Transportation Committee
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Alan Brown, Director of Engineering
	PREPARED BY:	Domenic Smarrelli, Traffic Operations Supervisor
	DATE OF MEETING:	2004-Jun-21
	SUBJECT:	Middlefield Road, South of Elson Street Guide Rail

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report entitled, “Middlefield Road, South of Elson Street Guide Rail” dated June 21, 2004, be received;

AND THAT the Operations and Asset Management Department be directed to implement the recommended sign plan;

AND THAT the York Region Chief of Police be requested to provided immediate enforcement of speeds on this roadway:

AND THAT this section of Middlefield Road be considered as a candidate for the Markham Safe Streets Programme.

PURPOSE:

This report outlines preventative measures to improve safety on Middlefield Road, south of Elson Street.

BACKGROUND:

The Engineering Department received several resident complaints about their safety and property being exposed to a frequent number of collisions. This exposure was due to motorists failing to negotiate the curve on Middlefield Road, south of Elson Street, and consequently colliding into the rear yards of James Edward Drive.

DISCUSSION:

Study Results

In response to the resident concerns, an accident history review was conducted and plotted as shown in Attachment 1. The accident history results confirmed that motorists have been failing to negotiate the curve on Middlefield Road, south of Elson Street. Consequently, the rear yards on James Edward Drive, specifically the rear yard wood fence, have experienced damage due to uncontrolled vehicles.

Over a three-year period, i.e. from November 2000 to December 2003, there have been 8 accidents along this section of roadway. Four of the accidents involve damage to private property including wood fencing.

In addition to the accident history review, both a vehicular speed study and road geometric review was conducted on Middlefield Road, south of Elson Street. The speed study revealed that vehicles are driving in excess of the posted speed limit. The posted speed limit is 50 km/h while the actual operating speed, i.e. the 85^th percentile speed, is 73 km/h. The excess speed of 23 km/h suggests that motorists are traveling too fast to negotiate the curve. As for the road geometric review, no deficiencies were found.

Preventative Measures

Given the excessive speeding, this section of roadway should be considered as a candidate for the Markham Safe Street Programme. As a first step, York Regional Police will be requested to provide increased enforcement on this roadway immediately.

A sign plan is recommended to improve motorist awareness when approaching the curve on Middlefield Road, south of Elson Street. The sign plan, as per Attachment 2, will include regulatory speed limit signs, advisory curve signs and chevrons to clearly delineate the curve in the road. This will help to advise motorists of the roadway characteristics and help to prevent and consequently reduce the number of accidents related to loss of control on the curves.

Staff will monitor the conditions to review the effectiveness of the preventative measures. Based on the studies, additional protection measures (i.e. guard rail) may be considered where the preventative measures prove ineffective.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Costs associated with the sign plan can be accommodated in the 2004 Operations and Asset Management Department budget.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Operations and Asset Management Department have reviewed the report and will implement the proposed sign plan.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1 – Middlefield Road - Accident Map

Attachment 2 – Middlefield Road - Proposed Sign Plan

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Director of Engineering

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

Q:\Development\Engineering\REPORTS\2004\June\Middlefield Road Rail\MiddlefieldRoad Guide Rail Report.doc