cars – mackaycartoons

Tuesday January 5, 2016

January 4, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday January 5, 2016

New pedestrian crossover, student crossing rules require drivers to wait

New provincial legislation is now in place that will impact you on the road — and on foot.

It’s now mandatory for drivers and cyclists to stop for the entire time it takes a pedestrian to navigate a crossover or a school crossing with a guard.

Drivers could be fined up to $500 for disobeying the new rules, and they could also lose three demerit points.

Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Carolle Dionne said enforcement will be stepped up to make sure the laws are being followed.

“We are committed to using the new laws as an enhanced deterrent in reducing pedestrian-related injuries and fatalities,” she told CBC News.

“We investigate so many of these each year and it’s important that we keep our pedestrians safer.”

Dionne said road safety is a shared responsibility — and pedestrians, drivers and cyclists need to be courteous to each other, and share the road.

Pedestrians have a role in making sure the new laws are enforced properly. Dionne said they need to make sure “that, when they do decide to start crossing, they don’t start crossing when the lights are flashing, [and] don’t walk or cross at a red light. They have a big role to play in their personal safety as well.”

The new law applies to crossovers and school crossings where there is a guard.

Crossovers are not the same as a crosswalks. They are marked by specific signs, overhead lights, and push buttons. (Source: CBC News)

Saturday, December 13, 2014

December 12, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

Councillors want to end bus-only lane now

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, December 13, 2014

Councillors want to give motorists and merchants an optional bus lane for Christmas.

The city created a three-kilometre dedicated transit lane on King Street more than a year ago to test-drive rapid transit along the busy corridor.

The contentious experiment, slated to end in October, has been prolonged because council won’t get a chance to see detailed results until January — and lane markings can’t be removed until the snow disappears.

But several politicians are ready to effectively kill the unpopular bus-only lane now by ending enforcement against drivers who ignore the vehicle ban.

“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it appeared to be a colossal failure from the outset,” said Coun. Chad Collins, who urged colleagues Monday to give unhappy King Street merchants an “early Christmas present.”

Collins said he’ll introduce a motion Wednesday at general issues committee to make the bus-only lane “nonenforceable” until council makes a final pronouncement on the experiment in January.

Council would have to formally sign off on the idea next week, but city staff appeared resigned to the possibility.

Public works head Gerry Davis said transportation planners would work with the councillor to explore methods to “safely” allow car traffic back into a lane that will still be marked as bus-only. That could include covering overhead signs and asking police to refrain from enforcing the rules.

Joseph Chatelain, general manager at Papagayo Restaurant, said he’ll cheer any move toward ending the project, particularly if it helps salvage the holiday season.

“I’d like it gone completely, but we’ll take whatever help we can get,” said Chatelain, who ideally would like parking to return along the right-hand lane in front of the long-standing restaurant. “It’s hurt us from Day 1. Our takeout service has gone down to nothing.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Thursday, February 27, 2014

February 27, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday, February 27, 2014

Distracted driving fines increase to $280 on March 18

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says drivers talking on the phone or texting now cause more deaths on Ontario roads than drunk drivers.

Fines for distracted driving are set to nearly double next month, but you can’t blame the government for this one.

The decision to increase the fine for driving while using a hand-held device — such as a cellphone or MP3 player — to $280 from $155 starting March 18 comes courtesy of Annemarie Bonkalo, chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice.

Bonkalo was not asked to rule on the issue, nor did she provide detailed reasons for her decision, but with the simple stroke of a pen, she has made distracted driving an even more unattractive option.

The Feb. 18 judicial order appears to have come out of nowhere. It is perfectly within Bonkalo’s statutory authority, say her office and the province, but it comes at a time when the minority Liberals are already promising to introduce a package of distracted driver changes, including possibly demerit points.

Bonkalo’s order represents the first time the fine has been changed since legislation was enacted in 2009.

The Transportation ministry confirmed it did not ask Bonkalo for the increase but its minister, Glen Murray, nonetheless told reporters Tuesday he was pleased with her decision, saying it fits in with the government’s overall efforts to crack down on distracted driving.

Progressive Conservative transportation critic Jeff Yurek sees things differently. He said the judge may have been frustrated with the government dragging its feet on the issue, noting it has failed to push through a private member’s bill from one of its own MPPs that would dramatically increase distracted driving fines and add demerit points.

“I think it speaks to a lack of initiative this government is showing,” Yurek said.

He said it was certainly a concern that a judge can increase a fine without it first being debated among elected officials in the legislature, but Bonkalo “was probably frustrated that this government has not acted on this issue that is killing Ontarians.” (Source: Toronto Star)

Tuesday October 30, 2001

October 30, 2001 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 30, 2001

Highway Mess

There have been 80 accidents where Highway 407 meets Highway 403 in Burlington since the end of July.Ontario Provincial Police say only 10 of the accidents resulted in injuries, but all caused major traffic tieups and added to drivers’ frustration.

The 407 was supposed to move traffic through this area faster, not create more gridlock.

The issue is the design of the 407 ETR (express toll route) access.

The left lane on the non-toll Highway 403 flows directly on to the toll-charging 407.

Drivers who aren’t paying attention could find themselves either driving on the toll road or having to make a quick lane change to avoid it.

These changes have been blamed for several minor collisions.

The situation caused a public outcry when the 407 opened at the Freeman interchange in Burlington in August.

The Ontario Transportation Ministry and 407 officials put up more signs that provide more advanced notice of the left lane becoming part of the 407 and this seemed to ease the situation. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)