Installation of Traffic Control Devices -

Eastwood Road from Woodbine Avenue to Bellhaven Road

(East Toronto)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that:

(1)the report (September 14, 1998) from the Director, Transportation Services District 1 be adopted; and

(2)the poll referred to in Recommendation No. (1) of the report (September 14, 1998) from the Director, Transportation Services District 1, Works and Emergency Services, be conducted from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue, south of Duvernet Avenue.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (September 14, 1998) from the Director, Transportation Services District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To reduce the operating speed of motorists using this section of Eastwood Road.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funds to cover the cost of this work in the estimated amount of $3,000.00 are available under Capital Fund Code No. 296702.

Recommendations:

(1) That approval be given to alter sections of the roadway on Eastwood Road, from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue for traffic calming purposes as described below, with implementation subject to the favourable results of polling of the affected residents pursuant to the policy related to speed hump installation as adopted by the former City of Toronto Council:

"The construction of speed humps on Eastwood Road from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue, generally as shown on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5200, dated April 1998";

(2) That the speed limit be reduced from forty kilometres per hour to thirty kilometres per hour on Eastwood Road from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue, coincident with the implementation of traffic calming; and

(3) That the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to implement the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that might be required.

Comments:

As requested by residents of Eastwood Road and in consultation with Ward Councillors Tom Jakobek and Sandra Bussin, a staff investigation has been conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing speed humps on Eastwood Road from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue to reduce the number of speeding motorists on this street.

Eastwood Road from Bellhaven Road to Woodbine Avenue operates two-way with a pavement width of 8.56 metres and has a posted speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour. A recent twenty-four hour speed and volume survey conducted on Eastwood Road between Kingsmount Park Road and Glenmore Road has provided the speed data shown in the following table.

The incidence of speeding in excess of the forty kilometres per hour speed limit is approximately 84%; while the percentage of vehicles recorded at a rate of speed in excess of fifty kilometres per hour is 64.0%. This speed profile indicates that speeding vehicles are of genuine concern along this section of Eastwood Road.

The former City of Toronto Council, at its meeting on August 21, 1997 adopted, as amended, Clause 28 in City Services Committee Report No. 10 entitled Installation of Speed Humps on City Streets which sets out five primary criteria that must be satisfied when evaluating requests for speed humps (as opposed to speed bumps). Specifically, to warrant speed hump installation, one of the criteria stipulates that the street should carry a volume of between 1,000 and 8,000 vehicles per day. As noted above, Eastwood Road carries a total of 4,655 vehicles per day and accordingly, the installation of speed humps is technically warranted.

As stipulated in the Policy, once it has been determined that speed hump installation is technically warranted, a City poll should be conducted of adults (18 years and older) of households directly abutting the affected street, and households on side streets whose only access is from the affected street. Given the relatively profound impact that such an initiative may have on a street, it is recommended that a high level of acceptance, namely 60% of those responding, be achieved in order to authorize the installation.

The changes proposed to the Eastwood Road roadway as set out above constitute an alteration to a public highway pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Act.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Municipal Act, the intent of Council to enact a by-law to authorize any physical changes resulting in the alteration of the pavement configuration must be advertised and subsequently be subject to a public hearing. It is noted that consultations with the emergency services agencies will be undertaken to ensure that the detailed design does not unduly hamper their respective operations.

This project is pre-approved in accordance with Schedule A of the Class Environmental Assessment for Municipal Roads Projects.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

David G. Dignard

Traffic Investigator

392-7771