WILSON STREET AND SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH IMPROVEMENTS
FALL 2024 TO 2026
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The City of Hamilton will begin reconstruction work on the following streets (please refer to Construction Timelines & Impacts Section for specific dates and timelines):
- Wilson Street between Victoria Avenue and Sherman Avenue North
- Wentworth Street North between King Street East and Wilson Street
- Sherman Avenue North between Wilson Street and Burlington Street East
- Ashley Street between Nightingale Street and Century Street
The scope of work includes urban rehabilitation, road reconstruction and resurfacing, and improvements to active transportation and intersections.
The City will take a “complete streets” approach to this project, focusing on enhancing pedestrian pathways and converting Wilson Street and Sherman Avenue North to two-way traffic within the construction limits. Complete streets are designed to balance the needs of all road users, allowing people to travel safely regardless of age, ability or mode of travel. This approach is closely tied to the Safe Systems and Vision Zero approaches to road safety and recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to street design, as different streets have different priorities, depending on the street’s location, context, and role within the transportation system.
In contrast to the traditional “centerline out” approach, which is primarily focused on motor vehicle capacity, “complete streets” approach takes an “outside-in” perspective. This approach considers the needs of all road users and recognizes the importance of streets not just as pathways for movement but as flexible spaces that enable various modes of travel, including public transit, biking and driving.
PROJECT AREAS
WILSON STREEET
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH
WILSON STREET IMPROVEMENTS
ASHLEY STREET
WILSON TO CENTURY Estimated start date week of February 18, 2025 Estimated completion date week of March 7, 2025 (weather permitting) All dates are tentative and subject to change
For Ashley Street, between Wilson Street and Century Street, construction work will include:
- Sewer replacement
- Road resurfacing
- Minor sidewalk replacements
WILSON STREET
WENTWORTH TO SANFORD Estimated start date middle of March 2025 for three months. Full closure scheduled for March 17, 2025 (weather permitting) Estimated completion date middle of June 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City will convert Wilson Street (Victoria Avenue North to Sherman Avenue North) to two-way traffic including streetscaping improvements. For the portion of Wilson Street between Victoria Avenue North and Wentworth Street North, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Road resurfacing
- A new pedestrian crossing at Emerald Street North
- Replacement of sidewalks at intersections
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
WILSON STREET
VICTORIA TO WENTWORTH Estimated start date early April 2025 (weather permitting) Estimated completion date early May 2025 This portion of the project does not require a full closure. All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City will convert Wilson Street (Victoria Avenue North to Sherman Avenue North) to two-way traffic including streetscaping improvements. For the portion of Wilson Street between Victoria Avenue North and Wentworth Street North, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Road resurfacing
- A new pedestrian crossing at Emerald Street North
- Replacement of sidewalks at intersections
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
WENTWORTH STREET NORTH
KING TO WILSON Estimated completion date middle of March 2025 (weather permitting) All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s LRT project , the City will make improvements on Wilson Street:
- Replacement of water mains
- Road resurfacing
- Minor sidewalk replacements
WILSON STREET
SANFORD TO STIRTON Estimated start date middle of June 2025 Estimated completion date August 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City convert Wilson Street (Victoria Avenue to Sherman Avenue North) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For the portion of Wilson Street between Wentworth Street North and Sherman Avenue North, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Full road reconstruction
- Replacement of sidewalks
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
- Proposed sanitary and storm sewers
- Replacement of water mains
WILSON STREET
STIRTON TO CHESTNUT Estimated start date August 2025 Estimated completion date October 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City convert Wilson Street (Victoria Avenue to Sherman Avenue North) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For the portion of Wilson Street between Wentworth Street North and Sherman Avenue North, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Full road reconstruction
- Replacement of sidewalks
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
- Proposed sanitary and storm sewers
- Replacement of water mains
WILSON STREET
CHESTNUT to SHERMAN Estimated start date October 2025 Estimated completion date December 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City convert Wilson Street (Victoria Avenue to Sherman Avenue North) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For the portion of Wilson Street between Wentworth Street North and Sherman Avenue North, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Full road reconstruction
- Replacement of sidewalks
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
- Proposed sanitary and storm sewers
- Replacement of water mains
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH
WILSON TO CANNON Estimated start date October 2025 Estimated completion date December 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City will convert Sherman Avenue North (Wilson Street to Burlington Street East) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For this portion of Sherman Avenue North, between Wilson Street and Cannon Street East, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Full road reconstruction
- Replacement of sidewalks
- Proposed bump outs
- Enhanced bus pads
- Proposed tree plantings
- Replacement of water mains
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH
SHERMAN AT CANNON Estimated start date October 2025 Estimated completion date December 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
Cycling Detours - more information will be available once the construction begins
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH
CANNON TO BARTON Estimated start date middle of May 2025 Estimated completion date middle of June 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City will convert Sherman Avenue North (Wilson Street to Burlington Street East) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For this portion of Sherman Avenue North, between Cannon Street East and Barton Street East, construction work will include:
- Conversion from one-way to two-way traffic, with associated traffic signals and intersection improvements
- Road resurfacing
- Minor sidewalk repairs
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH
BARTON TO BURLINGTON Estimated start date middle of May 2025 Estimated completion date middle of June 2025 All dates are tentative and subject to change
As part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan , the City will convert Sherman Avenue North (Wilson Street to Burlington Street East) to two-way traffic and will include streetscaping improvements. For this portion of Sherman Avenue North, between Barton Street East and Burlington Street East, construction work will include:
- Road resurfacing
- Minor sidewalk repairs
Note: The future two-way conversion of Sherman Avenue North from Barton Street East to Burlington Street East will be completed after the installation of the railway gates, which is to be completed at a later time.
TWO-WAY STREET CONVERSIONS
The Wilson Street and Sherman Avenue North two-way conversion is part of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan . Converting streets from one-way to two-way has been underway for more than 15 years in Hamilton to create more complete streets and make local streets more accessible for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists.
HSR (TRANSIT)
Great transit is essential for Hamilton to achieve its vision of being the best place to raise a child and age successfully. To support this, the City launched the (Re)envision the HSR project in 2019, aiming to transform the customer experience and redesign the transit network. The goal is to rebuild the network to meet the needs of all users and maximize the benefits of the future LRT. The two-way conversions on Wilson Street and Sherman Avenue North are key steps in this plan to improve the transit network for everyone.
As Hamilton continues to grow and change, it’s important that our network does so too, to ensure it meets Hamilton’s present and future transit needs.
View the fully redesigned concept network map .
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CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES & IMPACTS
HSR (Transit) DETOURS
- More information will be available once construction begins
CONSTRUCTION START DATE - Fall 2024
WENTWORTH STREET NORTH - 2024 The street will be closed for approximately three months between King Street East and Wilson Street. Drivers can still travel along Wilson Street through the intersection, although the two south lanes will be closed for water main works.
WILSON STREET - 2025 The street will be closed from Wentworth Street North to Birch Avenue for approximately four months to allow for sewer and water main works (early 2025). The remainder of Wilson Street will be then fully closed to complete water main works (late 2025).
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH - 2025 One northbound lane of traffic will be maintained on Sherman Avenue North in the summer of 2025 to complete water main works. It is expected that the intersection of Cannon Street and Sherman Avenue North will be closed completely for approximately two months to allow for watermain works.
Motorists and cyclists travelling eastbound will be directed to use Main Street East or Barton Street East.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
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A community information session was held on September 26, 2024, at the Bernie Morelli Recreation Centre to discuss the upcoming Sherman Avenue North roadworks and provide an update on the construction logistics for Wilson Street. The event aimed to inform the public about the project details, timeline, and potential impacts. City Staff and the Project Team led a presentation to walk attendees through the scope of the work and answered questions from residents.
View the presentation from the information session .
In addition to the presentation, display boards were set up to showcase detailed project plans. Attendees had the opportunity to review these boards and engage with the project team to get further clarification.
A public information session was held on June 22, 2023. The event aimed to inform the public about the project and gather resident feedback on its overall design and components. As part of the “complete streets” approach, bump outs will be constructed at various locations within the project limits, providing opportunities to install different streetscaping features. At the public information session, residents participated in a “dotmocracy” activity to vote for their preferred streetscape features.
Dotmocracy (also known as voting with dots) is an established facilitation method used to describe voting with dot stickers or marks with a marker pen. In dot-voting, participants vote on their chosen options, in this case, to represent streetscaping preference on Wilson Street using a limited number of stickers provided for voting.
MEETING RECAP
Thank you to all who participated in our dotmocracy voting exercise during the PIC on June 22nd. The results show a preference for including trees in the proposed bump-out designs on Wilson, as well as significant interest in other landscaping options and benches at some locations.
STREETSCAPING
During the reconstruction of Wilson Street, various aspects of streetscaping will be implemented to enhance the street’s aesthetics, increase community safety, and define street functionality. Key features of the streetscaping design will include:
BUMP OUTS
- Reducing pedestrian crossing distance to ensure less exposure to traffic on the roadway, providing additional refuge space for pedestrians on the sidewalk and additional space for landscaping and street furniture.
SIDEWALK & BOULEVARD (also known as hardscaping)
- Creating wider and more defined pedestrian right of way, with new poles relocated to the boulevard to increase pedestrian mobility
BENCHES
- Providing opportunities for visitors to rest and enjoy the community.
BUS PADS
- Designated bus pads installed for accessible loading and unloading.
LAY-BY PARKING AREAS
- Increased parking options and improved visibility around turning radiuses.
URBAN TREES
- Adding visual appeal, provide shade from the heat, and create safety barriers between pedestrians and vehicles.
LANDSCAPING
- Grass surfaces, flowers, or planters increase the aesthetic appeal of a roadway, decreases stormwater runoff, and creates a better environment for all road users.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The sidewalk is very narrow and the traffic moves very quickly where children are walking along Wilson by Dr. Davey which is already a two-way street. Can you widen the sidewalks and introduce more traffic calming measures? The section of Wilson St. at Dr. Davey school is outside the limits of this project which runs from Victoria Street to Sherman Avenue North. For this project, the roadway will be narrowed to allow for increased sidewalk widths, as recommended in the COH Complete Streets Design Manual.
Can traffic signals at intersections consider an automatic five-second lead time for pedestrians similar to what is at Main and King Streets? The option of adding pedestrian lead times to our traffic signals is currently being investigated.
Could benches be considered in relative proximity to bus stops? The location of bus stops will be considered when determining if and where benches will be added.
Native perennials and pollinator plants would be a great addition to this area. Could landscaping areas be sponsored or adopted by community groups for their installation and maintenance promoting these types of plantings? / Can some landscaping pads be adopted by resident / neighborhood / community groups to plant and maintain to save costs and increase community pride? Native perennials and pollinator plants are not recommended for roadside locations due to the presence of road salt and other factors. Planting locations are still being identified in our detailed design. For residents looking to help maintain planting areas in their communities, The City of Hamilton has a program called Adopt-A-Park, where residents can volunteer to help maintain and care for trees, flowers and shrub beds in their local parks and dog parks, green spaces, woodlots and trails. For more information, visit Adopt a Park.
I have noticed children running across the street to go to the park and to get to St. Patrick’s school and have noticed accidents at this intersection. Could a four-way traffic light be put in at Emerald St. North and Wilson Street? Pedestrian crossing needs at Emerald have been reviewed and an Intersection Pedestrian Signal (IPS) is proposed to cross Wilson at this location. This is a pedestrian activated traffic signal (red light) to increase pedestrian safety when crossing the road.
Will there be crosswalks at every intersection? There will be crosswalks on Wilson St. at the intersections of Victoria Ave. N., Steven St., Wentworth St. N., Sanford Ave. N., Birch Ave., and Sherman Ave N. In addition, an Intersection Pedestrian Signal crossing at Emerald St. N. is proposed. These crossing locations will include full ladder style pavement markings and AODA concrete design to enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility.
Would we be able to get the street names stamped into the concrete like we have in the downtown core? These sidewalk markings are a feature of the Urban Braille System that is used in select areas within the City of Hamilton. This section of Wilson St. is outside of those limits and so these markings are not proposed to be included in the design of this project.
What are my options for installation of a backwater valve to prevent basement flooding? Learn more about the City of Hamilton’s Protective Plumbing Program
What is the reasoning for the two-way conversion of Wilson? There are a number of benefits to two-way streets vs. one-way streets. In this case, the conversion would help improve community circulation and reduce travel speeds. For more information, please view the applicable section of the City of Hamilton’s Transportation Master Plan which goes into detail about the reasoning in this particular case.
How will these changes affect the HSR bus routes? As part of the (Re)Envision the HSR Project, this portion of Wilson Street will go from eastbound bus service only, to east and westbound service with stops on the north and south sides. Learn more about (Re)envision the HSR
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any questions can be directed to:
CONSTRUCTION
Tania DiCampli, Project Manager (Construction) constructionservices@hamilton.ca
DESIGN Shane Given, Project Manager (Design) Shane.Given@hamilton.ca
