May 13, 1998

 To:Chairman and Members of the Scarborough Community Council

From:Gary Welsh, Director, Road and Traffic Services, Works and Environment, Scarborough District

Subject:Traffic Amendments in the Rosewood Subdivision, Scarborough Agincourt

Purpose:

To present the information relating to a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit on Montezuma Trail in conformance with the former Scarborough Council Speed Limit Procedure and to investigate the need for stop signs on, and on the streets intersecting Cleadon Road.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

The $700.00 (approximate) funds associated with the installation of the speed limit signs and stop signs are available in the Road and Traffic Services 1998 Budget, Account No. 20000-70200-72240.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

 (1)the 40 kilometre per hour speed limit identified in Appendix 1 of this report be adopted;

 (2)the stop signs identified in Appendix 2 of this report be adopted; and

 (3)the appropriate by-laws be amended accordingly.

 Council Reference/Background/History:

At the request of Scarborough Agincourt Councillors Doug Mahood and Sherene Shaw, Road and Traffic Services staff is presenting this report to enact a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit on Montezuma Trail without any staff recommendations. Staff did, however, investigate the intersections of Cleadon Road and Kennaley Crescent, and Cleadon Road and Valdor Drive for all-way stops at the request of the Councillors.

 Discussion:

 Both Cleadon Road and Montezuma Trail are residential roadways located west of Brimley Road and south of McNicoll Avenue. Both roads currently contain 50 kilometre per hour speed limits.

 40 Kilometre Per Hour Speed Limit:

 Based on the former Scarborough Council adopted 40 Kilometre Per Hour Speed Limit Procedure, speed study results were not applied to the 40 Kilometre Per Hour Speed Limit Warrant. The adopted procedure allows a councillor to propose a speed limit of 40 kilometre per hour on any former Scarborough road with a pavement width of 9.7 metres or less.

 All-Way Stop Control:

 The justification for the installation of an all-way stop control is based on a technical warrant established by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), and adopted as the City Policy by the former Scarborough Council.

 Traffic studies conducted on Wednesday, April 8, 1998 on Cleadon Road at the following two intersections produced the following results which illustrate that the Warrant's vehicle volume requirements are not satisfied at these locations:

We must highlight that with the recorded vehicle volume percentage splits for the major/minor roads at these intersections, we would anticipate a high level of stop sign disobedience if stop signs were installed on Cleadon Road as motorists would rarely encounter traffic on the minor road.

Therefore, since the Warrant=s vehicle volume requirements are not satisfied, all-way stop controls are not warranted at these intersections.

All-Way Stop Control Integrity:

It is important to maintain the integrity of our All-Way Stop Control Warrant. The following outlines the main reasons why the installation of unwarranted all-way stop controls are not recommended:  (a)the stop sign is one of the most valuable and effective control devices available to the Traffic Engineering Profession, when used at the right location and under the right conditions;

(b)the installation of unwarranted stop signs as speed control devices often serves to irritate motorists, resulting in a further increase in speeds to make up time for what they perceive as unnecessary delays; for this reason and as stipulated in the All-Way Stop Control Warrant, it should not be used as a speed control device;

(c)most motorists are reasonable and prudent with no intention of maliciously violating traffic regulations; however, when an unreasonable restriction is imposed, it does result in flagrant violations; in such cases, the stop sign can create a false sense of security in a pedestrian and an attitude of contempt in a motorist; these two attitudes can and often do conflict, ultimately making the intersection less safe for both pedestrians and motorists;

(d)the City has an obligation to provide services in an environmentally conscious manner; the installation of unwarranted stop controls not only undermines the MTO Warrant but contributes to unnecessary fuel consumption and higher levels of noise and air pollution; these pollutants most specifically impact those residents in the immediate vicinity of the intersection; and

(e)the All-Way Stop Control Warrant is incorporated in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, therefore, as the installation of all traffic controls is governed by this Manual, the installation of an unwarranted control could potentially place the City in a position of liability if it was determined to be a factor in a collision.

During the two study periods, no conflicts were observed between motorists or between motorists and pedestrians at these intersections.

Also, if all-way stop controls were installed on Cleadon Road, motorists would now be required to stop in front of homes adjacent to the affected intersections. In the past, we received requests from residents for the removal of stop signs in front of their homes. Some residents feel that these controls will not only adversely affect the appearance of their homes but they will also lose some privacy due to vehicles continually stopping in front of their homes.

Nonetheless, currently no stop signs are posted at either intersection. As our studies reveal that both Kennaley Crescent and Valdor Drive are clearly the minor streets, stop signs where they intersect Cleadon Road would define the right-of-way at these intersections.

Collision History:

A three-year review of the reported collision history, January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996 reveals no (0) collisions have occurred at the intersections of Cleadon Road and Kennaley Crescent, or Cleadon Road and Valdor Drive.

Conclusions:

Based on the Scarborough Council adopted 40 Kilometre Per Hour Speed Limit Procedure, this report proposes the installation of a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit on Montezuma Trail.

Although all-way stop controls are not warranted or recommended on Cleadon Road at either Kennaley Crescent or Valdor Drive, we do propose stop signs on both of the minor street approaches to define the right-of-way at these intersections.

Contact Name:

Bruce Clayton

Supervisor, Traffic Investigations

Road and Traffic Services, Works and Environment, Scarborough District

Telephone: 396-7844

Fax: 396-5681

E-mail: clayton@city.scarborough.on.ca

  Gary H. Welsh Michael A. Price

Director Commissioner

Road and Traffic ServicesWorks and Environment

Works and EnvironmentScarborough District

Scarborough District

 BDC:ca

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   Appendix 1

 A40 kilometre per hour Speed Limit@

 Regulation to be Enacted

Appendix 2

 "Through Streets"

 Regulation to be Enacted

  Column 1Column 2

 HighwayFromTo

Cleadon McNicollAlexmuir

RoadAvenueBoulevard