Proposed Installation of Traffic Control Signals:

Morningside Avenue and

Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (March 3, 1998) from the Interim Functional Lead, Transportation:

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to obtain approval for the installation of traffic control signals at the intersection of Morningside Avenue and Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue.

Funding Sources:

The funds associated with new traffic signal installations are contained in the Transportation Department's Proposed Capital Program under Project No. C-TR031. The estimated cost of installing traffic control signals at this location is $90,000.00.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) traffic control signals be approved at the intersection of Morningside Avenue and Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue;

(2) coincident with the traffic control signal installation, the easterly northbound lane on Morningside Avenue at Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue be designated for right-turning vehicles only, buses excepted;

(3) installation be subject to the approval of the 1998 Capital Works Program and the securing of appropriate financing; and

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

Background:

At the request of staff of the former City of Scarborough Works and Environment Department in 1997, Toronto Transportation staff conducted an investigation to determine the feasibility of providing traffic control signals at Morningside Avenue and Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue.

Discussion:

The subject intersection defines the eastern limit of Finch Avenue East. At this point, Finch Avenue East curves southwardly and becomes Morningside Avenue at the intersection of Finch Avenue East, Morningside Avenue and Old Finch Avenue. In this vicinity, Finch Avenue East is a two-lane roadway and Morningside Avenue is a four-lane arterial road. Both roadways have a two-way, 24-hour volume of approximately 17,000 vehicles. Old Finch Avenue is a two-lane roadway with a two-way, 24-hour volume of approximately 9,000 vehicles. Adjacent traffic control signals are located 390 metres to the south on Morningside Avenue at Sewells Road, and 1 100 metres to the west on Finch Avenue East at Neilson Road.

An eight-hour traffic control signal warrant study was conducted and revealed that the installation of traffic control signals is technically warranted. The results are listed below:

Warrant Compliance

(1) Minimum Vehicular Volume 81 percent

(2) Delay to Cross Traffic 82 percent

(3) Collision Hazard 27 percent

Either Warrant 1 or Warrant 2 should be 100 percent satisfied or any two of the three warrants should be 80 percent satisfied to satisfy the minimum technical requirements for the installation of traffic control signals.

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 are as follows:

Time Period: January 1, 1994, to December 31, 1996

Total Collisions: 11

Collisions Potentially Preventable: 4

Collisions Involving Pedestrians: 0

Based on the above, the technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are met.

With the installation of the proposed traffic control signals and the associated pavement markings there would be no discharge lane on the north side of the subject intersection for vehicles in the northbound curb lane if they proceeded through the intersection. To advise motorists of this configuration, and to enable police enforcement, the northbound curb lane should be designated for right-turning vehicles only, buses excepted.

A Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway spur line runs parallel to Morningside Avenue and crosses Old Finch Avenue in the vicinity of the subject intersection. Staff at the St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway (a division of CP) indicate that the railway spur line ceased operation on January 10, 1997, and the track infrastructure will be removed in the future. Railway crossing protection is not currently in place, and will not be required in conjunction with the installation of traffic control signals at the subject intersection.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) is presently being undertaken regarding the realignment of Morningside Avenue with Finch Avenue East and Old Finch Avenue to eliminate the "bottleneck" which presently occurs on Finch Avenue East at the CP Railway overpass north of the subject intersection. The preliminary proposed alignments would not significantly affect the subject intersection operations, nor the degree to which it satisfies the minimum technical requirements for the subject installation. Furthermore, this improvement is not expected to be constructed in the near future.

The roadways affected by this proposal are not major arterial roads in this area, so the installation of traffic control signals will not impact the network of arterial roads. Furthermore, the signals will provide benefits to all road users in the immediate area.

Following approval of a group of traffic signal installations, tender documents will be prepared, and qualified electrical contractors will be asked to submit bids for this work. The installation of these traffic control signals is subject to the approval of the 1998 Capital Works Program, which is scheduled to be considered by City Council on April 28, 1998.

Conclusions:

Traffic control signals are warranted and are recommended at the intersection of Morningside Avenue and Finch Avenue East/Old Finch Avenue.

Contact Name:

Mr. Martin Maguire, Acting Manager, East Traffic Region, 392-5243.

(A copy of the location plan, which was appended to the foregoing report, has been forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the March 23 and 24, 1998, meeting of the Urban Environment and Development Committee, and a copy thereof is also on file in the office of the City Clerk.)