS (October 24, 2004)

“Speed data was collected at two locations: Station 1 (north of the Westaway Road overpass) and Station 2 (immediately north of the study site). Based on a review of the speed data, it was determined that a majority of vehicles at Station 1 are traveling above the posted speed limit (80 km/h). The 85th percentile speeds in the northbound lanes were observed to be higher than speeds in the southbound lanes (100 and 93 km/h compared to 90 and 87 km/h). The relatively high speeds are not surprising, given the roadway environment [emphasis added].

At Station 2, a very high percentage of vehicles were observed traveling above the lower speed limit (60 km/h). Overall, though, speeds are lower than at Station 1. The 85th percentile speeds in the northbound lanes were observed to be slightly higher than speed in the southbound lanes (84 and 76 km/h compared to 75 and 73 km/h).”

- - - -

CITY OF HAMILTON (2008)

“We have the results back from the 3-day speed/volume studies conducted on Cootes between the IPS and the bridge structure. The studies were conducted November 27, 28 & 29th. The results indicate the 85th %'tile speed heading into Dundas was about 71 km/h and heading into Hamilton, the 85th %'tile speed was 75 km/h. For what it's worth, the 15th %'tile speed was over 50 km/h in both directions.”

- - - -

RESULTS COMPARISON:

NORTHBOUND (toward Dundas)

Synectics (Stn2) October 2004	City November 2008
84 and 76 (posted 60)	71 (posted 40)
24 and 16km/h diff	31km/h diff

Reduction in speed (84-71=13 km/h)

SOUTHBOUND (toward Hamilton)

Synectics (Stn2) October 2004	City November 2008
75 and 73 (posted 60)	75 (posted 40)
15 and 13km/h diff	35km/h diff

Reduction in speed (75-75=0km/h)

- - - -

The initial study (Synectics) recommended the lights with traffic calming.

"To address excessive vehicle speeds on Cootes Drive:

• Provision of horizontal deflection, in the form of lane narrowing;

• Provide increased police speed enforcement or use of a speed trailer; and

• Changing the roadside environment to discourage high vehicle operating speeds."

QUESTIONS

“Why is the city not doing traffic calming?” Or, put this way: “If cars are speeding, what is the city doing to slow them down?”

Getting to Work: Modes 2001-2006

Modes of transportation to work
City of Hamilton, 2001-2006
	2006	2001
total people who travel to work	231850	219135
use transit
people	21665	18325
%	9.3	8.4
bike/walk
people	14700	14530
%	6.3	6.6
car as passenger
people	20970	16220
%	9	7.4
car as driver
people	172520	168430
%	74.4	76.9
Source: Statistics Canada Census

Thanks to Sara Mayo for compiling these stats

back-up? Cootes Speed...

TLC representatives have been invited by Ward One councillor Brian McHattie to attend a January 30, 2008 meeting to discuss safety issues relating to the pedestrian crossing on Cootes Drive.

Specifically, the pedestrian crossing's safety is being threatened by Ward 13 councillor Russ Powers' call for increasing the speed limit through the crossing to 60km/h, from the current 40 km/h. [read TLC's letter to Powers here]

The 40 km/h limit was put in place after calls to calm the rampant speeding through this area, busy as it is with pedestrian and cycling traffic crossing the road. A fatality in the vicinity (February 13, 2006) involving a McMaster Student heightened the need for action to ensure a safer environment.

You can check out a City of Hamilton link to the original data, including the October 2004 recommendations by the firm Synectics, who were hired by the City of Hamilton to study the situation on Cootes Drive at the level crossing, and make recommendations.

The full Synectics report, as a large pdf, can be downloaded here.

LOOKING BACK

In January 2004, TLC wrote to the city:

We think that the only alternative that can allow for a safe Cootes crossing is a pedestrian/cyclist activated traffic signal and physical traffic-calming measures to slow traffic (ex. raised table).

TLC letter re: class EA for the proposed
Ainslie Wood/Westdale neighbourhoods transportation master plan

Later that year, in October 2004, the Synectics report for the city came to the same conclusion:

"To address the high pedestrian-cyclist crossing volumes:
Install a midblock pedestrian signal, providing operation that would coordinate the signal with the existing traffic signal at Main and Cootes."

The report also made recommendations to address excessive vehicle speeds, with no apparent follow-up or action by the city:

"Excessive speed – Despite the presence of a posted 60 km/h speed limit, the ATR speed data recorded in the vicinity of the crosswalk indicate that vehicles are for the most part traveling at excessive speeds. The combination of excessive speed and the high pedestrian-bicycle crossing volume create a particularly hazardous situation."

"To address excessive vehicle speeds on Cootes Drive:

• Provision of horizontal deflection, in the form of lane narrowing;
• Provide increased police speed enforcement or use of a speed trailer; and
• Changing the roadside environment to discourage high vehicle operating speeds."
  

Rather than do what is required to reduce speeding, Councillor Powers is suggesting that, since speeding continues, we should simply raise the speed limit. TLC is adamant that this not happen, for obvious reasons of safety, and to fulfil the initial recommendations that came with the need for the pedestrian signal.

Indeed, as reported in the Dundas Star News (May 11, 2007), TLC's position on the 40km/h limit was that signs aren't enough:

"TLC has requested the two lane road be narrowed to one, then widen out again where Cootes meets Main Street West to maintain traffic capacity.

[TLC} believes that's a better way to slow down traffic because drivers will ignore new posted speed limits."

-30-

[excerpt from Synectics report:]

Speed data

Speed data was collected at two locations: Station 1 (north of the Westaway Road overpass) and Station 2 (immediately north of the study site). Based on a review of the speed data, it was determined that a majority of vehicles at Station 1 are traveling above the posted speed limit (80 km/h). The 85th percentile speeds in the northbound lanes were observed to be higher than speeds in the southbound lanes (100 and 93 km/h compared to 90 and 87 km/h). The relatively high speeds are not surprising, given the roadway environment [emphasis added].

At Station 2, a very high percentage of vehicles were observed traveling above the lower speed limit (60 km/h). Overall, though, speeds are lower than at Station 1. The 85th percentile speeds in the northbound lanes were observed to be slightly higher than speed in the southbound lanes (84 and 76 km/h compared to 75 and 73 km/h).

counting on cootes

Some analysis on stats from previous article:

185 vehicles recorded
108 travelling below the 50 km-h speed limit
63 at 50-59 km-h
8 at 60-69 km-h
6 at 70-79 km-h

As Percentages

• below or at 50 km/h 58%
• above limit (up to 59 km/h) 34%
• 10-19 km/h over limit 4%
• 20 to 29 km/h over limit 3%

Note from article:

"Because the auxiliary officers and speed sign are highly visible, drivers tend to lower their speed at a Speedwatch site."

So it's probably safe to assume that these numbers are low. The location is also not as likely to get high speeds compared to Cootes further east, where the roadway becomes more of a divided expressway (i.e. no businesses or driveways, or intersections, just woods and marsh). The police were only clocking eastbound vehicles at Thorpe Street, so prior to the 80km/h zone).

Just past Thorpe Street (148 m) is a traffic light, which may also help to account for the vehicles going slow (under the limit).

If we take traffic count estimates for Cootes (27,000 according to latest City estimates) and extrapolate these very conservative numbers of speeders going 10 to 20 km/h over the limit (7%), we can see that Cootes has at least 1,890 speeders each day.

Now back to the reason for watching the speeding: the large number of pedestrians and cyclists using the level crossing at Sanders Blvd/McMaster University.

So the question becomes: are we willing to slow down and make the streets safer for other users (people using sustainable modes of transportation, the kind of people the city purports to encourage)? or are we addicted to speed at any cost?