Talks stalled on joint school busing policy
Rob Faulkner, The Hamilton Spectator, (Jan 16, 2008)Talks between Hamilton's public and Catholic board chairs are still stalled over the touchy business of forming a joint agency for busing city students.
Public board chair Judith Bishop said talks haven't gone anywhere on combining Catholic and public bus routes, a plan she says would save taxpayers money.
She said Hamilton is one of only three Ontario school districts without joint busing -- and she says it boils down to the Catholic board using generous busing to draw students, and thus funding, to its schools.
For example, a high school student in the public board has to live 3.2 km from school to quality for busing. In the Catholic board, that distance is 1.6 km.
"The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board believes in one bus, one policy, one route, and we haven't got anywhere," Bishop said.
"There's a difference in philosophy."
The province wants public and Catholic boards across Ontario to form joint entities to save costs by sharing bus routes and using good routing and management practices.
The Halton public and Catholic school boards this week launched a joint consortium -- not controlled by or located at either board -- with 372 vehicles to transport 25,000 kids to school.
General manager Karen Lacroix said Halton has, since 1996, had joint busing in its public, Catholic and French Catholic boards, predating recent provincial instructions that boards bus together.
This week they launched a new consortium with all four Halton boards -- public, Catholic and two French boards -- with a separate office, phone number and focus on zones, not board districts.
"Any amalgamation has its issues, but the fact that three boards had an integrated transportation service for so many years... made (it) easier than for boards that hadn't been sharing services," Lacroix said.
In Hamilton, no such progress. Bishop said without universal standards for busing, boards differ in their policies. She feels the Hamilton Catholic board is unwilling to give up its generous busing policies, in the interests of saving taxpayer money.
But Hamilton Catholic school board chair Pat Daly denies the stumbling block is about the distance at which students are bused. He says talks never reached that level of detail.
He said it's about governance.
"Just in terms of autonomy and control over policy, that's one of the issues," said Daly. He said he hopes it doesn't come to focus on details like busing distances. "It's important to note that, while we don't have the full consortia in place, we have been co-operating for years (in Flamborough)."
Daly said his board has one of the most efficient bus systems in Ontario and doesn't want to jeopardize that in a joint effort that may not bring savings.
At a provincial level, Catholic trustees have raised concern that a one-policy model may risk Catholic autonomy.
In Halton, however, Lacroix said that the boards have begun to lease a neutral office location and since 1996 have been realizing more than $1 million in annual savings from joint busing.
905-526-2468
Local sustainable transportation activists at Transportation for Liveable Communities have sent a letter to Ward 13/Dundas Councillor Russ Powers regarding Governor's Road - the following is lifted from their letter, dealing with specifics of the suggestions put forward by Powers: for the full letter, go to the TLC site here.
| Councillor Powers | Transportation for Liveable Communities |
| Add an advanced left turn signal to the traffic lights at the Governors Road/Creighton Road intersection for eastbound/westbound traffic along Governors Road. |
|
| Widen Governors Road to accommodate an identified left turn/holding lane from Creighton Road to at least Davidson Boulevard. | Adding an extra lane makes crossings for pedestrians more difficult and dangerous by increasing crossing distance and adding an extra lane of traffic to contend with. Road widening also contributes to a driving environment that induces speed. Therefore TLC strongly opposes a general widening, but supports limited , site specific widening to create turning lanes if required at St. Bernadette's school, and Highland Secondary school. |
| Install traffic lights or a roundabout (includes a pedestrian-activated crossing signal) at Davidson Boulevard. | A roundabout is the preferred option for safety and efficiency reasons, which TLC fully supports. |
| Install a pedestrian-activated crossing signal at the corner of Governors Road/Huntingwood Drive. | TLC supports this as a possible solution, but only in a context of accompanying traffic calming measures such as (but not limited to) a raised crosswalk and a median island. An alternative solution might include another roundabout at this location in the long term. |
| Post school crossing guards at the Huntingwood, Castlewood/Bridlewood and Davidson pedestrian crossings. | TLC supports |
| Extend the sidewalk on the north side of Governors Road from Davidson Boulevard to Pirie Drive. | TLC supports |
| Install a flashing "Speed Reduced to 40 kph" for the area bounded by the east/west boundaries of the three schools. This is programmed to be activated during morning and late afternoon/evening rush hours. | Evidence suggests that signs are not enough to influence driver behaviour, thus TLC supports physical traffic calming measures to slow traffic speeds: examples include lane narrowing, bicycle lanes, wider sidewalks, a traffic median, to enhance safety in the school zone. |
| Continue to lobby for a crossing guard at the Governors Road/Bridlewood /Castlewood Drive intersection. | TLC supports |
| Conduct a comprehensive traffic audit to identify contributing factors. | TLC supports, and requests a copy of the final report |
| Enhance public transit frequency along Governors Road during rush hours on weekdays. | TLC supports, with the following considerations:
|
| Review signal synchronization for eastbound/westbound traffic at Main Street, Oglivie Street and Creighton Road. | TLC supports synchronization that discourages speeding and takes into account the requirements of pedestrians for prompt crossing service. |
For all the points noted, TLC requests a full update from the councillor/city of Hamilton on actions taken or decisions made.
Further: since our original letter, the Transportation Master Plan for the city has been approved by council – in that document there are plans specific to the area in question, but not addressed in councillor Powers' initial list of proposed solutions. The TMP refers to bike lanes for Governor's Road "Dundas Street-Governor's Road [from] Cootes Drive [to] Castlewood Blvd BL [2.9km at a cost of $166,750, to be done in the Medium term (http://www.myhamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/1ECE9040-72DC-432B-B480-163B810363C0/0/3CyclingNetworkStrategy.pdf ).
Therefore, TLC strongly recommends action on bike lanes be fully integrated with any road work to be done on Governor's Road. Bike lanes would assist in creating safer and more pleasant conditions for pedestrians and help improve the roadside atmosphere while giving more options to sustainable transportation users.
In conclusion, TLC would like to reiterate that users of Governor's Road include cyclists, pedestrians, transit and drivers. The current city wide transportation master plan, and the city's Vision 2020 planning documents all emphasize supporting sustainable modes of transportation. As a result, TLC expects any changes on Governor's Road to reflect this emphasis.
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We'll keep in ear to the ground to see what is in store, and post it here.
A new chapter for students
Rob Faulkner, The Hamilton Spectator
Sir William Osler school offers escarpment views, latest technology
DUNDAS (Nov 13, 2007)The location was debated for years. Labour spats delayed it for months. But today, Sir William Osler Elementary School will open for Dundas students.
The two-storey school on a steep site on Governor's Road was a buzz of activity yesterday, as staff unpacked boxes, families with jogger strollers took tours, and principal Maria Rowles played hostess in a long-awaited new home.
"We have 640 students. Not only did their moms and dad come, their grandparents came," said Rowles, estimating 1,000 visitors toured the school. The school is named for William Osler, a celebrated physician raised in Dundas.
Its opening was delayed by provincial labour disputes, which kept students in old schools to which they'd already bid farewell. It also created the challenge of moving a school during the year.
"It's a challenge because we're operating the same staff in two sites."
Osler is designed on a template, so it's similar to other new public schools Ray Lewis, Gatestone, Ancaster Meadow and new Lawfield elementary, which opens Monday on the Mountain.
Until now, kids planning to attend Lawfield were at Vern Ames (junior kindergarten to Grade 5) and Seneca (grades 6 to 8). Kids attending Osler were at Central Park (junior kindergarten to Grade 4) and Dundas District (grades 5 to 8), and Dundana students had been at either of the two feeders.
Parent Brian Peirce said his two kids would've liked to finish the school year at Central Park and Dundas District, rather than move to Osler mid-year. He adds the new school is "beautiful" on a site that had been a rolling, sparsely wooded area with soccer fields.
"It's been long, but it's here," said parent Eva Fisher, who thinks Osler's 9:10 a.m. start will create traffic chaos because it's too close to bell times at Highland secondary and St. Bernadette Catholic elementary, both on the same side of Governor's Road as Osler.
A parent survey narrowly chose the 9:10 a.m. start time at Osler. Rowles said parents were split: those with young kids worried an early start would be hard to accomplish, while parents of upper-year kids wanted an early start to leave time for after-school activities.
The school is a piece of work: extra-wide lockers to share; light streaming in from floor-to-ceiling windows; learning "pods" outside classrooms; a gym some colleges would dream of.
Richard Francki, senior manager of facilities, said the $10-million school lets the board close two others, so it saves on energy, transportation and staffing.
With room for 667 students, it doesn't yet have portables. New schools also avoid lead paint, asbestos, and hot summer days without air-conditioning, which make school less appealing.
And with stunning views of the Escarpment and rolling yards that made stormwater diversion crucial, it looks like tobogganing is a real possibly.
Dundas trustee Jessica Brennan said one argument in favour of using the proposed Veterans Park site was that it was flatter, so grading wouldn't add to the cost. Still, she said she was thrilled to finally open the doors.
Rowles, who is proud of the school's escarpment views, notes she has also been able to buy 21st century tools for the new building. It has nine SMART Boards and nine other screens that function like an interactive digital update on the classic chalkboard.
See a slide show presentation of the new Sir William Osler Elementary School.
For more go to thespec.com
"Governor's Road ConcernsOK, some nifty ideas, but the overall thrust is dealing with automotive traffic efficiency, and very little to address pedestrians and cyclists concerns.
Governor's Road from Main Street, westbound to Ogilvie Street:
1. Widen two bridges crossing Spencer Creek and intersection at Governors Road/Oglivie Street to accommodate one additional lane (use to be determined).
2. Add a 4 way, advanced left turn signal to the traffic lights at the Governors Road/Oglivie Street intersection.
Governor's Road from Ogilvie Street, westbound to Creighton Road:
1. Currently there are two westbound and one eastbound lanes on Governors Road...identify the middle lane as an additional eastbound lane during the morning rush hour and an additional westbound lane during the late afternoon/evening rush hour.
2. Investigate the possible need for traffic lights or a pedestrian-activated crosswalk at the Governors Road/Overfield Street intersection.
Governor's Road from Creighton Road, westbound to Pirie/Wainwright Drive:
1. Add an advanced left turn signal to the traffic lights at the Governors Road/Creighton Road intersection for eastbound/westbound traffic along Governors Road.
2. Widen Governors Road to accommodate an identified left turn/holding lane from Creighton Road to at least Davidson Boulevard.
3. Install traffic lights or a roundabout (includes a pedestrian-activated crossing signal) at Davidson Boulevard.
4. Install a pedestrian-activated crossing signal at the corner of Governors Road/Huntingwood Drive.
5. Post school crossing guards at the Huntingwood, Castlewood/Bridlewood and Davidson pedestrian crossings.
6. Extend the sidewalk on the north side of Governors Road from Davidson Boulevard to Pirie Drive.
7. Install a flashing “Speed Reduced to 40 kph” for the area bounded by the east/west boundaries of the three schools. This is programmed to be activated during morning and late afternoon/evening rush hours.
8. Continue to lobby for a crossing guard at the Governors Road/Bridlewood /Castlewood Drive intersection.
General:
1. Conduct a comprehensive traffic audit to identify contributing factors.
2. Enhance public transit frequency along Governors Road during rush hours on weekdays.
3. Review signal synchronization for eastbound/westbound traffic at Main Street, Oglivie Street and Creighton Road.
4. Perhaps the school boards could review their starting/finishing times to reduce pedestrian traffic during rush hour (maybe stagger the starting/finishing times amongst the three schools to lessen the focused impact time slot).
5. Perhaps the School Boards should rationalize their individual busing services and possibly consider merging into a single provider…this may actually reduce the number of buses on the road with a corresponding reduction in operating costs.. "[end of quoted text]
A view of Governors Road at the start of the eastern section that this web site is concerned with. Looking west from Creighton (the signalized intersection in the photo, above) the three schools are on the left (or south) side of the street in this order (starting at the crest of the hill): St. Bernadettes Elementary, Highland Secondary, and the new school, now named Sir William Osler elementary. 
Any users of Governor's Road are well aware of the sometime challenges of that route. This year, a detailed study of all aspects of this transportation link will be conducted. Your participation will be solicited and very much appreciated as the decisions reached will determine how things are improved.Users of Governor's Road include cyclists, pedestrians, transit and drivers. The current city wide transportation master plan, and the city's Vision 2020 planning documents talk about supporting sustainable modes of transportation. How hard will it be to see that Governor's Road gets the "balanced" approach so desperately required to make it a safe road for all users?
Monday, December 18, 2006
Dear Councillor Powers,
Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLC) is a working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) McMaster. TLC works to achieve balanced sustainable transportation solutions in the city of
We are writing to draw attention to the traffic situation on Governor’s Road in
With the new Dundas West elementary school under construction on Governors Road at Bridlewood, there will be three schools (including Highland Secondary School and St. Bernadette’s elementary school) on this short stretch of highway (less than 1km).
The statement of a problem can make all the difference when seeking solutions. TLC is concerned that a solution you offered on your web site during the recent election campaign begins with the assumption that “traffic flow” is the problem on Governor’s Road, and offers road widening as a solution.
TLC feels that this is the wrong assumption and a desperately wrong conclusion.
The problem, as we see it, is traffic flows all too well the majority of the time on Governor’s, and that the speed of that flow puts school children and other pedestrians, cyclists and drivers at risk.
As you are likely aware there is a direct correlation between traffic speed and pedestrian fatalities:
Fig. 1 U.K. Department of Transportation, 1987. Killing Speed and Saving Lives, London, UK DOT.
Generally the only time traffic slows down on Governors is during “rush” hours, when the presence of too many single occupancy vehicles all going in the same direction at the same time creates a situation that is, from a pedestrian and cycling point of view, actually safer in terms of collision impacts. We should be aiming for a 30km/h maximum speed limit in the school zone.
TLC would thus prefer to pose the question: “what measures can be employed to create a safe and healthy environment for children using active methods of getting to school (i.e. cycling, walking) and to engineer a safer roadside environment for area residents outside of school hours?”
The City of
“Concerns about health and pedestrian safety among our children and air quality issues are prompting us to rethink the way we choose to get around in our communities,” said Sue Connell, Public Health Nurse with the City of
When slowing or ‘calming’ traffic, the right design invites the right driver response. The guiding principle of traffic calming is to influence motorist speeds and behavior through good design whenever possible, rather than by traffic control measures such as traffic signals and STOP signs.
There are many design and engineering tools that can be used to slow down traffic and make it safer for children to walk and bicycle to school including;Source: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/guide/engineering/slowing_down_traffic.cfm
- Narrow lanes
- Chokers and chicanes
- Speed humps
- Raised pedestrian crosswalks
- Neighborhood traffic circles
- Reduced corner radiiSpeed sensitive signals
We look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Randy Kay
For Transportation for Liveable Communities
One need not search long to find reference to August 8, 1812, "General Brock marched through the valley, and out the Governor’s Road with forty regulars and 260 militia men....After picking up sixty Indians at the Mohawk Village" they went on to capture Detroit a few days later, a key victory for the vastly outnumbered force. (Woodhouse, T. Roy. Dundas Historical Society, The History of the Town of Dundas, Part 1, p23)
"Following their defeat by the Americans at the Battle of Moraviantown near the Thames River, the British and allied warriors of 1813 under the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh (who died in this battle) travelled east to the Grand River by trail and onto Lake Ontario via the Dundas portage, ultimately camping at the ‘fine large sandy bay’ at Burlington Bay." (Henderson, Bob, Every Trail Has A Story, p84)
Whereas new elementary school construction on Governors Road will result in more children crossing or walking adjacent to Governors Road, and,
Whereas upon completion of the new school there will be two elementary schools and one high school on this short stretch of road, and,
Whereas children should have safe and active routes to school in order to gain emotional and physical benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and,
Whereas there is no pedestrian crossing point between Bridlewood and Creighton, and,
Whereas there is a direct relationship between vehicle speed and pedestrian fatality, and,
Whereas an engineered traffic calming solution is preferable and more effective than signs or flashing lights, and,
Whereas a city Transportation Master Plan study identifies Governors Road between Creighton and Bridlewood as a suitable location for bicycle lanes, and,
Whereas
We (the undersigned) request that the City of Hamilton take immediate steps to ensure safe driving, cycling and walking conditions on Governor’s Road, between Creighton and Bridlewood above and beyond posted crossing guards, flashing lights and signed school zone by,
Brian Hollingworth
Associate Director
IBI Group
230 Richmond Street W, 5th Fl.
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1V6
Tel: 416-596-1930 ext. 414
Fax: 416-596-0644
I appreciate the note Brian - I was about to give up hope! The particular section of Governors Road I am referring to is essentially west from Creighton. The PIC/GRIDS maps showed a blue line which indicated bicycle improvements.Thanks for your time on this,Randy----- Original Message -----From: Brian HollingworthTo: randy opirgSent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 2:48 PMSubject: RE: Governors RoadJust to let you know we have not forgotten your question. I am trying to get more information on the current proposal you are referring to.Thanks you for your inquiry.Brian Hollingworth
Associate Director
IBI Group
230 Richmond Street W, 5th Fl.
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1V6
Tel: 416-596-1930 ext. 414
Fax: 416-596-0644-----Original Message-----
From: randy opirg [mailto:randy@opirg.org]
Sent: October 13, 2006 1:39 PM
To: bhollingworth@ibigroup.com; htanguay@hamilton.ca
Subject: Governors RoadHello Hélène and Brian - I attended to PIC for the transportation plan and like the general direction it is going.When it comes to specifics I have a question in relation to Governor's Road in Dundas - the material I saw showed that there was to be improvements to cycling - either bike lanes, paved shoulder or something. My question is: will these improvements be integrated with the very current work that is being proposed for this stretch of road: I am referring to the Dundas West School and the proposed roundabout (and other traffic calming measures).This would seem to offer an opportunity to make changes that would enhance the safety of students using the schools, while advancing the TMP goals.Your thoughts would be appreciated,Randy Kay249 Governor's Road,Dundas ON
Sherri emphasised education for drivers, including parents and residents, to remind them to slow down in the vicinity of the school. She questioned the utility of the roundabout, thinking it was too far from the school zone.
OUTSTANDING:
My October 6/06 e-mail and follow up e-mail October 20 still awaits replies from City Staff including: Ed Switenky eswitenk@hamilton.ca, Acting Manager, Traffic Engineering and Operations; Hart Solomon hsolomon@hamilton.ca; Ron Gallo rgallo@hamilton.ca, Supervisor of Signals and Systems, Public Works; and, Rodney Aitchison raitchis@hamilton.ca
Brian Hollingsworth e-mailed to say he was going to provide some info regarding the GRIDS plan for bicycle infrastructure on Governors west of Creighton.
Still waiting for return calls/e-mails from city staff. 
Other contact - I left another voice mail for the principal at Highland seeking info about their plans, and for a contact number for the Parent's Council.
Councillor Samson's office replied to my prompt for a response from city staff about my earlier questions, so I expect something in the near future.
