Traffic Concerns on Scarden Avenue

Ward 14 - Scarborough Wexford

The Scarborough Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (January 23, 1998) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 4, subject to the following amendments:

(1)strike out recommendation (1) and insert in lieu thereof the following:

"(1)an all-way stop control be installed at the intersection of Scarden Avenue and Arkona Drive/Heaslip Terrace;" and

(2)add the following recommendation (4):

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

so that such recommendations shall now read as follows:

"It is recommended that:

(1)an all-way stop control be installed at the intersection of Scarden Avenue and Arkona Drive/Heaslip Terrace;

(2)turn restrictions not be installed to restrict access to Scarden Avenue;

(3)the Toronto Police Service, 42 Division, receive a copy of this report and provide a period of concentrated enforcement on Scarden Avenue; and

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

The Scarborough Community Council submits the following report (January 23, 1998) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 4:

Purpose:

To address the concerns of petitioners relating to speeding and traffic volumes on Scarden Avenue, and request that the Toronto Police provide speed enforcement on this road.

Funding Sources:

Not Applicable.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)additional all-way stop controls not be installed for traffic on Scarden Avenue;

(2)turn restrictions not be installed to restrict access to Scarden Avenue; and

(3)the Toronto Police Service, 42 Division, receive a copy of this report and provide a period of concentrated enforcement on Scarden Avenue.

Background:

Road and Traffic Services received a petition, on behalf of residents living on or near Scarden Avenue, requesting the installation of all-way stop controls at all of the intersections on Scarden Avenue. In addition, the petition requested that all turns be prohibited onto Scarden Avenue from Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road during both the morning and evening rush hours. Road and Traffic Services initiated a series of traffic studies relating to speeding vehicles and traffic infiltration.

Discussion:

Scarden Avenue is a residential collector roadway located between Arkona Drive and Birchmount Road, immediately north of Highway 401. A 40 kilometre per hour speed limit is posted on this road with an all-way stop located on Scarden Avenue at Marlbank Road/Heaslip Terrace. Traffic control signals exist at the intersections of Scarden Avenue and Birchmount Road and Arkona Drive and Warden Avenue.

All-Way Stop Control:

The justification for the installation of an all-way stop control is based on a technical warrant established by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), and adopted as the City Policy by the former Scarborough Council.

Traffic studies conducted on Wednesday, September 10, 1997 on Scarden Avenue at the following five intersections produced the following results which illustrate that the warrant's vehicle volume requirements are not satisfied at these locations:

The table indicates the warrant's vehicle volume requirements are not satisfied and in most cases the vehicle volume split percentage are not met, therefore, all-way stop controls are not warranted at these intersections.

All-Way Stop Control Integrity:

When used at the right location and under the right conditions, the stop sign is one of the most valuable and effective control devices available to the Traffic Engineering Profession. Therefore, it is important that the City maintain the integrity of the All-Way Stop Control Warrant to ensure driver compliance. The following outlines the main reasons why the installation of unwarranted all-way stop controls is not recommended.

(1)Most motorists are reasonable and prudent with no intention of maliciously violating traffic regulations; however, when an unreasonable restriction is imposed, it does result in flagrant violations. In such cases, the stop sign can create a false sense of security in a pedestrian and an attitude of contempt in a motorist. These two attitudes can and often do conflict, ultimately making the intersection less safe for both pedestrians and motorists.

(2)The City has an obligation to provide services in an environmentally conscious manner. The installation of unwarranted stop controls not only undermines the MTO All Stop Control Warrant but contributes to unnecessary fuel consumption and higher levels of noise and air pollution. These pollutants most specifically impact those residents in the immediate vicinity of the intersection.

(3)The All-Way Stop Control Warrant is incorporated in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Therefore, as the installation of all traffic controls is governed by this Manual, the installation of an unwarranted control could potentially place the City in a position of liability if it was determined to be a factor in a collision

Intersection Characteristics:

If all-way stop controls were installed on Scarden Avenue, motorists would now be required to stop in the front of homes in the area of the intersection.

We are bringing this to your attention as we have, in the past, received requests from residents for the removal of stop signs in front of their homes. Some residents feel that these controls will not only adversely effect the appearance of their homes but they will also lose some privacy due to vehicles continually stopping in front of their homes.

Turn Restrictions:

An origin/destination study conducted on Wednesday, September 10, 1997 at two enter/exit points to this area, Arkona Drive at Warden Avenue and Scarden Avenue at Birchmount Road, revealed a significant number of motorists using Scarden Avenue and Arkona Drive as a through route between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road.

Our study results, in detail, are illustrated in the attached tables and a brief summary is as follows:

However, automatic 24-hour traffic counts conducted at the two main enter/exit locations on Scarden Avenue over a two-day period substantiate that this road, even with a high percentage volume of through traffic, is still functioning within the guideline volumes suggested for a residential collector roadway being between 1500-3500 vehicles/day. Our study results are as follows:

We must emphasize that when considering the restriction of through traffic on a road, it is very important to note the following:

(1)Any control which discourages through traffic will have an equally adverse effect on travel routes for local residents as there are no exceptions to the restriction for residents.

(2)Any restriction installed to eliminate through traffic on a road will transfer this traffic to other roads in the area. For example, if a turn restriction is installed on Scarden Avenue, the traffic volume would likely be transferred to Cass Avenue, Carncastle Gate or other residential roads in the community.

(3)Traffic controls tend to set precedents. Residents perceive actions taken for one road as a warrant for similar actions on their road. Consequently, these controls can transform an area into a traffic maze and reduce the aesthetic quality of the area or motorists may develop "creative" alternatives to circumvent the restrictions.

Therefore, based on the existing through traffic volumes, the 24-hour vehicle volumes and the above reasons, turn restrictions are not recommended at the intersections of Warden Avenue and Arkona Drive and Birchmount Road and Scarden Avenue.

Speeding:

Automatic 24-hour speed studies conducted on Scarden Avenue at two locations over a two-day period revealed that most motorists travelled within a "tolerable speed range", 1 kilometre per hour to 50 kilometre per hour for this 40 kilometres per hour speed limit roadway. However, cases of excessive speeding were recorded.

Our study results, in detail, are illustrated in the attached graphs and a brief summary is as follows:

As this request was prompted due to speeding and through traffic on Scarden Avenue, we must take this opportunity to emphasize that the All-Way Stop Control Warrant specifically states that it should not be used as a speed control device or as a means of deterring the movement of through traffic in a residential area.

Police enforcement is still the best means for controlling motorists' speeds. Therefore, since cases of excessive speeding were recorded, selective police enforcement of the 40 km/h speed limit on Scarden Avenue has been requested.

Collision History:

A review of the collision history on Scarden Avenue reveals six reported collisions over the past five years, January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1996. A brief summary is as follows:

Although any type of collision is regrettable, we must highlight that six reported collisions over five years are not considered an excessive number of collisions based on the function of Scarden Avenue as a residential collector roadway.

Conclusions:

In summary, based on our study results and city policy, all-way stop controls are not warranted on Scarden Avenue. In addition, turn restrictions are not recommended at the intersections of Warden Avenue and Arkona Drive and Birchmount Road and Scarden Avenue to restrict the movement of traffic on Scarden Avenue during the morning and evening rush hours at this time. We believe that this measure would greatly inconvenience area residents in this community.

However, since cases of excessive speeding were recorded, selective police enforcement of the 40kilometre per hour speed limit on Scarden Avenue should be requested.

Contact Name:

Gary H. Welsh, P.Eng.,

Director, Road and Traffic Services, Works & Environment Department,

Telephone: 396-5061,

Fax: 396-5681,

E-mail: welsh@city.scarborough.on.ca

The Scarborough Community Council submits, for the information of City Council, the following communication (October 9, 1998) received from Councillor Norm Kelly:

I am asking for your support for the installation of 3-way stop signs at the intersection of Arkona/Scarden/Heaslip, in Scarborough Wexford, as recommended by staff.

I have held two public meetings on traffic concerns in that area, at which City Staff (GaryWelsh/Bruce Clayton/Richard Noehammer) were present and supported the three-way stop signs which would alleviate confusion at this intersection. Both meetings (March 11 and June 10 of this year) were held at Lynngate Junior Public School. Over 1,640 flyers were distributed and a hundred residents, collectively attended.

Nearby residents support the installation of the stop sign and are beginning to ask why this long overdue safety feature has not been installed yet. So, your support is important.