Governors Getting A Road Diet

View Road Diet on Governor's Road in a larger map

The Dundas Star is reporting that changes to Governor's Road are coming soon, changes which will improve pedestrian safety by taking an extra lane away from through traffic and using it to create pedestrian "islands" and a left turning lane for cars. Currently the street has two westbound lanes and one eastbound lane for traffic. The extra westbound lane lends itself to speeding as cars pass on the hill before the road returns to a more sensible one lane in each direction at Creighton.

It is sad that this move was likely prompted by a recent traffic fatality (December 2012). 87-year-old Kathleen Macleod was killed crossing Governor’s Road from her home at Governor’s Green apartments to St. Joseph’s Villa. The 44-year-old driver Paulo Mateus was charged with careless driving. (There has been one pre-trial court event to date)

Also interesting that this is the exact opposite of what the city was planning to do to Governor's Road a few years ago when they recommended widening Governors to 4 lanes (2 in each direction) - happily that plan is out the window and this improvement should help calm traffic along that stretch of road.

Thursday, March, 28, 2013 - 12:12:15 PM
Governor’s improvements coming this year
By Craig Campbell, Dundas Star NewsPedestrian safety improvements on Governor’s Road are expected this year between Creighton and Main streets.
Gary Moore, the City of Hamilton’s director of engineering services, confirmed last week a project tendered for the nearly 1.5-kilometre stretch of road includes converting a lane of westbound traffic into a two-way, left-turn lane, sidewalks where they currently don’t exist, , and addition of several pedestrian “refuge islands” in the new turning lane.
That stretch of road has been the subject of ongoing pedestrian safety concerns – particularly in the early aftermath of 87-year-old Kathleen Macleod being struck and killed by a vehicle while attempting to cross three lanes of traffic near Overfield Street.
Moore said the additional features will create safer opportunities for pedestrians to cross, and also work as a traffic-calming measure.
“Taking away the lane in the centre, even without the islands, should help,” Moore said. “Either three or four pedestrian refuge islands should afford better crossing opportunities.”
The deadline for contractors to bid on the project was set for Thursday, March 28 – and Moore anticipated work starting early this summer.
He said the existing middle lane of westbound traffic between Main and Creighton has to be repainted and turned into a left turn only lane before the pedestrian islands are constructed within it. The painting work likely won’t take place until June.
But Moore said the construction of new sidewalks on the south side of Governor’s Road from Overfield to Creighton can start first.
Work on the sidewalks, turning lane conversion and pedestrian islands will mean temporary lane restrictions along that stretch of Governor’s Road during the project.