Police 'targeting downtown pedestrians' - Spec

[adam]

We need to help make our downtown streets safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists. One way to do this is to drive 45km/h of the MAXIMUM 50km/h allowed speed along Main and King. A completely legal way to help change the mindset of those trying to use our downtown streets as raceways

ps - I couldn't make it out to the SSP meetup because of other obligations but I'd like to next time.

[hmagazine]

http://www.canadawalks.ca/project_cwmc.asp

Public Meeting

Canadian Walking Master Class

The Canadian Walking Master Class is a unique project that
supports the implementation of active, safe and sustainable
communities across Canada. Hamilton is one of only four
Canadian cities participating in the Canadian Walking Master
Class. On May 13, 2009, there is an opportunity for members of
the public to hear from a team of international experts and to
provide input into the vision of a walkable Hamilton.

What: Public Meeting to provide input into the vision of a
walkable Hamilton, supported by Public Health
Services and Public Works

Who: All members of the public, including local community
groups, local NGOs/ENGOs

Date: May 13, 2009

Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location: The Chamber of Commerce
55 Bay Street North, Hamilton, ON
Get directions

Registration is not required

For more information, contact Sharon Mackinnon, City of Public Health Services at 905-546-2424 ext 3522.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by adam

We need to help make our downtown streets safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists.

I'm reminded of an article I referenced not long ago about the attitudinal shift required to get people walking and cycling (and a police safety blitz that cracks down on pedestrians ain't it):

[Pedaling Revolution author Jeff] Mapes takes us to even more pedal-friendly cities. In Amsterdam, 40 percent of non-walking trips are by bike. He quotes, approvingly, Jack Wolters, the city's top traffic-safety officer: "The target of the police is not to control cyclists and pedestrians. It is to control the most dangerous part, motorcar drivers. [emphasis added]"

Can you imagine such an attitude from the local police force in a city like Hamilton?

[highwater]

If only it were just an enforcement issue. Unfortunately in Hamilton, even drivers who are obeying the law are dangerous because of the way our streets are designed.

[Millstone]

Several drivers are ignorant or unaware of specific provisions in the law (S. 141, the one that tells you how to turn from multiple turn lanes onto the connecting street for example) which exacerbates the problem -- thus I believe several OTHER drivers drive defensively toward the ones unaware of how to drive properly, contributing to the problem.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by Millstone

thus I believe several OTHER drivers drive defensively toward the ones unaware of how to drive properly, contributing to the problem.

If I'm reading you right, this reminds me of a friend's opinion in regards to the intersection at Main and Dundurn, where the southbound lane on Dundurn has an advanced green and motorists are notorious for proceeding left long after the advanced green has ended.

He argues that northbound motorists act as enablers by waiting until the left-turning southbound drivers have finished barging through instead of asserting their right of way.

I can see his point, but personally, I'm not upset enough about the situation to sacrifice the front of my car on principle...

[sofasurfer]

Originally Posted by adam

We need to help make our downtown streets safer and more inviting for pedestrians and cyclists. One way to do this is to drive 45km/h of the MAXIMUM 50km/h allowed speed along Main and King. A completely legal way to help change the mindset of those trying to use our downtown streets as raceways

Similarly, in the UK, some urban areas (particularly around schools), the speed limit has been dropped to 20mph from 30mph - IMO, this makes sense during school hours (and, IME, enforcement most certainly took place) but was routinely ignored outside of these de facto.

IIRC, speeding tickets in the UK are usually only enforced when you're exceeding the limit by >10%. In that respect, I'd welcome a 45km/h urban limit, as it'd enforce an effective 50 - I've learned rapidly that dickheads on King/Main seem to think tailgating and/or cutting you up is perfectly acceptable, if you actually try and drive safely/within the law... 60-70 seems to be the de facto norm

There was an excellent hard-hitting TV campaign in the UK that showed (fairly vividly!) how child deaths can be dramatically reduced by cutting your speed to 20 from 30 (and, indeed, similarly impressively from 40->30). I really do wish there was a similar thing here.

It seems that people over here really drive less considerately (and I'm not being antagonistic for the hell of it - being geeky for a sec, I think it's very much a socio-technical issue related to predominance of automatic transmission, and how one's car is much more closely linked to one's notions of identity, etc). But at the same time, in general, people DO seem to be more friendly and considerate in the majority of interpersonal situations. So maybe having harder-hitting messages about how small kids can easily be killed/maimed is the way to overcome this disconnect?

Sorry, going off on one there a little, but this really is one of the few things that I view as a negative comparing my new life here to back in the UK...

[sofasurfer]

Originally Posted by highwater

Unfortunately in Hamilton, even drivers who are obeying the law are dangerous because of the way our streets are designed.

True... I drive along King/Main between Eastgate and Mac each day, and this thought has crossed my mind several times in the last 6-7 months since it's become my commute.

From a purely selfish POV, I can't wait for LRT. It'll be just like living in a "real" city again (indeed, 'world class'... Torontonians, take note ;p)

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by sofasurfer

There was an excellent hard-hitting TV campaign in the UK that showed (fairly vividly!) how child deaths can be dramatically reduced by cutting your speed to 20 from 30 (and, indeed, similarly impressively from 40->30). I really do wish there was a similar thing here.

The numbers usually cited correlating vehicle speed with pedestrian death risk come from a British department of transport study:

32 km/h - 5% mortality
48 km/h - 45% mortality
64 km/h - 85% mortality

[adam]

Again, the speed limit along many stretches of Main and King is 50km/h and yet I've never seen anyone pulled over for speeding on Main OR King downtown.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

If I'm reading you right...

I think he's referring to drivers who don't stay in their lane on multi-lane turns. Rare indeed is the inside driver who sticks to the inside lane when making these types of turns. Most drivers take advantage of the turn to make a lane change. I'm never sure of my fellow drivers on these types of turns, and when I'm the outside driver, will often switch to a farther lane in case the inside driver decides to switch to my lane, thus perpetuating the problem.

[adam]

Proof that these streets have too many lanes and are a waste of public space

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by highwater

I think he's referring to drivers who don't stay in their lane on multi-lane turns. Rare indeed is the inside driver who sticks to the inside lane when making these types of turns. Most drivers take advantage of the turn to make a lane change. I'm never sure of my fellow drivers on these types of turns, and when I'm the outside driver, will often switch to a farther lane in case the inside driver decides to switch to my lane, thus perpetuating the problem.

This is what I was talking about, but he brings up another valid point

[crhayes]

I rode my bike today from Upper Ottawa/Limeridge down to Bayfront and back.... while riding down King (right near MacNab) I almost got hit by a car. I swear it was around 6 inches away from me... frightened the s**t out of me. Now that I have started biking more I have an appreciation for why the city needs bike lanes EVERYWHERE.

[emge]

I walked one trip today and realized I could have biked it really easily. I'm going to be more conscientious about using a bike when I can this summer, hopefully without getting hit by a car.

[adam]

I've read this in a few road bike blogs and articles... if you are on a street where you feel like you might get sideswiped by a car, the safest strategy is to ride right in the middle of the lane so that cars treat you like any other vehicle. From experience I can say its the safest way to travel down Main/King/Cannon/etc on a bike. Motorists don't mind either because they are used to cars parked in the far lanes anyway.

[emge]

I actually rode to Gage Park and back today - but mostly went along Stinson and Cumberland. That was a pretty good/quiet route except for the construction.

[ryan_mcgreal]

http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/565631

Agencies partner to cut traffic deaths, injuries

John Burman
The Hamilton Spectator

(May 14, 2009)

Twenty body bags laid out neatly in a parking lot were hard not to notice.

Each bag represents one of the people who has died or will die on Hamilton roads any average year.

There's no display of bandages, surgical supplies or wheelchairs to represent the 100-plus citizens who will be seriously injured in road collisions in that same average year.

The cost is too much, Hamilton roads boss Hart Solomon told officials gathered yesterday at Bayfront Park to sign a strategic road safety charter to lower those numbers at least 10 per cent and perhaps halt a disturbing increase.

The safety program starts immediately, with all agencies, from police, to education, fire, public health and the Ministry of Transportation, targeting three key problem areas.

Identified for prime attention are aggressive driving, intersections and vulnerable road users. Solomon explained vulnerable users means pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists because they get the worst of it in a collision.

Darryl Bowles understands the toll traffic carnage takes. His father, Donald, was killed three minutes from home in a collision on the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway on March 1 last year. The other driver was charged with careless driving.

Darryl, who created the Families Fighting Careless Driving website to help others cope with this kind of tragic loss and work toward change of the laws for careless driving, assisted with the signing, holding a clipboard with the document on the hood of a smashed minivan hauled into Bayfront Park on a tow truck.

His father, a just-retired Stelco employee, was doing a favour for his son -- taking his car out to put gas in it -- when he was killed.

"He was a loving, caring father who was devoted to my sister, Maureen, and me," said Darryl.

Police Chief Brian Mullan said the numbers of dead and injured in Hamilton each year is "unacceptable" and said all partners to the program charter are committed "to taking even more aggressive action on this important issue."

[ryan_mcgreal]

Agencies partner to cut traffic deaths, injuries

Of course, completely and utterly absent from this agency partnership to cut traffic deaths and injuries is any kind of analysis of whether and how the structure of our road network contributes to an increased risk of death and injury.

[adam]

It never ceases to amaze me how every day other drivers get angry if you go 50km/h (the speed limit) down Main or King. They react by "gunning it" and trying to swerve around you. We need to reduce the # of lanes to help drivers achieve a speed at or below the speed limit and 2-way conversion would be a great way to do this.