July 27, 1998

To:The Urban Environment and Development Committee

From:General Manager, Transportation Services

Subject:Proposed Introduction of Westbound Left-turn Prohibition at the Southerly Access to No. 3309 Dufferin Street North York Spadina: Councillors Mike Feldman, Howard Moscoe

Purpose:

To prohibit westbound left turns at the southerly access to No. 3309 Dufferin Street.

Funding Sources:

The cost of the installation of the appropriate signage is the responsibility of the property owner.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)westbound left turns at the southerly access to No. 3309 Dufferin Street be prohibited at all times; and

(2)the appropriate by-law(s) be amended accordingly.

Background:

As a condition of site plan approval, the Developer agreed to accept restricted access to Dufferin Street at the southerly access to No. 3309 Dufferin Street whereby westbound left turns would be prohibited by by-law and restricted by the physical layout of the driveway.

Discussion:

Dufferin Street in this vicinity is a four-lane arterial roadway, with a southbound left-turn lane and a posted speed limit of 50 km/h. The subject property on the east side of Dufferin Street at No. 3309 is being redeveloped to construct a two-story building to contain offices and a car rental agency. This property has two accesses to Dufferin Street. The southerly access to No. 3309 Dufferin Street is approximately seven metres north of the north-side pedestrian crosswalk of the signalized intersection of Dufferin Street and Bentworth Avenue/Ranee Avenue. Outbound left-turning movements from the southerly access, so close to the intersection, are awkward and can cause conflicts within the intersection of Dufferin Street and Bentworth Avenue/Ranee Avenue. The outbound left-turning movement will continue to be permitted at the northerly access.

At the present time, there is not a history of collisions at the subject driveway. However, once the redevelopment is complete and site traffic increases, the risk of collisions would be increased.

Both ward councillors have been contacted concerning this matter and both are in agreement with the recommendations.

Conclusions:

The prohibition of westbound left turns at this access is a condition of site plan approval. It is supported by channelization of the driveway and will promote safe and efficient traffic operations on this section of Dufferin Street.

Contact Name:

Bruce Zvaniga, Manager

North & West Traffic Regions (416) 392-8826

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

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