30 km speed limit plan endorsed

[SteelTown]

30 km speed limit plan endorsed
Sep 07, 2008

City staff are endorsing proposed traffic calming and a 30 km speed limit on most North End streets. However, they recommend blocking similar moves in other parts of the city for what could be several years.

The North End Traffic Management Plan being presented to the public works committee tomorrow morning (September 8) supports 30 km limits on all streets west of Wellington and north of Strachan with the exception of James and Burlington which would remain posted at 50 km.

The plan would also convert John and MacNab to two-way traffic, add about 30 traffic calming structures, and enhance pedestrian crossings at about eight North End intersections. Hughson will be closed south of Guise and partial closures would block northbound traffic on Bay at Burlington, southbound on Ferguson at Burlington and westbound on Simcoe at Wellington. Vehicles would also be prevented from continuing west on Burlington past James.

Some of the road closures are opposed by the Chamber of Commerce and the Waterfront Trust according to the report. On the other hand, the North End Neighbours residents group advocates cutting speed limits to 30 km on James and Burlington Streets to create “a child and family friendly neighbourhood”. They also proposed stopping northbound traffic on Bay and MacNab at Strachan, and narrowing James to two lanes.

Staff argue that the proposed plan “provides an appropriate level of compromise between all stakeholders” and have agreed to add on-street parking on James North and part of Burlington Street to reduce traffic speeds.

The plan largely follows consultant proposals described by CATCH in early April but it could be awhile before the changes occur, and that would also delay the possibility of 30 km zones elsewhere in Hamilton if staff recommendations are accepted.

They suggest no action be started until an OMB appeal affecting the area is resolved, and $1.6 million is found in the budget for the traffic calming structures. The OMB case began 26 months ago, and involves several parties and land use designations across the North End.

“Funding for detailed design and project construction will be brought forward to Council as part of the 2009-2018 ten year capital budget program,” promises the report.

Once these legal and financial hurdles are overcome, staff recommend a two year pilot for reduced speed limit and “that 30 km/h not be implemented within any other neighbourhood until the effects of this pilot project are analyzed and proven to be effective and be justified to continue.”

The report notes such speed limits have been imposed in half a dozen European countries as well as communities in the US and New Zealand but “is quite a unique application in Canada and its outcome here may have an unknown likelihood of success.”

The European examples include Oslo, Norway and Stockholm. Sweden where all residential areas have 30 km limits. Dublin, Ireland and Turin, Italy have imposed the limits in their city centres, while the Netherlands has over 20,000 kilometres of “zone 30” residential streets, according to the report.

A 2003 OECD report cites numerous examples of successful use of 30 km zones. The city of Toronto obtained special provincial legislation in 1994 to allow for 30 km speed limits on streets with traffic calming structures and has detailed policies on when and where they are utilized.

The debate over traffic management in the North End was initiated because of city plans for high density residential development on Pier 8 near the Marine Discovery Centre, as well as resident concerns about cut-through traffic, speeding and both parking and traffic flow issues related to harbour front events.

Several delegations have registered to speak to the committee meeting tomorrow, but the North End Neighbours group has requested that discussion be postponed until after their September 13 barbeque so they can consult further with residents.