February 23, 1998
To: Toronto Community Council
From: Andrew Koropeski, Director, Infrastructure Planning and Transportation, City Works Services
Subject: George Street South, from Front Street East to The Esplanade - Implementation of island parking. (Downtown)
Purpose:
This proposal is intended to enhance operational safety by providing a measure of traffic calming on the street and additional on-street parking spaces on a seasonal basis.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable
Recommendations:
(1) That the parking prohibition at anytime on the east side of George Street South from Front Street East to The Esplanade, be rescinded;
(2) That parking be prohibited at anytime on the east side of George Street South:
a. from The Esplanade to a point 15.0 metres north of Jenoves Place;
b. from a point 26.0 metres north of Jenoves Place to the lane first south of Front Street East;
c. from a point 86.0 metres north of The Esplanade to Front Street East;
(3) That parking be prohibited from December 1 of one year to March 31 of the next year on the east side of George Street South:
a. from a point 15.0 metres north of Jenoves Place to a point 11.0 metres further north;
b. from a point 75.0 metres north of Jenoves Place to a point 11.0 metres further north;
(4) That parking be allowed for a maximum period of one hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday, April 1 to November 30 on the east side of George Street South:
a. from a point 15.0 metres north of Jenoves Place to a point 11.0 metres further north;
b. from a point 75.0 metres north of Jenoves Place to a point 11.0 metres further north; and
(5) That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to give effect to the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.
Background:
City of Toronto Council at its meeting of October 6 and 7, 1997, in considering Clause 21 in Executive Committee Report No. 24 entitled Measures to Enhance Safety for Children/Pedestrians - George Street South, from Front Street East to The Esplanade, adopted the Clause without amendment, and in doing so authorized the Commissioner of City Works Services to develop an island parking plan for George Street South between Front Street East and The Esplanade and to take whatever action is necessary to implement this plan.
Comments:
George Street South, from Front Street East to The Esplanade operates two-way on a pavement width of 8.4 metres with a forty kilometres per hour maximum speed limit. The following parking regulations are currently in effect on this section of George Street South:
East Side:
parking is prohibited at anytime.
West Side:
parking is permitted to a maximum period of one hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday; and
parking is otherwise permitted to a maximum period of three hours.
The permit parking system does not operate on this street.
In developing an island parking plan for this street, consideration was given to the location of fire hydrants, driveways and to the standard operating criteria, specifically: (a) island parking would not occur during the winter months (December 1 to March 31) to allow for snow removal; (b) the parking islands would be restricted to a maximum length of 11.0 metres (two vehicles) and a maximum width of 2.0 metres; (c) a minimum separation of 36.0 metres between parking islands would be maintained to allow for passage of fire trucks and service vehicles; and (d) a minimum 15.0 metre corner parking prohibition would be maintained at each intersection to provide adequate turning radius for fire trucks and other service vehicles which might be required on the street.
The attached drawing No. 421F-5159 shows the island parking plan developed for George Street South between Front Street East and The Esplanade. Two parking islands would be created resulting in a total of 4 parking spaces being provided on the east side of the street from April 1 to November 30 of each year. The travelled portion of the roadway would be narrowed to about 4.4 metres at each parking island essentially creating one lane for traffic and requiring either northbound or southbound motorists to yield to the other within the narrowed section of the roadway.
In conjunction with the implementation of this parking plan, parking should be restricted to a maximum period of one hour from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday from April 1 to November 31 within the parking islands to encourage parking turnover, promote equitable use of the parking spaces and provide consistent temporal parking regulations on both sides of the street during the time when island parking is authorized.
Although this plan would create a traffic calming effect promoting lower operating speeds on this street similar to that evidenced on other streets in the City where similar plans have been implemented, I note that sight lines between motorists and children playing on or near the sidewalk would be reduced, somewhat off-setting the safety benefit derived from lower speeds. Additionally, this would be the first application of island parking on a two-way street. Therefore, it would be advisable to closely monitor the impact of this initiative on the safe and efficient operation of traffic on George Street South.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Ron Hamilton, 392-1806
Director
RJH/
Attachment
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