August 25, 1998

To:Chairman and Members of the Scarborough Community Council

From:Gary Welsh, Director, Transportation Services, Works and Emergency Services, District 4

Subject:Speeding on Aylesworth Avenue, Scarborough Bluffs

Purpose:

To address the concern of speeding on Aylesworth Avenue.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not Applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)a copy of our speed counts be forwarded to the Toronto Police, 41 Division for their review and to take whatever action they deem necessary.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At their meeting on July 22, 1998, Scarborough Community Council recommended that "the Director of Road and Traffic Services, Scarborough, continue to review complaints respecting speeding in this area and report the results to the Scarborough Community Council;". These comments were in relation to a report that Road and Traffic Services staff had presented to install two minor street stop signs and extend the existing 40 kilometre per hour speed limit to encompass new sections of Aylesworth Avenue just east and west of Kennedy Road.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

Aylesworth Avenue is located north of Kingston Road, between Birchmount Road and Midland Avenue. Recently, Aylesworth Avenue immediately east and west of Kennedy Road, was extended to the road allowance of Kennedy Road and residential homes were constructed on the north side of the new section of road. We should mention that Aylesworth Avenue does not intersect with Kennedy Road.

Speed Studies:

As a result of the request from Community Council, automatic 24-hour speed studies were conducted on Wednesday, August 12, 1998 both on the section of Aylesworth Avenue to the east and west of Kennedy Road. These counts revealed that the majority of motorists travelled at or below the existing 40 km/h speed limit, however, cases of excessive speeding were recorded on both roads. The results of our two studies are as follows:

Speed Study Analysis:

Based on the results of our automatic 24-hour speed studies, it appears that Aylesworth Avenue suffers from some of the same problems experienced on other local residential roads. Specifically, a few motorists, usually area residents, elect to travel at excessive speeds in total disregard for public safety.

Due to the low number of excessive speeders recorded during our 24-hour studies, concentrated enforcement of the existing 40 km/h speed limit is not recommended. To recommend this measure would not be an effective use of limited police resources as an officer would have to spend an inordinate amount of time to catch the occasional excessive speeder. Nonetheless, we will forward this information to the police to take whatever action they deem necessary.

Police Suggestion:

The Toronto Police Services has suggested that should residents observe specific motorists continually driving at excessive speeds that they visit their local police department. If residents can provide the police with the times of the day when this speeding occurs and the licence plate numbers of the offenders, the necessary action can then be taken in an effort to reduce these occurrences.

Collision History:

A review of the collision history on Aylesworth Avenue over the past three years for which we have all collision reports, January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996 reveals the following.

The one speed related collision involved an unlicenced area resident who was driving an unlicenced vehicle. The driver was also intoxicated. This collision review did not reveal any collision patterns.

Conclusions:

These speed counts do reveal generally a good compliance with the 40 kilometre per hour speed limit, however, with some motorists travelling at excessive speeds. Therefore, we will forward this information to the police to pursue whatever action they deem necessary.

Contact Name:

Bruce Clayton

Supervisor, Traffic Investigations, Works and Emergency Services

Telephone: 396-7844

Fax: 396-5681

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

Gary H. Welsh

Director

Transportation Services

Works and Emergency Services

District 4

BDC:ca

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