October 15, 1998

To:Urban Environment and Development Committee

From:General Manager, Transportation Services

Subject:Amendment to Stopping Regulations

Spadina Avenue, north of College Street

Downtown:Councillors Olivia Chow and Kyle Rae

Purpose:

To amend the stopping regulations on the west side of Spadina Avenue to allow vehicles to stop and make deliveries to the Scott Mission.

Funding Sources:

The funds associated with the implementation of the proposed stopping regulation changes are contained in the Transportation Services Division's 1998 Current Budget. The estimated cost of installing appropriate signs is $1,000.00.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the existing full time stopping prohibition on the west side of Spadina Avenue be changed to a parking prohibition at all times between 30.5 metres north of College Street and 50.5 metres north of College Street; and

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

Background:

At the request of the Scott Mission, staff of the Transportation Services Division and the Toronto Transit Commission have investigated means to enable large vehicles to continue to make deliveries to the Scott Mission without compromising the integrity of the temporary bollards recently installed along the streetcar right-of-way in this vicinity.

Discussion:

The Scott Mission is a benevolent organization which depends on donations from others. The Scott Mission is located on the west side of Spadina Avenue between College Street and Spadina Circle. They have a very narrow laneway on the south side of their building for receiving deliveries. Generally, they are not able to predict when deliveries will occur and these deliveries can arrive in vehicles of varying sizes. Occassionally, the vehicles will be semi-trailers. In the past, this type of vehicle would gain access to the laneway by pulling across both directions of travel on Spadina Avenue, including the streetcar track allowance, and then backing into the laneway. With the recent installation of temporary bollards on Spadina Avenue to prevent vehicle access across the streetcar tracks, this maneouvre by semi-trailers is no longer possible. Other smaller vehicles are still able to back into the laneway. We met with representatives of the Scott Mission to determine whether any action could be taken to enable the deliveries by semi-trailers to continue and not jeopardize their receipt of these donations.

We considered various options including the full time removal of bollards, the installation of removable bollards, and the scheduled temporary removal of bollards. However, none of these options are considered feasible due to the following concerns:

(1)all of these options result in safety concerns by creating an opening across the streetcar track allowance which could then be used by other vehicles making illegal turns and U-turns;

(2)the timing of the delivery of donations is unpredictable; and

(3)there was concern with the safety of these semi-trailers pulling across all lanes of Spadina Avenue and then reversing into the laneway.

Therefore, we considered the alternative of creating a loading zone, which would allow these large vehicles to stop along the west side of Spadina Avenue. The deliveries would then be unloaded at curb side and transported into the Scott Mission. Considering the infrequency of these type of deliveries, the Scott Mission representatives felt that this was an acceptable compromise.

At the present time stopping is prohibited on the west side of Spadina Avenue between College Street and a point just north of the laneway to the Scott Mission (58 metres). The purpose of this stopping prohibition is to maintain two lanes of traffic at all times. The Scott Mission will only require use of this area infrequently and the other uses on this section of Spadina Avenue do not create a high demand for loading activity. There is sufficient space to create a 20 metre loading zone immediately south of the laneway and still maintain a 30.5 metre No Stopping zone. As a result, a loading zone could be created without significantly affecting traffic operations on Spadina Avenue. Therefore, we are recommending that a No Parking regulation be introduced in this 20 metre section, which will allow for the loading/unloading of vehicles.

Councillor Olivia Chow, who looks after this area of the Downtown Ward, has expressed no concern with this proposal.

Conclusion:

Changing the stopping prohibition on the west side of Spadina Avenue, north of College Street, to provide a 20 metre loading zone will enable the Scott Mission to continue to receive deliveries by large vehicles without compromising the safety of the streetcar track allowance or adversely affecting traffic operations on Spadina Avenue.

Contact Name:

Jacqueline White, Acting Manager

Central Traffic Region

416-397-5021

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

JW/der