Installation of a Northbound "Stop" Sign
- Intersection of Hertle Avenue and Highfield Road
(East Toronto)
The Toronto Community Council recommends that a northbound stop sign be
installed at the intersection of Hertle Avenue and Highfield Road.
The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (August 31, 1998) from
the Director, Infrastructure Planning and Transportation, City Works Services:
Purpose:
To report on a request to install a "Stop" sign for northbound traffic Highfield Road at
Hertle Avenue, thereby creating an all-way stop controlled intersection.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable
Recommendation:
That this report be received for information.
Comments:
At the request of Councillor Tom Jakobek, I am reporting to the Toronto Community
Council on the installation of all way "Stop" sign control at the intersection of Highfield
Road and Hertle Avenue to reduce northbound left turn cornering speeds.
Hertle Avenue and Highfield Road form a T-type intersection. Hertle Avenue operates
two-way on a pavement width of 8.53 metres with a daily traffic volume of approximately
200 vehicles and a posted 40 kilometre per hour speed limit. Parking is allowed on the east
and south sides of the street for a maximum period of three hours and parking is allowed by
permit only from 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily. A "Stop" sign is posted for eastbound traffic
on Hertle Avenue at Highfield Road. Highfield Road between Dundas Street East and
Richard Avenue is a residential street which operates one-way northbound on a pavement
width of 8.53 metres with a 40 kilometre per hour maximum speed limit and a daily volume
of approximately 500 vehicles. Parking is allowed on both sides of the street and permit
parking is in effect on this section of Highfield Road from 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. Highfield
Road is the through roadway and traffic flow is not regulated by a "Stop" sign at the present
time.
Having evaluated this intersection against the installation criteria for "Stop" signs adopted
by the former City of Toronto Council at its meeting of September 16 & 17, 1991, this
intersection does not satisfy the technical guidelines for the installation of all-way "Stop"
sign control (which would result from the installation of a northbound "Stop" sign on
Highfield Road).
The aforementioned criteria have been applied by Works staff for the past seven years when
evaluating "Stop" sign requests. However, these criteria are unique to the former City of
Toronto and are significantly less stringent than the installation guidelines established by the
Provincial Ministry of Transportation (MOT) and those used by other municipalities when
evaluating all-way "Stop" sign requests. Notwithstanding, neither the former City of
Toronto's installation criteria nor the MOT's installation guidelines endorse cornering speed
or speed reduction in general as reasons for installing "Stop" signs.
Several site visits by Works staff have not detected any specific problems related to
operational safety at the intersection of Highfield Road and Hertle Avenue. However, it is
typical that sporadic incidents of high speed turns like those described by area residents
occur which might not have been detected during our review.
For your Council's information, staff have also evaluated Hertle Avenue with respect to
speed humps against the installation criteria for speed humps as approved by City Council in
August of 1997 and have found that the installation of speed humps is not warranted as the
daily traffic volume is approximately 200 vehicles which falls well short of the required
1,000 vehicle per day minimum.
Notwithstanding all of the above, should the Toronto Community Council wish to install a
"stop" sign for northbound traffic on Highfield Road at Hertle Avenue it will be necessary to
recommend that City Council approve the following amendments to Chapter 400 of the
Municipal Code:
(1)That a "Stop" sign be installed for northbound traffic on Highfield Road at Hertle
Avenue; and
(2)That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to
give effect to the forgoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are
required.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
David G. Dignard
Traffic Investigator, 392-7771