As Coun. Lloyd Ferguson sees it, someone has some explaining to do about a consultant’s statistics on excessive speeding on the Red Hill and Lincoln Alexander parkways.
Ferguson, while chairing the Hamilton Police Services Board meeting Thursday, expressed concerns about a consultant’s safety report to city council claiming that about 500 vehicles per day travel faster than 140 km/h on the Red Hill, which has a 90 km/h speed limit.
“It blew everyone away,” Ferguson said after the board meeting. “Based on it (the consultant’s information), the city decided to spend $800,000 in safety improvements.”
The improvements include new markings and warning signs, and asking the province for permission to use photo radar.
Ferguson had raised similar concerns after a December board meeting.
But a presentation to the meeting by Insp. Will Mason revealed police haven’t found anyone going that speed during an enforcement project currently underway on the expressways.
“How could the consultant get that if you haven’t found it?” Ferguson asked.
Mason could only reply: “We haven’t seen them (those speeds).”
But Mason did make clear that the findings support the consultant’s findings that speed is an issue. Mason said drivers are endangering lives by their speeding on the expressways, often at speeds that are 30 km/h over the speed limit. The average speeding done on the expressways is at 120 km/h, he said.
“There is a significant number of individuals travelling at excessive speed, putting themselves and others at risk.”
Mason said the top three types of collision on the expressways from 2008 to 2015 were rear-ends from following too close, single motor vehicle accidents from losing control, and side swipes from improper lane changes.
Ferguson said he’s going to be asking questions about the consultant’s report at council’s next public works committee meeting.
There is a significant number of individuals travelling at excessive speed, putting themselves and others at risk.
INSP. WILL MASON
Source: The Hamilton Spectator, via PressReader