December Meeting

TLC is having a meeting Thursday, December 15 at 7 pm to 8:30pm at the McMaster University Student Centre room 311 - we will discuss recent initiatives, and plan for future actions around sustainable transportation in Hamilton - pedestrian, cycling, transit etc.
If you have ideas and are willing to put time and energy into seeing ideas become actions, then please attend!
You can contact tlchamilton@gmail.com for more information.

Anti-Bus Bias?

Transit in the Media: as Hamilton tries to remake itself into a more "balanced" transportation city, the local media can perhaps try unloading the cars-first bias, subtle as it is: why not begin the article with "transit riders, take note: your commute is about to get a bit faster." 
This kind of setting the tone is not without precedent when the topic is cars - but then again, car ads are an important revenue stream, so perhaps the bias is partly self preservation?
Regardless of the motivation, be it conscious or unconscious, the world is presented to readers in a certain light: cars are to be inconvenienced by transit, or cyclists, or pedestrians. It follows that a perceived "war on the car" can be announced at any time and gain traction in the media, despite the obvious fact that cars have been having their way in the city for generations.
In the interest of democratic give-and-take, we all have to learn to share the existing roads. Can we get the media to spin a little without internal combustion engines turning the wheels?

Free Lecture November 7

Coroner review of Cycling Deaths in Ontario

First there was the Coroner's report on Toronto, now an Ontario-wide review into cycling fatalities:
- - - -
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/10/24/ontario-coroner-cycling-death-review.html

ONTARIO CORONER TO PROBE CYCLING DEATHS

Ontario's chief coroner will investigate an increase in cycling deaths across Ontario during a five-year period, it was announced Monday.

Dr. Dan Cass, a regional supervising coroner based in Toronto, leads the review and will look into all cycling-related deaths from 2006-10, searching for some common factors.

If Cass can see any similarities between the deaths, he will make recommendations to help increase cycling safety across the province. A final report should be released in spring 2012.

The investigation was initiated because of a concern surrounding cycling safety. The coroner estimates between 15 and 20 cyclists die on Ontario roads every year from accidental collisions.

Toronto cyclists union already on board
Toronto's cyclists union, which estimates a total of 35 pedestrians and cyclists die each year on Toronto roads, has already commended the coroner for undertaking the probe.

The coroner's office has also already met with Toronto lawyers Patrick Brown and Albert Koehl, who are both on the cyclists union, concerning the review.

"Safety improvements for one group of road users benefit other users. Any decrease in collisions will also reduce health care costs, suffering and family grief, which makes this initiative very important for the entire community," said Brown.

According to the cyclists union, there has been a reported 30 per cent increase in the number of people riding to work across Canada.

A 2009 poll cited by the union also revealed 60 per cent of Ontarians would cycle more but are afraid to do so.

Toronto cycling last reviewed in 1998

Toronto's regional coroner completed a review of cycling safety in the city in 1998 and made a long list of recommendations.

The final report asked for more detailed reporting of collisions, more education for cyclists and motorists and increased awareness surrounding helmet use, among other recommendations.

The report also called for more bike lanes and safer areas for cyclists to ride in Toronto.

This latest investigation also comes two weeks after an Ottawa woman — who was cycling to work — died after she was knocked into moving traffic by someone opening a car door.

Official Opening of Rail Trail extension over Highway 403

Councillor McHattie's office is extending an invitation to cyclists to attend the official opening of the new rail trail extension from Kirkendall to West Hamilton, past the railyard and over Hwy 403. A formal ceremony to celebrate the opening happens Wednesday, October 26 at 10 a.m. on the west side of the railyard at Stroud - so show up to celebrate cycling style!

Note that the city is still waiting for a decision from the Niagara Escarpment Commission about the cycling path link between Studholme and Glenside, across the Chedoke Golf Course.

Back to Front Entrance

The problematic front entrance at McMaster University's Main Street entry point that went from bad to worse with a major re-design and construction in 2007 is back on the drawing board at the University.

While we couldn't locate anything about the project on the McMaster web site page for the front entrance, or parking and transit, we did receive a copy of the pdf document prepared by consultants on the project for the university.

TLC will be following up with the university and city council about this major intersection that currently presents a dangerous situation for cyclists and pedestrians.

With the newly paved rail trail connection south of Main Street, there needs to be a way for cyclists to access the campus with some specific infrastructure in any new design at this location.

Improving the pedestrian crossings is also a priority for TLC, as the current design attempts (and fails) to serve automobile traffic at the expense of all other modes.

The McMaster University Faculty Association has been monitoring the situation, and some details about the project can be found in their newsletter.

Cycling City Style: Minneapolis Midtown Greenway

Minneapolis' Midtown Greenway: Good for Biz, Good for Bikes. from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
Look at the strides a city comparable in size to Hamilton has done for cycling!

Smooth Ride for West Enders Tomorrow

The extension of the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail is being paved today, and will make for a smooth ride for west end commuters tomorrow.

This significant and long-awaited cycling link is nearing completion, with lighting and landscaping and some fencing to follow the paving.

They city will maintain the trail all year, removing snow in winter, which will make this a popular trail for cyclists, hikers and joggers.

Built on an abandoned CP rail line, the trail extends from Studholme Road in the east, to the Main West Fortinos plaza and the Hamilton to Brantford trail head at Ewan Road to the west (Project #3 on TLC's Shifting Gears Cycling Master Plan map: click here to view) providing a safe, car-free crossing over highway 403.

A link to Glenside Avenue through the Chedoke Golf Course will further strengthen this connection linking South West Hamilton to neighbourhoods south of McMaster University, and into Dundas. 

Congratulations to the city staff and councillor Brian McHattie for seeing this through to its conclusion.

Bike Box in Ottawa (photo R.K.)

"The first bike-box in Hamilton is about to be installed on Studholme Road at Aberdeen Avenue. A bike box is used at intersections to designate a space for cyclists to wait in front of cars at a red traffic signal so cyclists are more visible to auto drivers. A bike box minimizes confussion between left-turning cyclists and right-turning cars as well. The City of Guelph has created an informative video to explain how both bicycles and automobiles are to operate at bike boxes.  Click here to get informed." (source: City of Hamilton)


The installation of the bike box accompanies the installation of a traffic light of course (pictured during installation), which will make this intersection safer by addressing poor sight-lines at the rail bridge.


This intersection will be significant for cyclists seeking to connect from Aberdeen and Studholme to use the new addition to the Hamilton to Brantford Rail trail.


These projects in the city's Ward One will be augmented by recently announced Bike Lanes for Dundurn Street North between King and York Blvd. 

What: Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan PIC #2
Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
Time: 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. (open house format) & presentation at 6 pm
Location: Central Library, Hamilton and Wentworth Rooms, 555 York Blvd, Hamilton

The purpose of this study is to undertake a comprehensive Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan for the City of Hamilton. This plan will establish a 20 year (2031) framework to improve the pedestrian environment and increase the opportunity for walking as a mode of transportation (active travel) and recreation that is efficient, comfortable, safe inclusive, accessible and improve health of communities and economic development.

The first round of PICs held earlier this year identified the opportunities and constraints to walking and mobility in the City. PIC #2 will present the alternative solutions based on public and agency input gathered from PIC #1.

More information about the Master Plan, including the Boards from PIC #1 can be viewed athttp://www.hamilton.ca/PedestrianMP.

A second meeting, which will present the same information, is scheduled for September 10, at Turner Park Library, Main Foyer & Program Room, 352 Rymal Rd. E., 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Open house/drop-in format, presentation at 2:00 p.m.

Copenhagen Cycling Contrasts

Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Ministry Bridge Response

Ministry of Transportation

Office of the Regional Director

Central Region

2^nd Floor, Bldg. D

1201 Wilson Avenue

Downsview, ON M3M 1J8

July 6, 2011

Thank you for your email of June 27, 2011 to the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation regarding construction and bike lanes on the King Street and Main Street bridges over highway 403 in the City of Hamilton. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the ministry.

The ministry is currently in year two of a three-year contract to repair a number of bridges along Highway 403 from York Blvd. to Aberdeen Ave. in the City of Hamilton. Construction began in 2010 and is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2012. The contract has been set up so that construction does not occur on all the bridges at the same time. As you note, construction is currently underway on Main Street and King Street along with the corresponding on and off ramps. The ministry is committed to providing a safe and efficient transportation network for all travelers. As a result, construction staging has been designed to balance construction duration, costs and impacts to the travelling public while at the same time providing a safe environment for both the workers and the public.

Ministry staff worked closely with City of Hamilton staff during the design phase and our staff continue to work with City staff during the construction phase to ensure safety to travelers and to minimize overall construction impacts. Enhanced signing, barriers and two lanes of traffic at the request of the City [emphasis added] have been maintained on both King Street and Main Street.  A bike lane cannot be safely accommodated on King St. within the space available, but a narrow bike lane has been accommodated on Main Street.

Construction along King Street is anticipated to be finished in the fall of 2012. I have asked ministry staff to look at reinstating a bike lane during the winter shutdown period, if it can be done safely and does not impact the City’s snow removal operations. Construction along Main Street is anticipated to be finished this fall at which point the bike lane will be reinstated.

Once construction is complete on all the bridges, bike lanes that existed prior to construction will be reinstated. It is the City of Hamilton’s responsibility to develop, construct and maintain a continuous bike lane network in the City [emphasis added] and I encourage you to speak with City staff about this.

In closing, I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding while construction proceeds and I thank you for bringing your concerns to the ministry’s attention.

Sincerely,

Lou Politano, P. Eng.

Regional Director

A City on the move

This is an example of the kind of attitude and infrastructure (and even the presentation) we need in Hamilton's traffic department and at the council table. Help make it happen. Call your councillor and let them know you want this level of service in our city!

[source: City of Ottawa]

sidewalk-rider crackdown

The steady rhythm of institutional "blame the victim" continues with the Hamilton Police Service kicking out the announcement of their crackdown on sidewalk cyclists, a roughly annual event that targets people who make use of sidewalks rather than the roadways (here's a letter from TLC on the subject from 2001)

So, the gentleman pictured above, riding westbound on Mohawk Road approaching Upper James yesterday: does he deserve a ticket? In the absence of bike lanes on busy streets with large trucks, we can't expect people to all feel comfortable mixing with traffic (though about 30 percent of car-bicycle collisions are on sidewalks [source: City of Toronto])

It seems patently unfair and an unnecessary deterrent to target cyclists for using bikes on sidewalks in a safe and responsible manner (i.e. not speeding past pedestrians) where there is no infrastructure to support cycling. It's not like this part of Hamilton is a very active pedestrian area, having been primarily built to serve automobiles.

At the next intersection (Mohawk and West 5th) we can see (above) that there are indeed cyclists riding on the road, as per the law, but this will likely remain an anomaly until more supports are in place to give cyclists a place on the roads.

Have you been ticketed during this latest crackdown? We'd love to hear from you!

dundas walks: Rail Trail Detour Improved

dundas walks: Rail Trail Detour Improved: "A new bridge to replace the now structurally unsound 'Powers Crossing' on the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail is not imminent, as far as we know...but the detour has been made better for cycling"

Ubiquity for bike stands (Main West)

View Bike Racks, Main West, Hamilton ON in a larger map

Transportation for Liveable Communities volunteers went location scouting for bike rack (ring and post) placement on Main Street West, Hamilton ON, between Dundas ON and Highway 403. (see map, above)

There were only two bike racks visible from the street along this 3 kilometre stretch of arterial road, with commercial and retail buildings along the way interspersed with places of worship, residential homes and low-rise/hi-rise dwellings, and educational facilities.

Green Push Pins represent TLC's suggested locations for ring and post bike racks to be installed by City of Hamilton. TLC's request was sent to Daryl Bender, Manager Sustainable Transportation, City of Hamilton, in e-mail June 30/11.

Bike racks should be easy to find near main entrances (i.e. not hidden in back corner of parking lots) and suitable for securing bicycle frame (i.e. not "wheel benders")

More about bike racks/stands here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_stand

car/air problem

CATCH News – June 28, 2011

Local air pollution mainly vehicles

Clean Air Hamilton says emissions from transportation are the main cause of local air pollution, and is advising city councillors that they should do something about this. In a special section added to their annual report, the city-funded group specifically “recognizes that strong linkages exist between planning decisions and the resulting air quality in cities.”

Chair Dr Brian McCarry says progress has been made in Hamilton air quality, but problems remain with both premature deaths and hospitalizations attributable to the air local residents breathe. And while about half of the pollutants originate in the United States, most of the rest can be reduced by local actions.

“Almost all the oxides of nitrogen … almost all the carbon monoxide, and SO2 , and most of the particulate material are locally generated,” said McCarry. “We have responsibility for those cars, trucks, industries, our lifestyle that contribute to that.”

While acknowledging local industrial pollution, he told the general issues committee the Hamilton “is primarily a motor-based city” not much different from Toronto. This means that “there are a lot of areas of the city that get very little industrial impact, and they are hit primarily, by car and truck emissions” and this is especially true for people living near major arterial roads who get “much higher exposure to these kinds of pollutants”.

Mobile monitoring studies, for example, have shown pollution levels ten times higher at major intersections than on residential streets as little as 200 metres away. McCarry went on to stress “that urban planning decisions made around this council table have direct impacts long term on air quality” and that it is “critical” for councillors to recognize this and act accordingly.

“When you say we're putting in a subdivision here, that subdivision is going to be there in 50 years,” he noted. “The kind of walkable cities that have been talked about in the economic summit is the kind of thing we've been talking about for some time and we think this is a critical issue and an opportunity for this city to step forward.”

A major achievement noted by McCarry has been the establishment of the Hamilton Air Monitoring Network – a linked collection of 17 company-operated monitoring stations that provide real-time air quality data on-line, and make Hamilton “the best monitored city in the country”. Clean Air Hamilton also supports tree planting, participates in sustainable transportation programs, and organizes the biennial Upwind Downwind Conference.

Mayor Bratina asked if city air was improving, and McCarry said it was “incrementally”, but a major problem is ozone arising from coal-fired power stations in Ohio which produce 83 percent of that state’s electricity. He also agreed with the mayor that Hamilton’s air is not significantly worse than other parts of southern Ontario, but argued that action is necessary, pointing to the improvements obtained in Portland Oregon by the establishment of light rail transit.

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 hamiltoncatch.org. You can receive all CATCH free updates by sending an email to http://hamiltoncatch.org/newsletter/?p=subscribe. Sharing links are available on the hamiltoncatch.org.

bike lanes over troubled bridges

Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLC) Hamilton

PO Box 19, 1280 Main Street West

Hamilton ON L8S 1C0

tlchamilton@gmail.com

Monday, June 27, 2011

To the Honorable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation, Ontario,

Transportation for Liveable Communities is writing to draw attention to the problems created by construction projects underway on King Street and Main Street bridges over Highway 403 (Chedoke Expressway) in Hamilton ON.

Rehabilitation of the bridge decks has created a hazardous and disruptive environment for city cyclists and pedestrians.

The loss of both east and west bound bicycle lanes on the King Street bridge (the busiest route for cyclists) forces cyclists to ride in traffic westbound, and to either dismount and walk across the narrow sidewalk eastbound (or in practice, ride along the sidewalk), or to detour to the Main Street bike lane over the bridge, which is narrow with an uneven road surface; the problem with the Main Street detour is compounded by the lack of bike lanes before or after the Main Street bridge, and the two highway off ramps. For good reason, very few cyclists choose this route, pre- or during construction. 

Alternative routes beyond these two bridges are either too out of the way (waterfront trail, a 4 k detour with steep stairs to/from the waterfront trail) or closed during construction (West Hamilton rail trail – 3k out of the way). The only other possibility would be on-street using Aberdeen/Longwood, but without bike lanes on Longwood, this is unlikely to be widely used.

For good reasons of policy, both provincial and municipal governments should be taking pains to ensure the safety of sustainable transportation users. The lack of options for crossing the impediment of highway 403 flies in the face of stated objectives by the Ministry of Transportation that recognize “A sustainable transportation system offers convenient, comfortable, safe, efficient and well-integrated mode choices.”  Multi-modal choices are to “reduce our reliance on the automobile as the primary transportation mode.” (www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/sustainability/strategy/index.shtml), which the current situation fails to do.

Interestingly enough, halving the automobile lane capacity during construction has not created traffic chaos on King or Main street bridges, indeed, TLC advocates a further lane reduction on King Street to permit the use of the curb lane (north lane) for a contra flow cycling lane, and leaving one lane for vehicles entering Westdale. Observed flows suggest this treatment would not impede traffic in a way to cause anything other than occasional minor delays, if at all.

So: to recap we have gone from two-way protected bike lane on King, and an eastbound bike lane on Main to:

1. no westbound bike lanes

2. one poor quality eastbound bike lane but only over Main bridge (i.e. not connected to bike lanes)

3. detours suggested by city that are not convenient or practical

4. pedestrians and cyclists forced together on a narrow sidewalk (King Street)

TLC strongly urges the Ministry of Transportation Ontario work with the city of Hamilton to immediately restore a demarcated contra-flow bicycle lane during the re-construction of the bridge surface on King Street.

We would appreciate a response to our very serious concerns,

TLC Hamilton

      

cc      Hamilton City Council

         MPP Ted McMeekin

         Daryl Bender, City of Hamilton, Alternative Transportation Project Manager

         Hon. Sophia Aggelontis

         Andrea Horwath

Transportation for Liveable Communities is a citizen advocacy group, founded in 2000. TLC takes action on issues of sustainable transportation in Hamilton Ontario and surrounding area, encouraging walking, cycling, transit and other options to single occupancy automobile use. tlchamilton.org

The 403 Crossing: Cyclists' Dilemma

                                                View Crossing the 403 by bicycle in a larger map

Construction work to upgrade King Street and Main Street bridges over the 403 have disrupted the cycling lanes and, combined with other construction work, have limited the options for a busy cycling corridor. This disruption is expected to remain for over one year, leaving cyclists with
1. no westbound bike lanes
2. one eastbound bike lane but only over Main bridge (i.e. not connected to bike lanes)
3. detours suggested by city that are not convenient or practical
4. pedestrians and cyclists forced together on a narrow sidewalk (King Street)


A cyclist hauling kids in a bike trailer pointed out the poor condition of the bike lane surface on Main Street over the highway - it is very narrow, uneven, with a sharp edge that could catch on the sidewall of a bike tire:

from rail to trail: bridge over Highway 403

 The long awaited development of the cycling and pedestrian link over highway 403 is underway! Paving this section of what will be an extension of the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail will allow safer cycling and hiking between the Kirkendall Neighbourhood and West Hamilton. Construction signs announce the coming activity, between Fortinos and the railyard at Studholme drive.

 This route is already well utilized by cyclists and joggers, but the paving and lighting of the path will enhance the experience, and give more human-powered commuters an off-road option.

[Above: Front end loader shifting gravel on the actual bridge over the highway.]
The highway through the Chedoke creek valley is one of the major barriers to sustainable transportation between west hamilton/Westdale and downtown since it's construction in the 1960s.

The projected completion date for this project is late September 2011.