Modifications to the Intersection of Pembury Avenue
With the Bayview Avenue Access Ramp -
North York Centre South
The North York Community Council recommends that the report (July 10, 1998) from the Deputy Commissioner
of Transportation, North York Civic Centre, not be adopted and that access to/from Pembury Avenue be closed
permanently at its intersection with the Bayview Avenue access ramp.
The North York Community Council reports having requested the Director, Transportation Services, District 3, to report
back to the North York Community Council after one year on the impact on the neighbourhood of the closing of Pembury
Avenue.
The North York Community Council submits the following report (July 10, 1998) from the Deputy Commissioner
of Transportation, North York Civic Centre:
Purpose:
Provide assessment of either the closure of Pembury Avenue at the intersection with the ramp from Lawrence Avenue
East to southbound Bayview Avenue or modifications to the intersection to reduce southbound vehicle operating speeds.
Source of funds:
This project should be considered as a local intersection improvement and sufficient funds be included in the 1999 Capital
Works Construction Program.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that Pembury Avenue at the intersection with the ramp from Lawrence Avenue East to southbound
Bayview Avenue, be redesigned to discourage the high speed access to Pembury Avenue from the ramp while maintaining
access to/from the greater community to the west of Bayview Avenue and south of Lawrence Avenue East.
Background:
The current configuration at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, (see Exhibit 1
attached), provides the opportunity for southbound motorists on the access ramp to continue on Pembury Avenue at a
higher than acceptable rate of speed. As can be noted from the exhibit, the intersection is designed at an angle of much
greater that the traditional 90 degrees. Northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue is required to stop prior to proceeding
southbound on the Bayview Avenue access ramp.
Access from Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East, to the greater community to the west and south, is significantly
restricted during the am peak traffic period as southbound right turn restrictions are in place at all intersections along
Bayview Avenue, between Lawrence Avenue East and Eglinton Avenue East and westbound traffic on Lawrence Avenue
East is restricted from travelling southbound on Mildenhall Road. These restrictions divert considerable traffic on both
Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue as they are the only roadways where motorists may legally access the community.
However, as neither Wood or Pembury Avenues have full access to Bayview Avenue, they would not experience the same
volume of traffic, local or transient, as those with direct access to Bayview Avenue.
Only southbound traffic is permitted on the ramp from Lawrence Avenue East to southbound Bayview Avenue.
Southbound traffic on the Bayview Avenue access ramp may continue to the west on either Pembury or Wood Avenues.
Eastbound traffic on Pembury or Wood Avenues may only continue southbound on the Bayview Avenue access ramp.
Residents of Pembury Avenue have indicated in a petition to Councillor Flint that the current traffic volume and rate of
speed on Pembury Avenue are not appropriate for the roadway. On Pembury Avenue, between the Bayview Avenue
access ramp and St. Leonard Drive, there are only single family residential properties.
As a result of their concerns, residents have requested that access to/from Pembury Avenue at the Bayview Avenue access
ramp not be permitted.
Discussion:
At the time of the request for the permanent closure of Pembury Avenue, the Transportation Committee for the former
City of North York could not support the residents' proposal due to objections received from the residents of Wood
Avenue. The residents of Wood Avenue indicated that, as access to the community is restricted to either Pembury or
Wood Avenues during the a.m. peak traffic period, any additional restrictions put in place, would result in significant
increases in the traffic volumes on Wood Avenue. Residents of Wood Avenue did not indicate any concern for the rate of
speed of traffic on Wood Avenue.
Consequently, staff of the Transportation Division were directed to consider alternatives to a full closure, which would
reduce the rate of speed of southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue, and to identify the potential impacts on traffic
operations on Wood Avenue should a permanent closure be considered for Pembury Avenue at the Bayview Avenue
access ramp.
To thoroughly identify the potential impacts and benefits for traffic on the existing roadway system, Transportation
Division staff undertook the necessary studies to identify existing traffic volumes and developed Traffic Management
Techniques (TMT) to address the Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue residents. Specifically, TMT included the
temporary closure/redesign of the Pembury Avenue/Bayview Avenue access ramp intersection and:
- identify the existing traffic volumes on Pembury and Wood Avenues, and the rate of speed of southbound traffic on
Pembury Avenue, south of the Bayview Avenue access ramp;
- the use of new Jersey barriers (see Exhibit 2 attached), to temporarily restrict northbound and southbound traffic at the
intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bavyiew Avenue access ramp. With the closure in place, identify what effects
the closure had on traffic volumes on Wood Avenue; and
- with the use of temporary curb stones and minor intersection improvements, modify the intersection of Pembury Avenue
and the Bayview Avenue access ramp to require southbound motorists to access Pembury Avenue at a more traditional
intersection (see Exhibit 3 attached). Northbound traffic would not be permitted to access the Bayview Avenue access
ramp. With the intersection modifications in place, identify what affects the modifications had on traffic volumes on
Wood Avenue.
Existing Conditions
Table 1, below, identifies the traffic volumes and vehicle speeds on Pembury and Wood Avenues prior to the installation
of any temporary TMT at the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp.
These traffic volumes are well within acceptable levels for both local roadways. The speed of southbound traffic on
Pembury Avenue is of concern, due to the existing alignment of the intersection and the character of the properties along
the roadway.
Road Closure
With the use of new Jersey barriers, northbound and southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue, at the Bayview Avenue
access ramp, was prohibited. Subsequently, numerous traffic studies were undertaken to determine what effects the
closure would have on traffic volumes on Wood Avenue. Table 1 below identifies the average traffic volume on Wood
Avenue, recorded during the studies, with the closure of the intersection.
Intersection Modifications
In order to maintain access to Pembury Avenue while reducing the operating speeds of southbound motorists, the
intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp was modified.
Although southbound motorists on the Bayview access ramp were required to access Pembury Avenue at a more
traditional intersection design, it was not possible to continue to permit northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue to access
the Bayview Avenue access ramp.
Table 1, below, identifies the average vehicle volume and speeds, which were recorded on Pembury and Wood Avenues
during the traffic studies, with the modifications to the intersection.
Conclusions:
As a result of the traffic studies completed on both Pembury Avenue and Wood Avenue, the following was concluded:
- Should access to/from Pembury Avenue be closed permanently at its intersection with the Bayview Avenue access ramp,
the expected increase in traffic volumes on Wood Avenue would not be considered excessive;
- With the proper modifications to the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp,
northbound traffic on Pembury Avenue could access the Bayview Avenue access ramp to continue southbound on
Bayview Avenue, traffic volumes on Wood Avenue would be maintained at their existing level, and the rate of speed of
southbound traffic on Pembury Avenue would be significantly reduced from that which is currently being observed; and
- From the results of the traffic studies, it would appear that when access was restricted at the intersection of Pembury
Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp, the majority of traffic which previously utilized Pembury Avenue was
reassigned to Wood Avenue. Although the total volume of traffic which was reassigned on Wood Avenue is not
significant, the concerns of the residents of Wood Avenue, which included further access restrictions into the community,
were justified.
It was generally concluded that traffic volumes on Pembury and Wood Avenues are not, even when access is restricted or
modified at the Pembury Avenue/Bayview Avenue access ramp intersection, considered excessive. Southbound Pembury
Avenue vehicle speeds were significantly reduced with the modifications to the intersection.
It is this departments opinion that to address the principal concerns of the residents of both Wood Avenue and Pembury
Avenue, the intersection of Pembury Avenue with the Bayview Avenue access ramp should be modified as described in
this report.
Contact Name:
Michael Frederick, Director of Traffic Operations, 395-7484
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(A copy of Table 1 and the Exhibits referred to in the foregoing report is on file in the office of the City Clerk, North York
Civic Centre.)