(Communication dated July 10, 1998, addressed to the North York Community Council from the Deputy Commissioner of Transportation.)

Subject:Modifications to the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the

Bayview Avenue access ramp.

North York Centre South

Purpose:

Provide assessment of either the closure of Pembury Avenue at the intersection with the ramp from Lawrence Avenue East to southbound Bayview Avenue or modifications to the intersection to reduce southbound vehicle operating speeds.

Source of funds:

This project should be considered as a local intersection improvement and sufficient funds be included in the 1999 Capital Works Construction Program.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that Pembury Avenue at the intersection with the ramp from Lawrence Avenue East to southbound Bayview Avenue, be redesigned to discourage the high speed access to Pembury Avenue from the ramp while maintaining access to/from the greater community to the west of Bayview Avenue and south of Lawrence Avenue East.

Background:

The current configuration at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, (see Exhibit 1 attached), provides the opportunity for southbound motorists on the access ramp to continue on Pembury Avenue at a higher than acceptable rate of speed. As can be noted from the exhibit, the intersection is designed at an angle of much greater that the traditional 90 degrees. Northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue is required to stop prior to proceeding southbound on the Bayview Avenue access ramp.

Access from Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East, to the greater community to the west and south, is significantly restricted during the am peak traffic period as southbound right turn restrictions are in place at all intersections along Bayview Avenue, between Lawrence Avenue East and Eglinton Avenue East and westbound traffic on Lawrence Avenue East is restricted from travelling southbound on Mildenhall Road. These restrictions divert considerable traffic on both Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue as they are the only roadways where motorists may legally access the community. However, as neither Wood or Pembury Avenues have full access to Bayview Avenue, they would not experience the same volume of traffic, local or transient, as those with direct access to Bayview Avenue.

Only southbound traffic is permitted on the ramp from Lawrence Avenue East to southbound Bayview Avenue. Southbound traffic on the Bayview Avenue access ramp may continue to the west on either Pembury or Wood Avenues. Eastbound traffic on Pembury or Wood Avenues may only continue southbound on the Bayview Avenue access ramp.

Residents of Pembury Avenue have indicated in a petition to Councillor Flint that the current traffic volume and rate of speed on Pembury Avenue are not appropriate for the roadway. On Pembury Avenue, between the Bayview Avenue access ramp and St. Leonard Drive, there are only single family residential properties.

As a result of their concerns, residents have requested that access to/from Pembury Avenue at the Bayview Avenue access ramp not be permitted.

Discussion:

At the time of the request for the permanent closure of Pembury Avenue, the Transportation Committee for the former City of North York could not support the residents' proposal due to objections received from the residents of Wood Avenue. The residents of Wood Avenue indicated that, as access to the community is restricted to either Pembury or Wood Avenues during the a.m. peak traffic period, any additional restrictions put in place, would result in significant increases in the traffic volumes on Wood Avenue. Residents of Wood Avenue did not indicate any concern for the rate of speed of traffic on Wood Avenue.

Consequently, staff of the Transportation Division were directed to consider alternatives to a full closure, which would reduce the rate of speed of southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue, and to identify the potential impacts on traffic operations on Wood Avenue should a permanent closure be considered for Pembury Avenue at the Bayview Avenue access ramp.

To thoroughly identify the potential impacts and benefits for traffic on the existing roadway system, Transportation Division staff undertook the necessary studies to identify existing traffic volumes and developed Traffic Management Techniques (TMT) to address the Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue residents. Specifically, TMT included the temporary closure/redesign of the Pembury Avenue/Bayview Avenue access ramp intersection and:

• Identify the existing traffic volumes on Pembury and Wood Avenues, and the rate of speed of southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue, south of the Bayview Avenue access ramp;

• The use of new Jersey barriers (see Exhibit 2 attached), to temporarily restrict northbound and southbound traffic at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bavyiew Avenue access ramp. With the closure in place, identify what effects the closure had on traffic volumes on Wood Avenue; and

• With the use of temporary curb stones and minor intersection improvements, modify the intersection of Pembury Avenue and the Bayview Avenue access ramp to require southbound motorists to access Pembury Avenue at a more traditional intersection (see Exhibit 3 attached). Northbound traffic would not be permitted to access the Bayview Avenue access ramp. With the intersection modifications in place, identify what affects the modifications had on traffic volumes on Wood Avenue.

Existing Conditions

Table 1, below, identifies the traffic volumes and vehicle speeds on Pembury and Wood Avenues prior to the installation of any temporary TMT at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp.

These traffic volumes are well within acceptable levels for both local roadways. The speed of southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue is of concern, due to the existing alignment of the intersection and the character of the properties along the roadway.

Road Closure

With the use of new Jersey barriers, northbound and southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue, at the Bayview Avenue access ramp, was prohibited. Subsequently, numerous traffic studies were undertaken to determine what effects the closure would have on traffic volumes on Wood Avenue. Table 1 below identifies the average traffic volume on Wood Avenue, recorded during the studies, with the closure of the intersection.

Intersection Modifications

In order to maintain access to Pembury Avenue while reducing the operating speeds of southbound motorists, the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp was modified.

Although southbound motorists on the Bayview access ramp were required to access Pembury Avenue at a more traditional intersection design, it was not possible to continue to permit northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue to access the Bayview Avenue access ramp.

Table 1, below, identifies the average vehicle volume and speeds, which were recorded on Pembury and Wood Avenues during the traffic studies, with the modifications to the intersection.

Conclusions:

As a result of the traffic studies completed on both Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue, the following was concluded:

• Should access to/from Pembury Avenue be closed permanently at its intersection with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, the expected increase in traffic volumes on Wood Avenue would not be considered excessive;

• With the proper modifications to the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue could access the Bayview Avenue access ramp to continue southbound on Bayview Avenue, traffic volumes on Wood Avenue would be maintained at their existing level, and the rate of speed of southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue would be significantly reduced from that which is currently being observed; and

• From the results of the traffic studies, it would appear that when access was restricted at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, the majority of traffic which previously utilized Pembury Avenue was reassigned to Wood Avenue. Although the total volume of traffic which was reassigned on Wood Avenue is not significant, the concerns of the residents of Wood Avenue, which included further access restrictions into the community, were justified.

It was generally concluded that traffic volumes on Pembury and Wood Avenues are not, even when access is restricted or modified at the Pembury Avenue/Bayview Avenue access ramp intersection, considered excessive. Southbound Pembury Avenue vehicle speeds were significantly reduced with the modifications to the intersection.

It is this departments opinion that to address the principal concerns of the residents of both Wood Avenue and Pembury Avenue, the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp should be modified as described in this report.

Contact Name:

Michael Frederick, Director of Traffic Operations, 395-7484

(Copies of Table 1 and Exhibits 1, 2 and 3, are on file in the office of the City Clerk.)