Comment 111957

By kevlahan (registered) | Posted June 03, 2015 at 11:41:59 in reply to Comment 111956

The "new tools" will be listed in the regulations accompanying the HTA.

The problem with the old system was that the only options officially available to municipalities for marked crossovers/crosswalks was either to install a pedestrian activated traffic light (at $150k each!), or to install Toronto style PXO's (which are also expensive and which Hamilton refuses to install for safety and cost reasons). Obviously, this meant almost no marked crosswalks were installed in Hamilton, and unmarked crosswalks are not helpful since motorists don't know what their duties are.

Now, the signage requirements will be much lighter and cheaper to implement (simple signs and pavement markings, possibly with basic lighting) and I believe they can be implemented in more locations.

I believe the City of Hamilton is also considering implementing "courtesy crossings" at unmarked crosswalks, but I'm not sure whether these will be regulated provincially.

(Note that many municipalities incorrectly claim that motorists have right of way at unmarked crosswalks, e.g. http://archive.cityofkingston.ca/residen... https://www.milton.ca/MeetingDocuments/C... and include signage warning pedestrians "motorists not required to stop". This is clearly wrong, as confirmed by the Ministry http://raisethehammer.org/article/1939 , and it is irresponsible for municipalities to promote this incorrect interpretation of HTA, even if they think it makes pedestrians safer to tell them that motorists have right of way. Neither motorists nor pedestrians have right of way at an unmarked crosswalk, i.e. an intersection: pedestrians have to wait until there is a large enough gap that motorists can stop safely, and motorists must yield to crossing pedestrians.)

Comment edited by kevlahan on 2015-06-03 11:44:51

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