March 10, 1998
To: East York Community Council
From: Richard Z. Tomaszewicz
Commissioner of Development Services, East York
Subject: Traffic Concerns on Donegall Drive, Ward 1
Purpose:
To report to the April 1, 1998 East York Community Council further on the results of traffic studies conducted during the temporary installation of turn restrictions onto Donegall Drive.
Financial Implications:
The proposed recommendations can be accommodated in the 1998 Budget.
Recommendations:
A
It is recommended that:
(1) By-law No. 92-93, entitled
ATo regulate traffic on roads in the Borough of East York@ be amended to remove the ANo Right Turn, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday@ restriction for eastbound motorists on Fleming Crescent at Donegall Drive; and
(2) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
@
Background
:
The Council of the City of Toronto, at its meeting on March 4, 5 and 6, 1998, adopted the following recommendations made by the East York Community Council at its meeting on February 18, 19, 1998.
This report deals with the above-noted item No. 3 and reports on alternative solutions to the traffic problems on Fleming Crescent. Staff have forward a request to the Toronto Police Service to conduct appropriate enforcement measures on Macnaughton Road. Staff have also prepared a by-law amendment to replace the yield sign at the intersection of Cameron Crescent and Macnaughton Road with a stop sign.
Previously, staff recommended that the eastbound right turn restriction introduced at the intersection of Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive be rescinded. Traffic volumes on Fleming Crescent have increased significantly since this turn restriction was introduced during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Prior to the introduction of this turn restriction, traffic volumes on Donegall Drive were generally evenly split between eastbound through and eastbound right turning movements. The following table highlights the results of before and after studies conducted at the intersection of Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive.
The above table illustrates that, prior to the introduction of the peak period right turn prohibitions, eastbound traffic volumes on Fleming Crescent were generally split between through and right turns during both the morning and afternoon peak periods.
To augment the data collected for the February 4, 1998 report, staff conducted a traffic study at the intersection of Fleming Crescent and Parkhurst Boulevard on a typical weekday in March. Traffic volumes at this intersection indicated that during the a.m. peak period, 109 vehicles (97 percent of approach volume) proceeded from northbound Fleming Crescent to eastbound Parkhurst Boulevard, and during the p.m. peak period, 267 vehicles (93 percent of approach volume) were observed performing the same movement.
Although origin/destination studies have not been conducted, the volumes outlined above are consistent with the volumes expected with the majority of motorists accessing other areas of South Leaside. Fleming Crescent is a natural access point to South Leaside given the signalized intersection of Fleming Crescent and Bayview Avenue and the southbound peak period turn restrictions at the unsignalized intersection of Bayview Avenue and Parkhurst Boulevard.
It is evident that the traffic travelling eastbound on Fleming Crescent, which is restricted from accessing Donegall Drive due to the peak period turn restrictions at Donegall Drive and Fleming Crescent, continues eastbound towards Laird Drive via Parkhurst Boulevard. Staff concur with local residents that motorists are using Fleming Crescent to access Parkhurst Boulevard during the morning and afternoon peak periods whereas they may have used Donegall Drive to access Millwood Road prior to the introduction of the peak period turn restrictions.
Staff do not recommend, however, that further turn restrictions be implemented in this area of South Leaside. The introduction of turn restrictions on an incremental basis, without reviewing the system-wide implications, could result in traffic merely shifting between local streets in this area. Residents on other local streets where traffic volumes have increased would, in all likelihood, expect similar mitigation measures. It is anticipated that traffic would simply divert to northbound Donegall Drive, and we would expect the residents of this section of Donegall to Drive to request a northbound right turn restriction at Donegall Drive and Parkhurst Boulevard.
Donegall Drive has historically been used as a by-pass to Bayview Avenue. The introduction of additional turn restrictions would severely limit access to the east by residents of Donegall Drive and Fleming Crescent. These residents would be required to travel south on their respective streets and access Parkhurst Boulevard via Cameron Crescent, or use Donegall Drive, south of Fleming Crescent to access Millwood Road as an alternate eastbound travel route. In either case, they would now be using local streets in their community which have historically not been used by these residents for accessing Parkhurst Boulevard or Millwood Road.
Additional turn restrictions would also impact the ability of other Leaside residents to access their streets. These residents would have to change their travel patterns and divert to other Leaside streets such as Parkhurst Boulevard.
Conclusions:
The temporary installation of a
restriction be removed.
It would not be prudent to implement a turn restriction at Fleming Crescent and Donegall Drive without introducing a similar turn restriction at Donegall Drive and Parkhurst Boulevard. Turn restrictions at these 2 intersections would force local residents to use streets such as Cameron Crescent and Donegall Drive for eastbound travel. Staff do not recommend the introduction of any further turn restrictions in this area at this time.
Contact Name:
Peter Bartos, P.Eng., Transportation Engineer
East York Office
778-2225
pbartos@borough.eastyork.on.ca
RICHARD Z. TOMASZEWICZ
Commissioner of Development Services, East York
