Turning the Tide

How things change. From outrageous plans to widen Governor's Road a few years ago, to talk of shrinking the lane capacity currently. I like the direction. Perhaps a look at a middle turning lane at key points, and bike lanes in both directions.

Thursday, January, 24, 2013 - 1:01:28 PM

Options considered for Governor’s before 2017

By Craig Campbell, Dundas Star News

Closing a west-bound lane of traffic on Governor’s Road and turning it into a permanent turning lane will be among options considered for safety improvements to the Dundas street. 

Ron Gallo, the City of Hamilton’s traffic engineering and operations department, confirmed cutting Governor’s down to one lane of traffic in each direction will be reviewed – when a formal design project is triggered. That is currently expected in 2017, but there is an effort underway to start sooner. 

Dundas Community Council member Bill Kennedy asked local city councillor Russ Powers about the possibility of turning the extra west-bound lane into a turning lane, at last Wednesday night’s committee meeting. 

Powers said he’s asked staff to consider that, and he’d like to see some action be taken prior to 2017. 

“That’s under consideration,” Powers said. “I’ve been pushing for it.” 

He told Kennedy and the rest of his community council he’s not sure why a west-bound passing lane was added to Governor’s Road, around 1966. He suggested it might have made sense to planners at the time. 

The city’s budget forecast includes $2.1-million for a roads project on Governor’s Road between Bridlewood and Main Street in five years. 

Last Thursday was the first scheduled appearance in Provincial Offences court for a 44-year-old Flamborough man charged with Careless Driving after 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 matter was remanded over for a second appearance next month. The charge carries a set fine of $400 for a conviction, but could go as high as $2,000 and six months in prison, as well as a license suspension up to two years. 

The road between the Villa and Governor’s Green is three lanes wide, with two west-band lanes. There are no turning lanes for east-bound traffic turning left into the 101 Governor’s Road residential complex, nor any turning lanes for the west-bound traffic turning left onto Overfield Street to access the Villa long term care facility. 

City staff have already recognized a potential for pedestrian islands in (several) locations along the middle of Governor’s Road to provide staged crossing for pedestrians.
It’s not yet clear if pedestrian islands and turning lanes could be used to eliminate an entire west-bound lane from Governor’s Road. 

“All options will be looked at once it is triggered as a formal design project,” Gallo stated last week in an email. ”This section is currently in the five year plan so, at this point, we are not reviewing any details.”

Keeping Governor's from Widening

The big news out of this article is the fact that talk of widening Governor's is off the agenda. The Downtown Dundas Transportation Master Plan had suggested 4 lanes through here, which was vigorously opposed by Transportation for Liveable Communities at the time.  

Thursday, December, 13, 2012 - 2:02:28 PM

City reviewed Governor’s crossing

By Craig Campbell, Dundas Star News

The review of a pedestrian-controlled crossing of Governor’s Road at Overfield Street in September did not meet the requirements for that traffic control device.

Ron Gallo, the City of Hamilton’s manager of signals and systems, said the study was initiated by the request of one resident. But the counts of pedestrians crossing and review of other factors reached about half the standard for a pedestrian controlled stoplight.

But Gallo does not expect recommended widening of Governor’s Road to take place anytime soon.

Renewed attention on pedestrian safety on Governor’s Road between Ogilvie Street and Creighton Road began last Sunday after 87-year-old Kitty MacLeod was killed after being struck by a car while she was crossing Governor’s Road.

Hamilton Police charged a 44-year-old Flamborough man with careless driving, Wednesday.

Concerns about pedestrian safety in that area have been raised for several years.

Gallo said some safety improvements are expected within the next five years as the stretch of road is scheduled for a resurfacing project.

In addition to a redesign of the complicated intersection at Ogilvie and Governor’s to improve sight lines for drivers, staff are considering construction of “pedestrian refuge islands” in three possible Governor’s Road locations – including near the intersection with Over field.

Gallo said the raised islands will allow pedestrians to get half-way across the road at a time, and make them more visible to drivers.

New sidewalks are also expected next year on the south side of Governor’s Road, between Overfield and Creighton, where no sidewalks currently exist.

And Gallo said he does not anticipate the city acting on the Downtown Dundas Transportation Master Plan recommendation to widen Governor’s Road.

“It’s dependent on future need, and that can change,” Gallo said. “It would need another environmental assessment because it’s been five years (since the DDTMP). It’s not as simple as saying it’s approved and it happens.”

But Raynald Marchand, general manager of the Canada Safety Council, viewed the Governor’s Road area using Google Earth – and said he could see a need for pedestrian safety improvements.

He noted it appeared to be a 250 metre walk to the nearest controlled crossing – at Ogilvie – from a bus stop on the north side of Governor’s, across from Overfield.

“That’s only 250, but it’s another 250 back. That’s half a kilometre. I can see people, especially elderly, saying ‘I’m going to cross right here’,” Marchand said.

He said the accepted standard wait for a safe opening to cross a street is three minutes.

“In excess of three minutes waiting for an opening, people start to take chances.”

And Marchand said a controlled crossing at Overfield would certainly be warranted if Governor’s Road is widened in that area.

He said there signs that could be placed in the area warning drivers that seniors might be crossing mid-block.

“But that’s not a replacement for putting in crosswalks,” Marchand said.

Although there are no controlled pedestrian crossings of Governor’s between those at Ogilvie and Creighton, there are intersections on the south side of the road at Tally Ho, Avon Drive and Overfield.

There is a bus top at Avon Drive, across from the Dundas Baptist Church, but no official pedestrian crossing.

Governor’s Road traffic a complex issue

Kitty MacLeod died for lack of a crosswalk (Opinion, Dec. 10)

Letters, Hamilton Spectator, December 15, 2012

To suppose that Kitty MacLeod died for lack of a crosswalk on Governor’s Road opposite St. Joseph’s Villa is to hold a misguided view of public policy. Any public policy based on one death or the possibility of “someone getting killed” cannot be reasonable. If it were, in the absurd extreme, we would have a crosswalk at every point where a pedestrian chose to cross a road, an all-way stop or signal at every intersection.

The contributing factors in MacLeod’s death are many. Those within the purview of municipal policy extend back in time at least to the approval of Governor’s Estates with no provision for adequate vehicle access. Simply painting a new lane line on a roadway without widening it in anticipation of greatly increased volume does not create a new lane. Moreover, the pedestrian-operated signals at Creekside-Hatt and Creekside-Ogilvie are, for most who encounter them, more of a problem than a solution.

“Everybody knows” (with a nod to Leonard Cohen) that the Ogilvie-Governor’s intersection has been dysfunctional from a traffic perspective for years. Its geometrics, lane markings, permitted moves, lane widths and approaches are all in need of a rigorous rethink given the volumes of vehicles, pedestrians, transit riders, cyclists, and scooters who take their chances every day.

Before Councillor Russ Powers acts to bring forward a crosswalk planned for 2017, with its guarantee of serious collateral discontent, I’d like to propose a community user-driven review of traffic policy and operations for the area centred on the Governor’s-Ogilvie intersection.

George Vance, Dundas

fattening up the roadways

Governor's at Ogilvie - due to be widened - the intersection is already the site of recent pedestrian fatalities and injuries.

Governor's Road, looking east from east of Creighton, due to be widened by another lane of traffic...
Governor's Road bridge over Spencer Creek, up for widening in the Downtown Dundas Transportation Master Plan...

Intersection of Osler/Main and Governor's/Dundas due for extra turning lanes, yes, more widening thanks to the DDTMP...