July 30, 1998
To:Urban Environment and Development Committee
From:General Manager, Transportation Services
Subject:Request for Traffic Control Signals McNicoll Avenue and Silver Springs Boulevard Scarborough Agincourt;
Councillors Doug Mahood, Sherene Shaw
Purpose:
To report on the results of the traffic signal warrant studies conducted at McNicoll Avenue and Silver Springs Boulevard.
To obtain approval for the installation of a pedestrian crossover at the subject location.
Funding Source:
Funds are available for the installation of pedestrian crossovers as per Section 37 agreement, Account No.
70697-0000-0000-853. The estimated cost of the installation of a pedestrian crossover at this location is $19,300.00.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that a pedestrian crossover be installed on McNicoll Avenue at Silver Springs Boulevard.
Background:
The subject location has been investigated on numerous occasions in response to pedestrian safety concerns raised by the
Silver Springs Community Association.
At its meeting on September 30, 1997, Scarborough Council adopted Clause 9, Report 16 of the Works and Environment
Committee which contained the following recommendation:
"That prior to the crosswalk being installed on McNicoll Avenue at Silver Springs Boulevard, that Metropolitan Toronto
Council be once again requested to install traffic lights at this location. If Metro's response is negative, that staff be
authorized to proceed with this crosswalk installation"
Due to the timing of Scarborough Council's request, Metropolitan Toronto Council was not able to respond in 1997. In
December 1997, the Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Department responded to the Scarborough City clerk's office
indicating that the installation of traffic control signals at the subject location is not warranted.
Scarborough District staff submitted a report regarding this issue to the Scarborough Community Council at its July 22,
1998 meeting which concluded that a pedestrian crossover should be installed. Scarborough Community Council deferred
the report and requested another report to further discuss the installation of traffic control signals.
Discussion:
McNicoll Avenue in this vicinity is a four-lane collector roadway with a posted speed limit of 50 km/h. Silver Springs
Boulevard, a local road, forms a "T" intersection on the south side of McNicoll Avenue. A northbound stop sign on Silver
Springs Boulevard currently controls traffic at this intersection. A T.T.C. bus loop, the L'Amoureaux Community Centre
and Mary Ward Secondary School are located on the north side of McNicoll Avenue immediately east of Silver Springs
Boulevard. L'Amoureaux Tennis Centre, Silver Springs Elementary School and St. Sylvester Elementary School gain
access to Silver Springs Boulevard south of McNicoll Avenue. A pedestrian underpass is located immediately to the west
of Silver Springs Boulevard and allows pedestrians to cross McNicoll Avenue free from potential conflicts with vehicles.
Adjacent traffic control signals are located approximately 390 metres to the west at Birchmount Road and 375 metres to the
east at Kennedy Road.
Over the past two years, several eight hour traffic control signal warrant studies have been conducted and revealed that the
warrants for traffic control signals are not met at McNicoll Avenue and Silver Springs Boulevard. The results are listed
below:
|
Warrant |
Compliance |
|
November 24, 1997 |
April 3, 1997 |
October 17,
1996 |
April 11, 1996 |
|
Minimum Vehicular Volume |
39% |
32% |
23% |
30% |
|
Delay to Cross Traffic |
43% |
61% |
51% |
57% |
|
Collision Hazard |
40% |
40% |
40% |
40% |
For the traffic control signal warrants to be satisfied, one of the "Minimum Vehicular Volume" or "Delay to Cross Traffic"
warrants must be 100 per cent. satisfied or any two of the three warrants must be at least 80 per cent. satisfied. The
"Collision Hazard" warrant is based on the number of collisions that occurred at the intersection in a three-year period
which were potentially preventable by the installation of traffic control signals. Collision statistics provided by the Toronto
Police Service indicate six collisions occurred over a three-year period from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996 which
were potentially preventable by the installation of traffic control signals. None of these collisions involved pedestrians.
Based on the above information, the technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are not met.
During the most recent study, 53 pedestrians were observed crossing McNicoll Avenue over the eight hour period.
Although there is a pedestrian underpass immediately to the west of Silver Springs Boulevard, the majority of pedestrians
crossed McNicoll Avenue on the east side of Silver Springs Boulevard and were heading towards the T.T.C. bus loop and
Mary Ward Secondary School.
In 1997, Scarborough Council authorized staff to proceed with the installation of a pedestrian crossover at this location
subject to a negative response from the Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Department regarding the installation of
traffic control signals. Given that Toronto Transportation Services staff do not support the installation of unwarranted
traffic control signals, a pedestrian crossover should be installed on McNicoll Avenue at Silver Springs Blvd.
As instructed by the Urban Environment and Development Committee, staff have contacted the ward councillors. Both
Councillors Mahood and Shaw would prefer the installation of traffic control signals to the installation of a pedestrian
crossover at the subject location.
Conclusions:
The technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are not met at McNicoll Avenue and Silver Springs
Boulevard. In support of the September 1997 resolution of Scarborough Council, a pedestrian crossover should be installed
at this location.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Martin D. Maguire
Acting Manager, East Traffic Region
(416) 392-5243
David C. Kaufman
General Manager, Transportation Services
Barry H. Gutteridge
Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
RAN/jr
