(Report dated June 24, 1998, addressed to Etobicoke Community Council, from the Commissioner of Works.)

Subject:Extension of the Noise Wall Located on the South Side of Highway 401 at the Kipling Avenue Interchange (Kingsway-Humber)

Purpose:

To respond to a petition from residents requesting the noise wall located on the south side of Highway 401 at the Kipling Avenue interchange be extended along the east side of Kipling Avenue to St. Andrews Boulevard, south of Highway 401.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)this report be received; and that

(2)this request be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, Ontario (MTO) for consideration and placement on the Provincial ANoise Barrier Retrofit List.@

Background/History:

In December 1997, a petition (Attachment No. 1) was received from several residents southeast of the Highway 401 and Kipling Avenue interchange (Byworth Boulevard/ Evernby Boulevard/ St. Georges Boulevard/St. Andrews Boulevard), requesting the noise barrier at this location be extended along the east side of Kipling Avenue to St. Andrews Boulevard, to reduce the air and noise pollution generated by vehicular traffic.

Comments:

Our records indicate that the section of Kipling Avenue between Highway 401 and St. Andrews Boulevard, as shown on Attachment No. 2, is under the jurisdiction of the MTO. Discussions with provincial staff last year confirmed that the MTO has a long list of candidate sites and priorities for noise barrier construction, premised on available funding through their ANoise Barrier Retrofit Program@. The noise barriers have a maximum height of five (5) metres, and generally cost $1,000.00 per linear metre. The general philosophy of the program is the barriers that provide the greatest noise reduction to the highest number of residential units for the lowest cost have the highest priority.

Conclusions:

A number of residents have submitted a petition requesting the noise wall located on the south side of Highway 401 at the Kipling Avenue interchange, be extended along the east side of Kipling Avenue to St. Andrews Boulevard, south of Highway 401. Our records indicate that this section of the Kipling Avenue road corridor is under the jurisdiction of the MTO; therefore, any request for the installation of a noise wall should be directed to this agency for consideration and placement on the Provincial ANoise Barrier Retrofit List.@

Contact Name:

Judy Dunstan, MCIP, Special Projects Co-Ordinator - Transportation and Engineering Planning Division. (416) 394-8408; Fax; 394-8942.

(Attachments are on file in the office of the City Clerk.)