FAQs

The City of Hamilton is creating a Complete Streets Report to help improve road safety throughout neighbourhoods in Ward 14. Complete street design principles can create safer and equitable streets for all road users and this report builds on the recently-completed Complete Liveable Better (CLB) Streets Design Manual project, the development of which was key recommendation of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) (2018).  

The Complete Street recommendations will look to tackle the key elements of concerns previously raised, including but not limited to:

• High Speeds
  • Reduction of traffic speeds in residential areas will be sought through techniques such as traffic calming
• Driver Behaviour 
  • Known locations of poor driver compliance and aggressive driving will be assessed, to identify preventative design solutions
• Safety 
  • Collision prone locations will be assessed to identify likely causes and potential safety improvements
  • Roads are not just for cars, and the study will also focus on pedestrian and cyclist safety
• Mobility
  • Locations of known connectivity issues for all modes (cars, pedestrians, and bikes) will be assessed to identify gaps in the network and identify access and mobility improvements

The City is aware of the previous road safety concerns raised by residents of Ward 14 and in an effort to further the progress being made through Hamilton’s Strategic Road Safety Program and Vision Zero Action Plan, the City is reviewing how these plans and strategies can be applied to the neighbourhoods of Ward 14.

The City’s recently completed Complete Liveable Better Streets Design Manual project has identified recommendations for the arterial road network within the ward, and the City wants to progress further by now considering the local, residential roads of the ward.

This study is specifically focused on improving safety and operations along only residential and collector streets in Ward 14. The arterial roads will not be included in this study’s recommendations as they were already reviewed as part of the City’s Complete Livable Better Streets Design Manual Project.

The study area includes all 11 neighbourhoods of Ward 14, as listed:

• Carpenter
• Gilbert
• Gilkson
• Gurnett
• Falkirk East
• Falkirk West
• Fessenden
• Mountainview
• Scenic Woods
• Westcliffe East
• Westcliffe West

Complete Streets are the socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable design of urban roadways (i.e. rights-of-way). Through proper design, Complete Streets can improve safety, accessibility, connectivity, sense of place, and the public realm overall.  A Complete Streets approach recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to street design. The priorities of any given street depend on its role within the overall transportation network, the surrounding land-use context, and the City’s vision for the future role of the street. Importantly, the priorities for a street may not be constant along the entire length of the street and may change as the street transitions from one context to another.  For example, a rural road may gain on-street parking and sidewalks through a rural settlement area.  An urban road may feature a compact cross-section, with higher operating speeds, as it transitions into a more suburban, residential area. More information can be found in the City’s Complete Livable Better (CLB) Streets Design Manual Project.