London Councillor Spotlights Hamilton Road Safety by Wearing Black

It’s not every day you see a London city councillor matching their wardrobe to the message they plan to deliver at a council meeting. But that's exactly what Ward 1 Coun. Hadleigh McAlister did on Tuesday.

Dressed in a black suit jacket, black tie, black pants, and a grey vest, McAlister made a heartfelt plea to improve the safety of a perilous stretch of Hamilton Road.

McAlister urged fellow councillors to support his proposal to have city staff study a redesign of Hamilton Road, between Adelaide Street and Highbury Avenue, and to prepare a financial plan for the 2028-31 city budget cycle.

He stated that he wore black in honor of those who have died in crashes on Hamilton Road. 'I am sounding the alarm on this road, because if we don’t plan for the future now, we’re going to see more tragedies along this corridor,' McAlister said.

Highlighting that London police identify Hamilton Road as uniquely challenging, McAlister stressed that city council should approve a redesign as the city's population continues to grow.

Several pedestrians and cyclists have been injured or killed in crashes on Hamilton Road in recent years, including a cyclist in June. Despite short-term measures—like better lighting, improved road markings, and increased police enforcement—the road remains hazardous.

The Hamilton Road BIA has supported the proposed study, as noted in a letter to city council’s city works committee on August 12. Despite this support, McAlister’s pitch to redesign the road, including a suggestion for a three-lane layout with wider sidewalks and bike lanes, failed in a 10-5 vote.

Colleagues appreciated McAlister's passion, but argued that other areas also need attention. Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis noted that Hamilton Road has already undergone significant work and that the focus should shift to other projects.

An upcoming project to revamp the intersection of Hamilton and Highbury was pointed out as an example of future improvements planned for the area.

The proposed study would have been part of the city’s master mobility plan, which aims to have a third of trips taken by bus, bike, or walking by 2050. For some councillors, the issue was that many other roads have long awaited repairs or upgrades.

Mayor Josh Morgan expressed his understanding of McAlister’s position but emphasized that it should ultimately be up to city staff to prioritize projects through the master plan. He remarked that the study McAlister proposed might still happen as part of the broader mobility plan.

The first large-scale components of the city’s mobility plan, including various road projects, are expected to be unveiled in the fall.