Local residents are petitioning the City of Hamilton to request a pedestrian-activated stoplight at the corner of Kent and Aberdeen Streets.

Content-tab Cross At Kent

Local residents are petitioning the City of Hamilton to request a Pedestrian-activated stoplight at the corner of Kent and Aberdeen Streets. Councillor Brian McHattie (Ward 1) and the Kirkendall Neighbourhood Association support this.

Sign the Petition!

 In 2008, the City of Hamilton signed the International Charter for Walking and is currently creating programs to promote walkability in the city (Active and Safe Routes to School). Your support will help ensure that we make a positive difference in our city.

Some reasons this stoplight is important:

  • Kent St. is a natural point to cross - Kent stretches from Amelia to Charlton and is part way between Queen and Locke Streets.
  • HSR bus stops - both directions of Aberdeen at Kent have bus stops with no crossing stoplight.
  • Residents need to cross - Ryerson, St. Joseph's and Earl Kitchener schools, the HAAA, Radial and Reservoir green spaces, library and all Locke Street businesses.
  • Aberdeen is not safe for pedestrians - narrow sidewalks abut the busy road of speeding vehicles.

The Petition

Whereas, Aberdeen Avenue is a very busy roadway, with significant traffic volumes and speeds, exacerbated by Hamilton Mountain traffic via the Queen Street Hill, proximity to Highway 403, HSR bus traffic, and the busy Dundurn and Locke Street corridors, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours, and;

Whereas, Kent Street and Aberdeen Avenue is a much-used crossing by pedestrians (including many families with young children) traveling northbound to destinations including Ryerson, St. Joseph's and Earl Kitchener schools, the HAAA park, and the Locke Street shopping area; and southbound to Beulah, Spruceside and Highland Gardens parks, and;
 
Whereas, the pedestrian experience walking along Aberdeen Avenue to the stop lights at Locke Street and/or Queen Street is unpleasant and dangerous due to the speeding traffic, narrow sidewalk abutting the roadway, and unevenness of the roadway resulting in splashing during precipitation, with the Queen Street intersection providing particular safety challenges for pedestrians, and;

Whereas, Hamilton City Council has made commitments to improving walkability in the city by signing the International Charter for Walking, and through City Council's vision statement with the goal of making Hamilton the best place to raise a child; and

Whereas, the Public Health Services department is undertaking programs to promote walkability (i.e., Active and Safe Routes to School); and
 
Whereas, supporting and encouraging active transportation (e.g., walking) may result in increased physical activity, increased social cohesion, decreased risk of injuries and decreased levels of air pollution; and
 
Whereas, several City departments are committed to the Hamilton Strategic Road Safety Program; and
 
Whereas, the Public Works department is working with other City departments to develop a city-wide Pedestrian and Walkability Master Plan; and
 
Whereas, a peer reviewed study published in 2000 using Hamilton collision data concluded that a child is 2.5 times more likely to be killed in a collision on a one-way street than a two-way street; and
 
Whereas, the Downtown BIA surveyed businesses on James and John North after the 2002 two-way conversion and found that owners reported increased sales and additional staff hiring; and
 
Whereas, the Chamber of Commerce has published a study concluding that "walkable environments should be viewed as economic infrastructure that attract employment and should be invested in accordingly"; and
 
Whereas, streets are not only for drivers but for everyone;

Therefore:

The undersigned urge the City of Hamilton to install a pedestrian crossing signal at Kent Street and Aberdeen Avenue as soon as possible, facilitating walkability and pedestrian safety and also urge the City of Hamilton to take swift and concrete action to facilitate walkability and pedestrian safety across the entire City of Hamilton.

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About Cross At Kent

Cross at Kent is a group of volunteers committed to a safer neighbourhood around Aberdeen Street in Kirkendall.

© Copyright 2011 Walkable Hamilton.