Following a series of crashes, some of them fatal, on the Red Hill Valley and Lincoln Alexander parkways in Hamilton, there is an attempt underway to make the roads safer.
Hamilton’s Public Works Committee approved a motion Thursday asking city staff to investigate the feasibility and potential safety benefits of lowering the speed limit from the current 90 km/h to 80.
The motion, moved by Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla, says city staff will report their findings back to the committee in a year.
Merulla said he wants speed limits lowered for two basic reasons. First, he said slowing down traffic will automatically reduce the number of collisions and second, it would qualify the roads for photo radar.
The provincial Safer School Zones Act, which was passed in the spring, allows municipalities to set up photo radar enforcement in designated school and community safety zones where the speed limit is less than 80.
READ MORE: 2 dead in Hamilton head-on crash
Merulla said both measures would help decrease the number of tragedies on our roads.
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“Studies of the roads show there are no design or construction flaws leading to the crashes, it’s about speed and driver behaviour,” Merulla said.
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