What would make Hamilton Road safer?

With several accidents and fatal collisions on Hamilton Road, there’s no question that residents are growing concerned about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

Now the Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre (CRC) and community members are trying to find solutions for an ongoing problem in the city’s east end.

Close calls on Hamilton Road are something cyclists know all too well.

“We can't keep doing things the way we always have and expect different outcomes,” said Jamieson Roberts, an avid cyclist in London.

London’s bicycling community has been calling on the city to create more safety measures for months after several people have been struck while cycling or crossing the street.

“The biggest issue is ultimately it's a road that's been designed as a highway, you've got four massive car lanes that services vehicles potentially well - although arguably dangerously - it doesn't serve the rest of the neighbourhood,” said Roberts.

He recommends the area could benefit from reducing the number of lanes to create more space for businesses, cyclists and pedestrians to get around safely.

“If we don't change how we’re building streets if we don't adjust to how people get around the city we’re going to keep seeing people hit and killed on the roads when we don't create an adequate safe space for all forms of transportation,” Roberts added.

After hearing residents’ concerns, city representatives and the Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre are hoping to help by putting solutions into action.

“In the fall the Crouch Resource Centre was approached by a resident in the Hamilton Road neighbourhood and she was looking for some solutions about the constant sound of near misses on the road and accidents she's witnessed,” said Jennifer Martino, with the CRC.

“She was also concerned that every year for the past four years we have had a fatality that was traffic-related on Hamilton road including two fathers. One a very well-known community volunteer and the other a student.”

Jibin Benoy was struck and killed on Hamilton Road in September after riding home from work in the early morning hours.

“He had come here to study at Fanshawe and left unfortunately his wife back home in India, widowed. As a response to these concerns we decided to hold a community meeting,” Martino said.

In hopes to prevent further accidents, Ward 1 City Coun. Hadleigh McAlister believes making improvements to infrastructure could improve safety on the road for drivers and pedestrians.

“Some of those are things we can implement quite quickly like a speed clock, getting the lines repainted and looking at parking spaces to increase visibility on turns where we have seen some incidences,” McAlister said.

Locals can join in on the conversation by signing up online for “Traffic and Safety on Hamilton Road” which will be held at the Hamilton Road Senior’s Community Centre on Monday from 6 p.m.  to 8 p.m.