‘Save one more life,’ advocate pleas
Hamilton to study roundabout option at Highway 52 and Powerline Road amid concerns
The City of Hamilton’s public works committee has directed traffic staff to study the process for installing a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 52 and Powerline Road West.
Dave Jones, who is spearheading the Turn on Powerline group to have a roundabout installed at the intersection, spoke on behalf of 100 concerned area families at the April 22 public works committee meeting. Jones, who has lived on Powerline Road for 25 years and was an emergency responder for 35 years, said he responded to many traffic fatalities on Highway 52 over the years.
“I know this road well and its history and I have spearheaded this initiative because after a career in EMS, I won’t stand by on the issue of public safety,” he said. “I cringe at the thought of events that would require your future colleagues having to revisit this issue because the left-turn lane proved ineffective.
“I’m confident there will be enough support at this table to act on this request and we can save one more life.”
Jones said the Safe on 52 campaign — formed by area residents in the early 2000s with a focus on lobbying for a decrease in the speed of traffic on the highway, as well as the implementation of roundabouts — succeeded in having a roundabout installed at the Jerseyville Road intersection. However, he said a roundabout was also recommended for Powerline Road — although it was never installed.
Ward 12 Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who made the motion to have staff study the roundabout, said Highway 52 is still a “dangerous road.” He added city staff have said they have the funding available to do a left-hand turn lane next year and that the intersection doesn’t meet the threshold for a roundabout.
However, he admitted a roundabout is safer.
“It does slow down traffic because they have to manoeuvre through the roundabout with turns.”
Prior to making the motion, Ferguson asked Jones if they could install a left-hand turn lane next year, or go on the 10-year capital plan for a roundabout, which he would prefer — as there are several roundabout projects ahead of Highway 52 and Powerline Road.
Jones said the group has already done the option to wait 10 years, because when the roundabout was put in at Jerseyville Road, the study indicated one should have been put in at the Powerline intersection at the same time.
“Fifteen years we’ve waited and it kind of got kicked down the road politically,” he said.
Jones also said the Hamilton Conservation Authority should be engaged in discussions to potentially move the crossing of the HamiltonBrantford Rail Trail — “one of the most dangerous on the 80-kilometre system.”
Carl Loewith, speaking on behalf of Joe Loweith and Sons — the largest dairy farm operation in Hamilton, located 1,000 feet west of Highway 52 on Powerline Road West — said he has witnessed the increase of traffic on the highway.
He noted they, along with multiple neighbours that each farm more than 5,000 acres of land, are on the road a lot with large farm equipment. He added it is dangerous to turn onto Powerline Road while heading north on Highway 52 and to turn left onto Highway 52 from Powerline Road — particularly with farm equipment as it has “nowhere near the acceleration of a normal car.”
Loewith said turn lanes will not solve the problem, adding due to the traffic volume and speed, they avoid putting farm equipment on Highway 52 at rush hour in the morning and evening.
He added the farm is in the process of adding a direct-sale dairy operation, which will likely add to the traffic at the intersection.
“The type of traffic will be people who aren’t familiar with that area — we hope to draw from a larger area,” he said.