13.Traffic Concerns on George Street

 Commissioner Operations Services, York Civic Service Centre

(March 10, 1998)

 Purpose:

 Councillor Frances Nunziata is requesting a traffic study on George Street, in response to student safety issues raised by both School Advisory Councils for St. John The Evangelist Catholic School, 23 George Street, dated October 8, 1997 and H.J. Alexander Community School, 30 King Street.

 Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

 Traffic budget.

 Recommendations:

 1.That the Uniform Traffic By-law 2958-94 be amended as follows:

 (a)prohibit parking on the west side of George Street between King Street and a point 91.4 metres north thereof, during the hours 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, being the side which directly abuts H.J. Alexander Community School;

 (b)prohibit stopping anytime on the east side of George Street between King Street and a point 57.9 metres north thereof, representing the opposite side of the street on which H.J. Alexander Community School is located;

 (c)prohibit parking on the east side of George Street between a point 57.9 metres north King Street and a point 97.5 metres north thereof, during the hours 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, being the side which directly abuts St. John The Evangelist Catholic School;

 (d)prohibit stopping anytime on the west side of George Street between a point 91.4 metres north King Street to a point 61.6 metres north thereof, representing the opposite side of the street on which St. John The Evangelist Catholic School is located;

 (e)an all-way stop control is warranted at the intersection of King Street and George Street and is therefore recommended for installation.

 2.That York Community Council support the Metropolitan Toronto Police=s Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program and participate in the public information meetings, with the various stakeholders in promoting a safety awareness attitude and unified enforcement approach towards minimizing risk for all users of the street, within school areas;

 3.Further, a copy of this report be forwarded to both Principals and Community School Councils at H.J. Alexander Community School and St. John The Evangelist Catholic School, along with Staff Inspector, Metropolitan Toronto Police, Division 31.

 Council Reference/Background History:

 Councillor Frances Nunziata is requesting a report in response to the following two communications received concerning student safety on King Street and George Street:

 (1) Christine O=Brien, Chair School Advisory Council and Wayne Boon, Principal, for St. John The Evangelist Catholic School, 23 George Street by letter dated October 8, 1997 (Appendix I);

 (2) Kim Rogerson, School Advisory Committee, and Tammy Mantione, Safe Schools Committee, for H.J. Alexander Community School, 30 King Street (Appendix II).

 Subsequently a meeting was held on November 26, 1997, attended by the Principals, representatives of both School Councils, the local Councillor and City staff to discuss the safety concerns and solution options to improve overall student safety, within the immediate area of both schools.

 As a result of this meeting, the following safety issues were raised, wherein we were requested to review and report:

 (a)feasibility of installing an all-way stop control at King Street and George Street;

 (b)parents illegally parking within existing signed parking prohibitions;

 (c)possibility of making George Street one-way.

 For the purpose of this report, each matter has been dealt with separately.

 Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

 a) Feasibility of installing an all-way stop control at the intersection of George Street and King Street

 The present geometric layout of the intersection is a AT@ type design.

 George Street is classified as a local roadway under the City of York Official Plan, with a pavement width of 5.5 metres. George Street provides two-way traffic flow in a north/south direction between Church Street and King Street.

 King Street is classified as a collector roadway under the City of York Official Plan, with a pavement width of 9.1 metres. King Street provides two-way traffic flow in an east/west direction between Weston Road and Rosemount Avenue.

 Presently, the intersection is under stop control for southbound traffic on George Street. As well, both streets are by-lawed and signed with a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h.

 To ensure the overall effectiveness and safety of all-way stop conditions, established warrant criteria are utilized in analyzing the eight (8) hour count data to determine if the warrants are justified.

 In order for an intersection to be warranted for an all-way stop control, at least one of the five warrant criteria must be fulfilled one hundred percent . A recent study at the intersection of George Street and King Street yielded the following results:

 b)Parents illegally parking within existing signed parking prohibitions

 H. J. Alexander Community School is located on the north side of King Street between Weston Road and George Street. On-site parking is limited and reserved exclusively for staff. Driveway access is located on the west side of George Street, immediately north of King Street. School buses presently utilize an indented lay-by, which is presently designated and signed as a ASchool Bus Loading Zone@ off the travelled portion of roadway, on the west side of George Street, directly abutting the school.

 St. John The Evangelist Catholic School is located on the east side of George Street between King Street and Fern Avenue. On-site parking as well is limited and reserved exclusively for staff. Driveway access is located on the east side of George Street, at the south end of the school property. School buses presently utilize an indented lay-by off the travelled portion of roadway on the east side of George Street, directly abutting the school.

 The current by-lawed on-street parking regulations on George Street are as follows:

 ANo Parking@ Anytime on the east side of George Street from a point 160 metres north of King Street to Church Street

 No Stopping@ Anytime on the east side of George Street from a point 58 metres north of King Street to a point 102 metres north thereof

 ANo Stopping Anytime@ on the west side of George Street from King Street and a point 96 metres north thereof

 It is Council=s policy generally to prohibit parking abutting areas with high pedestrian activity, such as schools or playgrounds, to ensure unobstructed sight lines for both motorists and pedestrians. However, in 1989 as a direct result of parents ignoring the signed ANo Parking@ regulations on both the east and west sides of George Street, Council in consultation with Metropolitan Toronto Police, Principals, and Parent Teacher Committees for both schools approved the above stated ANo Stopping@ regulations.

 For Committee=s information, we have recently been contacted by Staff Sergeant Maggiacono, 31 Division, Metropolitan Toronto Police who are presently developing a Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program, to target high risk pedestrian safety issues, specifically around schools within their jurisdiction. In preparation of a tentative implementation date in early April, 1998, it is their intention to hold a series of public meetings with representatives from Parking Enforcement West, Principals, Parent/Teacher Associations, School Advisory Councils, Municipal Staff to introduce the Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program. These meetings are intended to be information sessions to allow various stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the program. It should be noted that both H.J. Alexander Community School and St. John The Evangelist Catholic School have been identified for inclusion in this program.

 Program specifics will require implementation of the following traffic control regulations to minimize risk for all users of the street, as well ensure continuity of signage in school zone areas:

 *ANo Parking@ prohibition abutting the school to establish a safety zone for the purposes of temporary loading/unloading children being transported to school, without impeding the safe movement of vehicular traffic on the street;

 *ANo Stopping@ prohibition on the opposite side of the school to deter the temporary loading/unloading of children being transported to school, whose personal safety is jeopardized in entering the street, at the same time as impeding the safe movement of vehicular traffic on the street.

 It should be noted that the proposed parking regulations are only intended to be in effect during regular school hours, during which time reinforcing overall safety is paramount to all users of the street.

 c)Possibility of making George Street one-way

 Both School Advisory Councils have suggested the City consider designating George Street in a one-way direction, as a possible alternative to improve overall public safety.

 Traffic congestion at any school is a common occurrence today, the common cause being parents dropping off or picking up their children. Parents focus is generally on their children=s personal safety, with little regard for overall public safety.

 Typically it is not uncommon to have streets completely impassable due to vehicles occupying both sides of a street, including the middle of the road. Staff regularly receive complaints from local residents whose driveways are obstructed or occupied by parents waiting or escorting their children into school.

 Implementation of new traffic regulations have proven to have marginal success. Invariably the corrective solution requires a combination of vigilant police enforcement coupled with a parent awareness program to change driver attitude and minimize risk for all users of the street.

 Just designating George Street in a one-way direction will not achieve, nor reduce the current traffic congestion problems or improve overall public safety, presently being experienced on the street. For this reason we do not support the implementation of a one-way regulation on George Street, at this time in view of the pending Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program, which targets the precise problems and provides positive reinforcement to correctively resolving driver attitude.

 Conclusions:

 a)Feasibility of installing an all-way stop control at King Street and George Street

 During our investigation we observed and recorded numerous conflicts between pedestrians and vehicular traffic, supporting the need to improve the overall traffic operations and general safety within the intersection, through the installation of an all-way stop control. Based on the study results, an all-way stop control is warranted at the intersection of George Street and King Street and is therefore recommended for installation.

 b)Parents illegally parking within existing signed parking prohibitions

 Field studies quantitatively support traffic congestion is exclusively related to the morning, lunch and evening hours when children are arriving and leaving school. The major factor contributing to this congestion is the parents themselves who choose to personally transport their children to and from school. We appreciate the fact parents only concern is the personal safety of their children, however, general overall public safety is compromised at the expense of individual safety. This creates a serious safety risk to all users of the public street.

 In conclusion, we support and applaud the Metropolitan Toronto Police=s Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program and further recommend that the current by-law and signed parking regulations on both the east and west sides of George Street be amended to coincide with the program initiatives.

 c)Possibility of making George Street one-way

 Improving public safety for all users of George Street would better be achieved through collectively supporting the Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program. As previously noted, this program targets the precise problems and provides positive reinforcement to correctively resolving driver attitude and in turn improve overall safety to all users of the public street.

Upon implementation of the Zero Tolerance Enforcement Program, York Community Council may wish to have staff evaluate the impact of the program and determine in consultation with the various stakeholders possible improvements, which may support enhancing the overall safety to all users of the public street.

 Contact Person(s):

 Susan Mastromatteo

Traffic Technician

394-2672

394-2888 (fax)

 Stephen C. Brown

Manager, Traffic/Parking

394-2655

394-2888 (fax)

 (All attachmens are on file in the Clerk=s Office, York Civic Service Centre.)