Special Report: Cycling

Cycling Committee Calls on Council to Make Queen and Herkimer Safer

The Hamilton Cycling Committee just unanimously approved a resolution advising City Council to take immediate action to make the intersection of Queen Street South and Herkimer Street safer.

By Kevin Love
Published November 09, 2018

At its meeting on November 7, the Hamilton Cycling Committee unanimously approved a resolution advising City Council to take immediate action to make the intersection of Queen Street South and Herkimer Street safer.

Damaged knockdown placard and motor vehicle tire marks in the bike lane at Queen and Herkimer
Damaged knockdown placard and motor vehicle tire marks in the bike lane at Queen and Herkimer

Please note that Queen Street is already scheduled for a complete redesign and conversion to two-way status in 2019. However, the intersection at Queen and Herkimer is so dangerous that immediate interim action needs to be taken right away.

The Hamilton Cycling Committee is a citizens' advisory committee appointed by Hamilton City Council. As the name suggests, its purpose is to provide advice to the City of Hamilton.

Any citizen of Hamilton who is interested in applying to City Council for appointment to the Committee should go to a "drop in" event at City Hall on November 28 from 4:00 - 8:00 PM.

City staff will be present in the upper foyer outside the Council Chambers to explain the different citizens' advisory committees and the process of applying for appointment to one of them.

Text of the Resolution

Resolution Re: Queen and Herkimer.

Whereas, the existing configuration of the north-east corner of Queen and Herkimer is unacceptably dangerous.

Be it resolved that, the Hamilton Cycling Committee advise the City of Hamilton to remove this danger by either:

  1. Installing impact-resistant steel safety bollards between the bicycle and motor vehicle lanes, or,

  2. No longer allowing motor vehicle operators to turn from Queen onto Herkimer Street.

And be it resolved that, the above actions be undertaken on an urgent basis to remove this extreme hazard to human life on an interim basis until Queen Street is redesigned.

Kevin is a professional accountant and a retired infantry officer with the Canadian Forces. Kevin keeps encountering people who were students of his father, Dr. Robert Love, who was a professor at MacMaster University from 1977-2008. He lives near Durand Park in Hamilton and is currently Vice-Chair of the Hamilton Cycling Committee.

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By Blotto (registered) | Posted November 13, 2018 at 15:53:21

'Please note that Queen Street is already scheduled for a complete redesign and conversion to two-way status in 2019.'

So then why waste tax payers money on staff time, studies and possible material on something that will just get ripped out basically WEEKS later with the redesign? The City can't install anything in the middle of February with 4' of snow on the ground.

Comment edited by Blotto on 2018-11-13 15:54:20

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By KevinLove (registered) | Posted November 14, 2018 at 10:42:05 in reply to Comment 124271

It only takes one day for someone to be killed or seriously injured.

It also only takes one day to put up the traffic filters to remove motor vehicle traffic from this intersection and make it car-free.

Comment edited by KevinLove on 2018-11-14 10:42:52

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By CharlesBall (registered) | Posted November 19, 2018 at 11:44:19

Anyone who drives down Queen on garbage day knows where those tire marks come from. Garbage trucks either can't or don't make the turn. They also drive over the bump outs.

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