Hamilton may soon see more decorative crosswalks popping up
Published July 9, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Hamilton may soon be getting a colourful facelift after the Public Works Committee approved a report recommending the City allow for more decorative crosswalks.
Hamilton may soon be getting a colourful facelift after the Public Works Committee approved a report recommending the City allow for more decorative crosswalks.
A report prepared by the Transportation Operations & Maintenance department was up for discussion at Wednesday’s (July 8) meeting and it provided a set of guidelines that would enable members of the community to apply to have a Hamilton crosswalk decorated.
According to the report, a ‘decorative crosswalk’ is a crosswalk that includes elements (colour, design, imagery, texture and/or material) that are considered aesthetic enhancements above and beyond standard crosswalk treatments.
For example, the Tiger-Cats could potentially apply to have their logo displayed on a crosswalk along Cannon or McMaster or Mohawk could paint a crosswalk outside their schools in their colours.
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Edward Soldo, the director of Transportation Operations & Maintenance, said that they have received a few requests over the years to paint crosswalks but until now, they haven’t had the framework to address these requests.
Soldo explained that this report and its accompanying documentation are meant to address that gap.
“The Decorative Sidewalk Guideline is constructed to support and facilitate the installation of decorative crosswalks in the City of Hamilton,” it says in the report.
“It directly aligns with the City of Hamilton Art in Public Places Policy which recognizes that ‘art in public places enriches the quality of life of its citizens adding cultural, social and economic value to our shared public spaces.’”
The commissions, if approved, will be contracted out to contractors who work with specific materials that ensure the roadway maintains proper friction, determined under the Highway Traffic Act.
The cost for a decorative crosswalk can run anywhere between $5,000 to $15,000. The city has devised a list of possible funding scenarios, several of which are shared with municipal coffers.
The proposed set of guidelines can be found here.
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