City of Hamilton designating five additional stretches of roadway as Community Safety Zones next year

HAMILTON, ON –There are five additional stretches of roadway along Main Street and King Street approved to be designated as Community Safety Zones in 2023, four of which will now qualify as Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) operating locations as part of the Council approved motion to develop safety enhancements along Main Street and King Street.

Slower speeds, safer communities

A Community Safety Zone is a designated stretch of roadway marked with provincially legislated signs that has been identified as a segment of higher risk or concern. Designating a stretch of roadway as a Community Safety Zone allows for the doubling of fines associated with speeding. They are meant to influence slower speeds and improve safety in certain sections of road where public safety is of special concern, such as areas close to schools or residential neighborhoods.

Safety enhancements along Main Street and King Street included a suite of roadway safety tools to improve overall pedestrian safety, reduce collisions and manage excessive speeding. These measures apply a Vision Zero focus on how the roadway is designed, how vehicles are permitted to operate and how speeds are managed. A key speed management tool is the use of ASE to manage excessive speeding.

The four new ASE location locations being implemented next year include:

• Main Street E between Gage Avenue S and King Street E
• King Street W between Locke Street S and Dundurn Street S
• Main Street W between Dundurn Street S and Queen Street S
• King Street E between Gage Avenue S and Lottridge Street

The fifth location to be designated solely as a Community Safety Zone is along King Street E between Emerald Street and Wellington Street N because as it includes both the Wellington Street N and Victoria Avenue N intersections, which are noted as having elevated collision frequency, and proximity to properties such as First Place Hamilton Seniors Residence, Saint Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and the new St. Patrick’s Elementary School.

This month, the City of Hamilton is launching a Community Safety Zone public education campaign to help residents learn more and encourage motorists to drive safely through areas designated as a Community Safety Zone to increase the safety of vulnerable road users. As part of the Vision Zero Action Plan, the City’s monthly education campaigns focus on transforming roadway safety with a simple goal: zero fatalities or serious injuries on roadways. Vision Zero emphasizes safe speeds, safe roads, safe vehicles and safe drivers.

Quick Facts

• In 2021, Council approved of the permanent implementation of an Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) roadway safety program utilizing two mobile ASE units installed at 24 locations on a rotating basis.
• In 2021, the City of Hamilton launched its Vision Zero Dashboard, an online tool that allows residents to track progress the City is making on various safety initiatives including Community Safety Zones, red light camera installations and more. The City currently has 24 designated Community Safety Zones across Hamilton.