Brad Clark Report

For the past 12 months, I have been working with Transportation Department Management on concerns raised by several residents about traffic calming needs and pedestrian safety in the Valley Park area. Below is an email from our Manager of Operations that responds to all of these issues.

Manager of Transportation Operations Responds to Residents About Pending Upgrades

“Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding roadway safety in the Valley Park area. As Councillor Clark mentioned, staff have been reviewing roadway safety conditions in the area and advancing a number of initiatives intended to improve safety, particularly for vulnerable road users.

There is currently a significant amount of roadway safety and pedestrian infrastructure work either underway, planned, or progressing through design within the broader Valley Park area. This includes several improvements scheduled for implementation in 2026, along with larger reconstruction and crossing enhancement projects planned for future years.

While some of the larger infrastructure projects require additional engineering, funding approvals, coordination, and construction planning before implementation, a substantial amount of technical and engineering work has already been completed to assess conditions, identify improvements, and move projects toward implementation. Several upgrades are already proceeding this year.

I understand that from a resident perspective it can sometimes appear that progress is slow, particularly when concerns relate to roadway safety and driver behaviour experienced on a daily basis. However, there is a considerable amount of roadway safety work planned within the Valley Park area which reflects ongoing coordination between Transportation staff, Councillor Clark’s office, and concerns that have been raised by residents over time.

To help provide context regarding the amount of work occurring in the area, I have included a map below identifying planned and upcoming roadway safety and pedestrian infrastructure projects within the Valley Park community and surrounding area. Each project has been numbered for convenience, and additional information regarding the scope and anticipated timing of the work is provided beneath the map.

Please note that the numbering does not reflect the order of implementation, but rather generally follows the geographic location of each project within the area.

Collectively, these projects represent a broad package of roadway safety, pedestrian connectivity, and crossing improvements within the Valley Park area.

The following outlines roadway safety and pedestrian infrastructure projects currently planned, underway, or progressing through design within the Valley Park area:

1. Valley Park / Marston Street / Pembroke Street intersection:
   • The intersection of Marston Street and the Valley Park entrance/Pembroke Street is planned to be upgraded to a signalized intersection as part of the future partial reconstruction of Paramount Drive. The project is currently progressing through preliminary design and is anticipated to proceed to detailed engineering in 2026/2027, with construction currently targeted for 2028. In addition to the traffic signal installation, the broader project is expected to include roadway and sidewalk enhancements along Paramount Drive within the area.

2. Paramount Drive – East Hamilton Trail Loop crossing:
   • The existing uncontrolled pedestrian crossing of the East Hamilton Trail Loop is planned to be upgraded to a formal controlled crossing, anticipated to be a mid-block pedestrian traffic signal. This work is planned in coordination with the future Paramount Drive reconstruction project currently targeted for 2028.

3. Marston Street – East Hamilton Trail Loop crossing:
   • The existing uncontrolled pedestrian crossing of the East Hamilton Trail Loop is scheduled to be upgraded to a pedestrian crossover (PXO) in 2026.

4. Isaac Brock Drive – pedestrian/school crossing:
   • The existing raised pedestrian crossover will be upgraded in 2026 to include push-buttons and overhead rapid amber flashing beacons to further enhance pedestrian visibility and driver awareness.

5. Winterberry Drive – East Hamilton Trail Loop crossing:
   • The existing uncontrolled pedestrian crossing of the East Hamilton Trail Loop is scheduled to be upgraded to a pedestrian crossover (PXO) in 2026.

6. Highland Road West – Eramosa Karst Trail entrance:
   • The existing uncontrolled pedestrian crossing at the Eramosa Karst Trail entrance is scheduled to be upgraded to a pedestrian crossover (PXO) in 2026.

7. Winterberry Drive – neighbourhood connectivity to Heritage Green:
   • A future controlled pedestrian crossing between the residential neighbourhood and Heritage Green commercial area is currently being advanced through feasibility review by the City’s integrated active transportation team. The crossing is anticipated to ultimately include a controlled pedestrian crossing, likely in the form of a mid-block pedestrian traffic signal, intended to improve broader east-west pedestrian and cycling connectivity within the area.

Regarding the intersection of Paramount Drive and Marston Street specifically, staff have been actively working with Councillor Clark’s office over an extended period regarding roadway safety concerns raised by residents in the area. Those discussions and reviews have helped inform both the longer-term improvement plans outlined above, as well as additional interim measures currently being examined by my roadway safety team.

While the future reconstruction and crossing enhancements identified above will provide more substantial long-term improvements, staff have also continued reviewing opportunities to improve safety conditions in the near term. As part of that work, a stop sign compliance study will be undertaken next week to formally document driver behaviour concerns at the intersection. This information, along with previous observations and resident feedback received through the Councillor’s office and directly from residents, will help support discussions with Hamilton Police Services regarding potential targeted enforcement initiatives.

In parallel, staff are also reviewing several additional near-term enhancement options intended to improve safety conditions at the intersection while the broader reconstruction and crossing projects continue progressing through design and implementation.

Roadway safety in the Valley Park area continues to be an active focus for Transportation staff, and the projects and actions outlined above represent a significant amount of planned roadway safety and pedestrian infrastructure investment within the community.”