Report to: Development Services Committee Date Report Authored: April 29, 2010
SUBJECT: Traffic
Calming on Eden Avenue & Risebrough Circuit
PREPARED BY: David
Porretta, Traffic Operations Supervisor, ext. 2040
RECOMMENDATION:
1)
That the report entitled “Traffic
Calming on Eden Avenue & Risebrough Circuit”, be
received;
2)
And that, due to not meeting the necessary criteria for
physical traffic calming outlined in the Council approved Safe Streets Strategy
(2004), physical traffic calming measures not be implemented on Eden Avenue
& Risebrough Circuit;
3)
And that staff include Eden Avenue & Risebrough
Circuit as candidate streets for the updated Safe Streets Strategy, which
includes education and enhanced enforcement initiatives;
4)
And that staff be authorized and directed to do
all things necessary to give effect to this resolution.
This report
recommends that Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit be added as candidates for
the updated Safe Streets Program and be provided with enhanced education and
enforcement initiatives. Additionally,
staff does not recommend that physical traffic calming measures be considered
at this time.
In November
2009, Ward 8 Councillor Alex Chiu requested that Traffic Operations staff to
consider implementing physical traffic calming measures, specifically speed
humps, on Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit (north leg) to address concerns
regarding excessive speeding and high traffic volumes.
Both streets
are located in Milliken, as shown in Attachment “A”. Following a thorough assessment of both
streets, staff recommended that both streets be included as possible candidates
under the revised Safe Streets Program, which would include education and
enhanced enforcement initiatives.
In February
2010, Town staff reconvened with Councillor Chiu to further discuss the traffic
concerns on Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit.
It was agreed that Staff would conduct new traffic studies on these two
streets to confirm if traffic volumes and operating speeds are at unacceptable
levels.
Traffic
Operations staff conducted the necessary studies, with results summarized
below:
EDEN AVENUE
RISEBROUGH CIRCUIT (NORTH)
Current traffic volumes are acceptable
Eden Avenue
and Risebrough Circuit are classified as residential collector roadways. This classification is defined by the
Transportation Association of Canada as having an average daily traffic volume
of 8,000 vehicles or less. Given this
criteria, both roads have traffic volumes that are well within acceptable
parameters. Also, historical trends for
these streets indicate that there has not been an increase in traffic volume
over the last five to ten-year period.
Previous efforts to reduce speeding have been
successful
Both streets
have a posted speed limit of 40 km/h. From
2005 – 2007, Eden Avenue was a candidate for the Safe Streets Program and was
therefore provided with education and enhanced police enforcement initiatives. Similarly, Risebrough Circuit was a candidate
in 2007 and also yielded similar results.
These efforts proved to be successful in reducing speeds, as evidenced
in the study results.
Criteria for physical traffic calming is has not been
met
Both streets
are identified as priority routes for Transit
and Emergency Services. As outlined in
the Council approved Safe Streets Strategy (2004), the following criteria must
be met before horizontal traffic calming measures (i.e. raised medians,
chicanes) are considered on priority routes:
Because
operating speeds are below the necessary threshold of 55 km/h and previous
education and enforcement initiatives proved to be effective, staff does not
recommend that physical traffic calming measures be
considered on Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit.
Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit to be included in
the Safe Streets Program
Due to the
successful results of previous efforts through the Safe Streets Program, staff
is recommending that Eden Avenue and Risebrough Circuit be reinstated as
candidates for the program.
Not
applicable.
This report
aligns with the community safety component of the transportation/transit
strategic priority.
Not
applicable.
RECOMMENDED BY:
_______________________ ________________________
Paul
Ingham,
Peter
Loukes,
General
Manager, Operations Director, Operations
_______________________
Brenda Librecz,
Commissioner,
Community & Fire Services