Hamilton’s LRT and a two-way Main Street will redesign three crash-prone intersections — but not quickly

Big safety changes at three dangerous lower city intersections must wait for major construction planned on the King and Main corridors.

Council ordered safety audits of the intersections in response to a record year for fatal pedestrian collisions in 2022.

Road safety reviews were commissioned for the Delta, the off-kilter intersection of Main Street East and King Street East, as well as for two of the city's most crash-prone intersections at Dundurn Street at Main Street West as well as at King Street West.

The resulting reviews recommend much-needed safety changes big and small, said acting transportation director Mike Field at a public works meeting Monday.

All three of these intersections have experienced a large number of collisions, many of them involving vulnerable road users," he said, pointing in particular to the very violent, tragic" crash that killed three pedestrians and the driver of a stolen car at the Delta last year.

The reviews suggested several short-term actions - most of which the city has already completed - but also more complex changes like removing traffic lanes, adding lighting or reshaping other street infrastructure.

Any big changes will happen in concert with the planned two-way conversion of Main Street and the looming, LRT-inspired reconstruction of King Street, said Field.

The two-way conversion of Main between Dundurn Street and the Delta earned council support last year due to the slew of pedestrian deaths and injuries. The light rail transit project will also result in two-way car movement on King Street.

Councillors expressed hope the twin street overhauls begin sooner rather than later.

We can't just keep tweaking what we already have," said Ancaster Coun. Craig Cassar.

Ward 1 Coun. Maureen Wilson called one-way Main and King streets dangerous by design" and a sacrifice zone" for neighbourhood residents. No amount of lipstick is going to make (the streets) better," she said.

A timeline for the Main Street two-way conversion could be finalized when council considers a design in July.

Major construction on the long-delayed light rail transit line is likely at least a year away - and maybe more. An update is expected from project manager Metrolinx on Friday.

By the end of the year, the city plans to complete short-term intersection safety changes, including:

• paint clearer left-turn guides for southbound cars at the Dundurn and Main intersection;

• add a separate northbound left-turn traffic signal phase at Dundurn and King intersection;

• fix a potentially confusing series of traffic signs at Dundurn and King;

• fix an identified tripping hazard" near the Delta intersection.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com