City of Hamilton Public Works staff say nine of 36 items recommended by the Red Hill Valley Judicial Inquiry have been completed and it is expected all items will be addressed by next year.
The inquiry, led by Superior Court Justice Herman Wilton-Siegel, was requested in 2019 to look into a suspect number of crashes, including fatalities, on the highway as well as concerns over a city hall official neglecting to share a study on slippery road conditions for a number of years.
The negligence allegation ensued from the discovery of a 2013 consultant’s report that detailed the results of asphalt friction testing not being shared with the City of Hamilton’s senior leadership team, city council or the media until late 2018 and early 2019.
Following the four-year inquiry, an interdepartmental working group, comprised of representatives from various divisions including transportation, public works corporate asset management, engineering services, information technology and legal services was formed in late 2023 to address the recommendations and implement an action plan with the objective of greater efficiency and effectiveness.
“I appreciate the work done by staff and their progress on the 36 action items identified by Justice Wilton-Siegal through the Red Hill Valley Parkway Judicial Inquiry (RHVPJI),” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “The city’s lack of disclosure of information related to the Parkway was inexcusable, and the inquiry was part of council’s dedication to transparency and ensuring the mistakes of the past are not repeated.”
The 36 recommendations and action items from the RHVPJI are grouped into eight different categories:
- Traffic safety on the Red Hill Valley Parkways and Lincoln M Alexander Parkway
- Delineating the roles and responsibilities of city staff
- The culture within the public works department
- Information sharing and communication among staff
- Staff reporting obligations
- Staff communications with media and public
- Consultant engagements and assignments
- Staff reports
According to the staff report, completed items include:
- An updated public works departmental training procedure to reinforce with staff the importance of completing their code of conduct training.
- The appointment of a chief roads official, whose role has been merged into the director of transportation’s role.
- An annual collision report that presents an overview of road safety based on the last five years.
- Design analysis of the winding stretch of Red Hill between Greenhill Avenue and Queenston road where the majority of the fatalities occurred.
- The creation of a tracking and sharing consultant report recommendations and actions. It clearly defines staff’s responsibilities when receiving consultant reports.
- Creating and updating standard operating procedures related to traffic safety including friction, fatal injury investigations and the Red Hill Valley Parkway/Lincoln M Alexander Parkway operation and maintenance plan.
“While there’s still more work to do, the city is taking meaningful steps to strengthen transparency, improve information sharing with council and the public, and enhance collaboration across departments,” said Marnie Cluckie, city manager. “We are committed to doing this work — learning from the inquiry, acknowledging past mistakes, and keeping the community informed on progress.”
The remaining action items are underway and expected to be completed by early 2026.
The city has a dedicated web page at hamilton.ca/rhvp with information about the inquiry, steps taken to date and updates on progress being made.
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