[BrianE]

From the Spec

July 05, 2008
Steve Buist
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jul 5, 2008)
Residents of a central Hamilton neighbourhood want to put a stop to things that go vroom in the night.

The Stipley Neighbourhood Association and Ward 3 councillor Bernie Morelli are trying to address the problem of street racing and excessive traffic speed on King Street East between Gage and Sherman avenues.

In the past six years, there have been at least two fatalities on the stretch of road, including 21-year-old Matthew Power, a pedestrian who was struck and killed in November 2006 by one of two cars that appeared to be racing down King Street at Gage Avenue. Both deaths occurred in the early hours of the morning.

Karen Elliott, president of the Stipley Neighbourhood Association, said the main problem is that there is only one stoplight, at Melrose Avenue, on King Street between Gage and Sherman.

"If people happen to get the green at Melrose, they just take off," said Elliott. "We have motorcycles going by at 100 or 130 klicks (km/h), popping wheelies, the whole nine yards.

"It's hard for everyone to cross the street."

Michael Hooper has lived on King Street East near Spadina Avenue for the past six years. He remembers the night in December 2002 when a horrific crash a block away took the life of a 19-year-old driver.

The speeding car took out three hydro poles, a light standard, a bus shelter, several parking meters and two trees, damaged a storefront and ultimately left 1,800 people without power.

"It's a 50 (km/h) zone," Hooper said. "People shouldn't be dying in a 50 zone.

"I've literally seen tow trucks race, if you can believe that. These guys are getting up to 110 or 120 clicks right out in front of our house."

Weekend nights are the worst, Hooper said, but he also noted that morning rush hour is "insane."

"I don't know if people just leave their good sense behind when they're trying to get to work in the morning or what," said Hooper.

"From 7 to 9 in the morning, I don't even like walking out in front of my house.

"It's like they're starting off the Indy 500 or something -- you hear them roaring and here they come."

Hooper said one possible solution would be the addition of a stoplight at Barnesdale Avenue and King Street East.

Morelli said excessive speed on that stretch of road is an ongoing problem and he has sought increased law enforcement in the area with radar and unmarked police cars.

"Eventually, we've got to find better solutions," Morelli said.

He favours the adoption of photo radar to nab speeders.

"I think technology has to be part of the answer," said Morelli. "We could put a police officer on every corner and I'm afraid to say that wouldn't necessarily solve the problem."

sbuist@thespec.com

905-526-3226

No mention of the idea that if you build a 4 - 5 lane highway through city streets, people will drive like it's a 4 - 5 lane highway and no amount of 50km/hr speed limit signs will fix that.