TRAFFIC CALMING, OTHER MATTERS ON AGENDA FOR 2022

JACKSON, PAULS AND DANKO SEEKING RE-ELECTION IN OCTOBER

More traffic calming measures on Mountain streets are on the agenda in 2022 for upper city councillors.

"I have met with residents and they all agree that speeding is a major concern (and) they all want speed bumps," said Central Mountain Coun. Esther Pauls.

On the east Mountain Coun. Tom Jackson said a pedestrian-activated crosswalk would be installed in front of the plazas at the traffic islands on Fennell East between Upper Gage and East 43rd.

"A traffic study showed approximately 100 people a day are currently dangerously crossing midblock using those traffic concrete islands," Jackson said.

Another traffic calming measure in Ward 6 will see the installation of photo radar this summer on Upper Ottawa between Mohawk and Fennell.

Jackson said redevelopment work will proceed later this year on Mountain Brow Boulevard/Concession Street between Upper Gage Avenue and Oakcrest Drive.

The reconstruction will be similar to the work done on Mountain Brow Boulevard between Oakcrest and Mohawk Road in 2018.

It will see the section between Upper Ottawa and the top of the Kenilworth traffic circle reduced from four to three lanes with the addition of a cycling/pedestrian path on the residential side.

On the west Mountain,

Coun. John-Paul Danko said he's looking forward to the completion of the Ward 8 complete streets report in 2022.

Temporary traffic calming measures, including curb extensions, pinch points, gateway features, centreline bollards and mini-roundabouts, were added to several west Mountain neighbourhoods late last fall.

The effectiveness of the measures is still being reviewed.

A final complete streets report is expected next month, and permanent traffic calming measures will be implemented in the spring and summer this year.

Danko is spending $1.5 million from the ward's area rating reserve to pay for the work.

"Road safety and speeding has been a very important issue raised by residents since I was elected,"

Danko said.

See ward8completestreets.ca for further details.

Danko, Jackson and Pauls have told Hamilton Community News they plan to seek re-election in October.

Also on the 2022 agenda, Pauls said she would be meeting with Hamilton police Chief Frank Bergen to discuss a "spike in crimes," including three shootings in Ward 7 last year.

Jackson said the city will move ahead with the first phase of the $2-million plan to redevelop Mountain Drive Park.

The old washrooms/pavilion building at the Concession Street park will be torn down in the spring and a new washrooms/canopy will be built in the centre of the site in the summer.

On a Hamilton-wide note, Danko noted the city's biggest challenge in 2022 is recovering from the coronavirus

pandemic.

"From my work with the mayor's task force for economic recovery I think we have a good understanding of the challenges facing business sectors across the city, but COVID continues to place enormous pressure on our front-line staffing capabilities and compounds already difficult issues like housing and homelessness, business stability and employment,"

Danko said.

Ward 14 Coun. Terry Whitehead was also asked to provide input for this article, but he did not respond to our emails by the deadline.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News wanted to find out from the Mountain councillors some of the things on their agenda for 2022.