NEED TO KNOW: Red Hill Valley Parkway safety
Is it safe to drive on the Red Hill now?
The city’s latest safety consultant says a qualified yes – but not as safe as driving on the Linc.
Newly uncovered friction tests from 2013 suggest parts of the Red Hill Valley Parkway were more slippery than the Linc. Those results clash with 2017 tests that variously appeared “inconclusive” or more positive.
But the “rediscovered” friction test results worried city officials enough that they asked a new safety consultant, CIMA, whether the Red Hill should be closed until it is repaved.
Those experts have not recommended closing the Red Hill – but did note there is a “different margin of safety available to drivers” on that parkway compared to the Linc. Drivers should be made aware so they can drive accordingly, they recommend.
Are there more collisions on the Red Hill?
Historically, compared to the Linc? Yes. In a study period between 2012 and 2015, there were 668 crashes on the Red Hill compared to 326 on the
Linc. That’s despite a larger traffic volume on the Linc – 96,000 vehicle daily – compared to about 58,000 vehicles daily on the RHVP.
The collision numbers have evened out in recent years, however, with collisions on the Red Hill in 2017 totalling 193 compared to 159 on the Linc that year.
What is the city doing immediately to protect drivers?
The big fix will be a $15-million complete repave of the Red Hill from endto-end. News of the friction fiasco has bumped up that repaving project to this spring.
But in the meantime, council is cutting the posted speed limit to 80 km/h between Greenhill Avenue and the QEW – a noted hot spot for collisions. Oversized electronic speed “feedback” signs will also be set up near Greenhill Avenue, Queenston Road and King Street.
The city has also requested additional speed enforcement from Hamilton police and is publicly appealing (again) for motorists to take it slow on the parkway.
What about median barriers requested by families of crash victims?
Families of crash victims have long called for protective barriers on the Red Hill to stop out-of-control vehicles from crossing the grassy median that separates north and southbound traffic.
Traffic experts say there are pros and cons to such barriers, noting they prevent crossover crashes but could also contribute to more collisions overall.
Regardless, there is still no guarantee barriers will be installed – but council has committed to a wideranging study to look at everything from adding more lighting to the Red Hill to widening both parkways.
The latter option is more likely to result in the addition of median barriers.
Both adding more lights and widening the road will require complex environmental assessments, which can take years – so don’t expect those changes any time soon.
What is the Red Hill Valley Parkway made of ?
The parkway was one of the first in Ontario to use “perpetual pavement” – a multilayered application of asphalt meant to make the road more resistant to cracks and rutting. The bottom layers are supposed to last for decades.
The particular asphalt mix used on the parkway is called stone mastic asphalt. The pricier mix is more expensive but supposed to be more resistant to cracking. Initially, it can be a bit slippery, but repeated use over several months is supposed to “polish” the aggregate and create superior friction.
What did the “lost” friction report say?
The friction testing report from Tradewind Scientific in 2013 measured the Linc and Red Hill against a UK “skidding resistance level” standard used in the United Kingdom. It basically showed most of the Linc performed at or better than the standard – while most of the Red Hill did not meet the standard. In a few areas, tests showed “quite low friction values,” prompting a recommendation to investigate actual asphalt composition.
Why did no one know about the concerning friction test?
That’s still a mystery. The controversial question has kick-started an immediate audit by the city’s internal auditor general – and some councillors and citizens have publicly suggested a public inquiry or Ombudsman investigation might be necessary.
The current head of public works, Dan McKinnon, and current road engineering director, Gord McGuire, say they were equally surprised to see the mystery test.
The Red Hill did not meet the standard. In a few areas, tests showed “quite low friction values,” prompting a recommendation to investigate actual asphalt composition.
2007 The seven-kilometre parkway
opens in the Red Hill Valley after decades of protest and legal wrangling.
2009 A historic storm
floods the RHVP severely for the first time. It would be washed out three times within the span of a year, eventually spurring a drainage review along the parkway.
January 2013 Council passes
a motion asking for a safety review of part of the Red Hill following complaints about it feeling slippery and lacking light.
November 2013 Public works
staff report $133,000 in proposed short-term safety measures to councillors – some of which are already underway, paid for from a maintenance account. Two days later, Tradewind Scientific was conducting friction tests on the Red Hill.
January 2014 The date
listed on the completed friction report. It was delivered to city consultant Golder Associates – but councillors and current city staff say they never saw it.
May 2015 Olivia Smosarski
and Jordyn Hastings, both 19, were killed late at night in a crossover crash on the parkway, prompting council to ask for a new safety audit on the parkway.
2016 Hamilton police
ramp up enforcement after studies suggest speeding, stunt driving a major problem on the RHVP. Council starts talking about asking province to allow photo radar.
February 2017 Another fatal crash
prompts families of Red Hill crash victims to appeal for the installation of median barriers to prevent “crossover” crashes.
July 2017 The Spectator
publishes an awardwinning investigation into Red Hill collisions, questioning whether the road is slippery. Then-engineering director Gary Moore claimed only one friction test was ever attempted, in 2015, and the results were “inconclusive.”
November 2017 Several friction-related tests
are attempted by Golder Associates. The results are variously described by the city as “inconclusive” and “average/ medium.” The city decides to repave the parkway ahead of schedule.
September 2018 A new engineering director
finds the “missing” 2013 friction report. No one seems to know where it came from. This spurs another consulting review of Red Hill road safety late in the year.
February 6, 2019 Councillors learn
about the rediscovered report – and potential lawsuit ramifications – in a five-hour closed meeting. The news goes public in a late-night mea culpa from senior staff. Council signs off on an audit investigation and immediate speed limit reduction on the parkway.
February 7, 2019 Families
of Red Hill victims says they are mulling a class-action lawsuit.