2021 budget proposes to make increased investments in multi-modal transportation infrastructure

HAMILTON, ON - A City of Hamilton investment of $2.74 million in cycling infrastructure, implementation of Year 5 of the 10-Year Transit Strategy and an investment in Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure are among key multi-modal transportation investments the City is making as part of its 2021 budget.

Investment in cycling infrastructure in 2021 is planned to total approximately $3.65 million (25 per cent are non-City funds). This investment includes approximately 19 km of new and upgraded bicycle lanes, 3.2 km of new multi-use trails and continued expansion of bike parking racks.

The City is moving ahead with the 10-Year Transit Strategy with implementation of Year 5 of the strategy, which includes planned enhancements such as 46,000 additional service hours, rehabilitative improvements to over 90 bus stops throughout the transit network and replacement of 66 shelters and 20 new shelter locations.

In 2021, 20 new EV charging stations are slated to be installed in municipal parking lots that will provide electric car users with improved accessibility to charging stations throughout the city.

A Term of Council priority, investment in a variety of multi-modal transportation options including transit, cycling infrastructure, micro-mobility systems, pedestrian mobility, and road infrastructure help to create a more sustainable and active Hamilton.

Additional transportation options are also identified in the City’s Transportation Master Plan, which guides City decisions and planning efforts to accommodate growth to 2031 and beyond and reflects Hamilton’s role as a major distribution hub of goods in Southern Ontario.

Greater use and access to public transit and active transportation helps reduce traffic related injuries, improves air quality, contributes to the reduction of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease from air pollution, increases physical activity, improves mental and physical health and encourages more social interaction.

Additional investments outlined in the 2021 municipal operating budget that support multi-modal transportation, include:

• Re(envision) the HSR campaign, which is an opportunity for all Hamilton residents, including current and potential HSR customers to provide their thoughts on HSR’s current service and how we may reconfigure routes, evolve schedules and improve service.
• Solidifying and enhancing the Hamilton Bike Share system and enhancing the range of micro-mobility choices available including e-scooters.
• Development of a commercial shared e-scooter program.
• Development of a Complete, Livable, Better Streets Design Manual, that will help design complete streets that support walking, cycling, transit, and driving for people of all ages and abilities.
• Development of a free-floating car share permit program.
• Outreach, education, equity and training around safe streets, cycling and bike share.
• Major right-of-way rehabilitation projects on Rymal Road, Regional Road 56 and neighbourhood resurfacing projects in Ancaster Heights (Lime Kiln North), Central, McQuesten West, Battlefield, Greenford, Vincent, Bonnington, and Southam.

These investments are further complemented by the City’s ongoing commitment to the Vision Zero Road Safety Program, which has a goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries on roadways through education, enforcement, engineering, evaluation and engagement. Over the last five years, the program has led to a 24 per cent reduction in injury collisions. Some key components of the Vision Zero Road Safety Program are:

• Implementation of a Neighbourhood Speed Reduction Program – scheduled to convert 45-60 neighbourhoods to 40 km/h and 30 km/h in designated school zones in 2021.
• Automated Speed Enforcement pilot program – 12-month pilot concluding in September of 2021 which examines how ASE technology can positively impact roadway safety, reduce speeding and raise public awareness about the need to slow down and obey posted speed limits. The pilot program will cover 36 locations and preliminary evaluation shows an increase in speed limit compliance. To date, data evaluation has been completed at four locations and resulted in 16,997 speeding charges. The average percentage of the total charges from the total traffic was 2.3 per cent.
• Red Light Camera program will be further expanded and further builds on its goal to target motorists who choose to run red lights, thereby reducing the incidence of this unsafe behavior and the associated potential for collisions. Intersections equipped with Red Light Camera show approximately 50 per cent reduction in total number of right-angle collisions and 60 per cent reduction of fatal and injury collisions in the last 5 years.
• Vision Zero Dashboard has been developed to provide residents with an overview of works completed within Transportation Operations and Maintenance with a focus on roadway safety. In addition, an open data platform has been provided related to collisions throughout the City of Hamilton that provides various filters to allow users to search based on various interests.

Council will formally approve the City’s 2021 budget on March 31, 2021.