Latest Hamilton truck route proposal keeps 18-wheelers rolling through parts of downtown at all hours
A years-long study of Hamilton's controversial truck routes recommends allowing big trucks to keep rumbling through the downtown - but also banning the heaviest rigs from some busy residential areas.
That isn't close to enough to satisfy members of a growing coalition of residents seeking to prohibit transport trucks from shortcutting" through the downtown on their way to reach Highway 403, or vice versa.
Truck Route Reboot Hamilton has argued industrial bayfront trucks headed out of town should use Burlington Street-Nikola Tesla Boulevard to access either the QEW or Red Hill Valley Parkway.
It's frustrating, because we've been talking about this for so long and not really making much progress," said Environment Hamilton's Lynda Lukasik, who is one of a growing list of residents set to speak to councillors when the report goes to a virtual city subcommittee meeting Monday at 9:30 a.m.
We're not saying stop local deliveries. We're saying if you're just flying through the city to get to the (west-end) highway, you should not be allowed to do that. Period."
The latest route recommendation cuts some downtown street sections off the current map but maintains contentious sections along Wellington Street, Victoria Avenue, and parts of Cannon and Queen streets where conflict with pedestrians, homeowners and cyclists has been highlighted repeatedly.
For example, the plan proposes unfettered heavy truck use of north-south streets on either side of the General Hospital, despite the city's 2020 commitment to create a safety zone" surrounding the busy health-care centre.
Big-rig traffic would also continue past the intersections of Wellington and Barton streets as well as Queen and King streets, both of which have seen recent truck-related fatal collisions.
The final consulting report axes an earlier proposal to ban nighttime truck traffic through the downtown in favour of proposing a prohibition on the heaviest trucks - those with more than five axles - on routes to Highway 403 ramps on King Street, as well as some Mountain access roads from the core.
But a five-axle vehicle still includes plenty of transport trucks and even some double-trailer rigs, noted Lukasik. You still have very large vehicles trying to negotiate turns and climbing sidewalks in residential neighbourhoods," she said. You still have residents who feel unsafe."
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com