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TABLE OF CONTENTS

REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES

AND OTHER COMMITTEES

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998

TORONTO COMMUNITY COUNCIL

REPORT No. 9



1Traffic Area Management Plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area (North Toronto)



City of Toronto

REPORT No. 9

OF THE TORONTO COMMUNITY COUNCIL

(from its meeting on May 6 and 7, 1998,

submitted by Councillor Kyle Rae, Chair)

As Considered by

The Council of the City of Toronto

on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998

1

Traffic Area Management Plan for the Teddington Park/

Wanless Park Area (North Toronto)

(City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

(City Council on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, deferred consideration of this Clause to the next regular meeting of City Council to be held on July 29, 1998.)

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(Clause No. 1 of Report No. 7 of the Toronto Community Council)

(City Council, on May 13 and 14, 1998, deferred consideration of this Clause to the meeting of City Council to be held on July8, 1998, and the Ward Councillors were requested to hold a public meeting in this regard, if necessary.)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that:

(1)on a six month trial basis, westbound to northbound right turn prohibitions from Lawrence Avenue East to Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays excepted, be implemented;

(2)the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services, in consultation with the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association review the impact of the above controls after their installation, within six months or sooner, as the need may be, and report back to the Toronto Community Council;

(3)a "Yield" sign be approved to control southbound to westbound traffic on the northwest side of the traffic channelization island at the intersection of Wanless Avenue and Kappele Avenue;

(4)the appropriate City Officials be authorized to take whatever action is necessary to give effect thereto, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that may be necessary.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following communication (April 21, 1998) from Councillor Johnston:

I am writing to request that the above-noted Report be placed on the May 6, 1998 Toronto Community Council agenda in order to facilitate its transmittal to the City of Toronto Council to be endorsed and end this five-year saga.

The Toronto Community Council also submits the following Clause 22, contained in Report No. 16 of the City Services Committee, of the former City of Toronto, titled "Traffic Area Management Plan - Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area (Ward 16), which was adopted at its meeting of December 18 and 19, 1995.

The Committee recommends the adoption of the report (November 14, 1995) from the Acting Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment:

Origin: City Council meeting of January 11, 1993 (p:\1995\ug\env\cs952379.env) - acb

Recommendation:

(1)That the Metropolitan Corporation again be requested to implement on a six month trial basis, westbound to northbound right turn prohibitions from Lawrence Avenue East to Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays excepted;

(2)That the Acting Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment, in consultation with the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association and representatives of the Metropolitan Transportation Department and the City of North York Transportation Department, review the impact of the above controls after their installation, within six months or sooner, as the need may be, and report back to the City Services Committee;

(3)That a "Yield" sign be approved to control southbound to westbound traffic on the northwest side of the traffic channelization island at the intersection of Wanless Avenue and Kappele Avenue;

(4)That the appropriate City Officials be authorized to take whatever action is necessary to give effect thereto, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that may be necessary to amend the appropriate Schedule of By-Law No. 522-78; and

(5)That the Councils of the Metropolitan Corporation and the City of North York be advised of the above.

Background: City Council, at its meeting of January 11, 1993, adopted, as amended, Clause 37 in City Services Committee Report No. 1, contained in Executive Committee Report No. 1 and in doing so, endorsed the recommendations contained in my September 24, 1992 report to the City Services Committee viz:

1.That the Metropolitan Corporation be requested to implement westbound to northbound right turn prohibitions from Lawrence Avenue East to Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays excepted;

2.That turn prohibitions be installed at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road (westbound left turns to be prohibited) and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections (westbound right turns to be prohibited) between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays excepted;

3.That a traffic channelization island be constructed at the intersection of Wanless Avenue and Kappele Avenue and upon the completion of the construction, that an all-way "Stop" sign control be installed;

4.That all-way "Stop" sign controls also be installed at the intersections of Ronan Avenue/Ranleigh Avenue and Ronan Avenue/Bowood Avenue; and

5.That I, in consultation with the Traffic Committee of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association, review the impact of the above controls six months after installation and report back to the City Services Committee.

Comments: I advise that the traffic controls listed in Item Nos. 2, 3, and 4, above were implemented shortly after City Council's approval, with all the work, including the construction of the traffic channelization island being completed in August, 1993. However, to date, the Metropolitan Corporation has not implemented the turn prohibitions referred to in Item No. 1 above.

In my September 24, 1992 report contained in the above Clause, I directly quoted communications from both the Metropolitan Commissioner of Transportation (who noted support for the proposed turn restrictions) and the North York Commissioner of Transportation (who noted no objection to the proposed turn prohibitions). However, subsequent to the City Services Committee's and City Council's approval of the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area Traffic Management Plan, residents from the adjacent streets in the City of North York (especially those on Mildenhall Road which runs north from Lawrence Avenue East and is located one block to the east of Wanless Avenue), as well as representatives of the Toronto French School, also located on Mildenhall Road, north of Lawrence Avenue East, raised objections to the proposed traffic management plan and petitioned the Metropolitan Toronto Council to defer implementation of the requested turn restrictions from Lawrence Avenue East to the above noted City of Toronto streets, subject to resolving traffic related matters on Mildenhall Road, north of Lawrence Avenue East.

In order to address the concerns of the North York residents, a meeting was convened on April 28, 1993 between representatives of my Department, Metro Transportation and the executive assistants of the affected City of Toronto, City of North York and Metropolitan councillors. At that meeting, Metro staff had indicated that they would review the concerns expressed by North York residents and would report on the area traffic management plan to the Metro Transportation Committee.

Since that time, no resolution of the traffic related concerns of the Toronto French School and the North York residents has been achieved. I have requested the Metropolitan Transportation Department, both by telephone and by letters dated April 29, 1994, November 16, 1994 and July 19, 1995 to advise me of the status of their investigations and to provide me with a time frame for the installation of the requested turn prohibitions on Lawrence Avenue East. To date, I have been advised by officials of the Metropolitan Transportation Department, that the turn prohibitions requested by the City of Toronto should not be considered in isolation from the neighbouring streets in the City of North York and therefore, until the issues concerning access to Mildenhall Road and to the Toronto French School are resolved, the Metropolitan Transportation Department would not be formulating a definitive position on the City of Toronto's Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area Traffic Management proposals.

In view of the above, I would recommend that the City Services Committee and Council reiterate its request to the Metropolitan Corporation to implement the requested turn prohibitions on a six month trial basis as noted in Recommendation No. 1 above.

I note for the City Services Committee's information that at the time the traffic channelization island at the intersection of Wanless Avenue and Kappele Avenue was constructed, a "Yield" sign was posted to control southbound to westbound traffic movements from Kappele Avenue to Wanless Avenue (the southbound to eastbound movements are controlled by an all-way "Stop" sign control). However, my records indicate that the required by-law listing in Schedule XIXa of Traffic By-law No. 522-78 was inadvertently omitted. Accordingly, as a house keeping measure, I recommend that the appropriate by-law amendment be enacted to legalize the placement of this "Yield" sign.

The Committee also had before the following communications which are included in the additional material and are on file in the Department of the City Clerk:

-(November 26, 1995) from Bob Hall

-(November 27, 1995) from Mario Buszynski, Chair, Wanless Park Ratepayers' Association Traffic Committee

The Toronto Community Council also submits Clause 37 of Report No. 1 of the City Services Committee, entitled "Traffic Management Plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area (Ward 16)", which was adopted, without amendment, at its meeting held on January 11, 1993.

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The Committee recommends that:

1.Recommendation No. 4 of the report (September 24, 1992) from the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment be amended to read as follows:

"4.That all-way `Stop' signs be approved for the intersections of Wanless Avenue/Kappele Avenue, Ronan Avenue/Ranleigh Avenue and Ronan Avenue/Bowood Avenue."

2.Recommendation No. 6 of the same report be amended to read as follows:

"6.That I, in consultation with the Traffic Committee of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association, review the impact of the above controls six months after installation and report back to your Committee."

3.The report (September 24, 1992) from the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment be adopted as amended by the above.

The Committee requested the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment to invite North York Councillor Flint, or her representative, to participate in the review of the above traffic controls.

The following addressed the Committee:

-Councillor Walker

-Mario Buszynski, Wanless Park Ratepayers' Association

-George Milbrandt

-James Doak

-Councillor Joanne Flint, City of North York

The Committee submits the report (September 24, 1992) from the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment:

Origin: City Services Committee meeting of February 5, 1992 (c39csc92690:117)

Executive Summary:

The implementation of the proposed traffic management plan in its entirety, as recommended by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association will result in the following:

-Approximately 1,300 transient vehicles will be removed from the residential streets within the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area during each of the rush periods, which is in the range of 1 to 9 vehicles per minute per street.

-Many area residents will have to travel circuitous routes to access their homes. Certain routes, as identified in this report, have been left open to maintain reasonable access for residents. This will result in some transient traffic still infiltrating the area.

-Certain residential streets located in the City of North York to the north and west of the subject area, are accessible in whole or in part via the City of Toronto. The residents of these streets would be impacted similarly to those residing in the City of Toronto.

-Both City of North York Councillor Joanne Flint and City of North York Commissioner of Transportation Vince Murphy have expressed concerns respecting the proposed traffic management plan.

-Traffic will shift to streets outside the subject area, both west of Yonge Street and south of Lawrence Avenue East, in order to bypass the proposed controls.

-Yonge Street, Lawrence Avenue, Avenue Road and to a lesser extent, Bayview Avenue, as well as Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue, will be subjected to increased traffic volumes and congestion contributing to increased delays to Toronto Transit Commission buses, as well as increased levels of carbon dioxide and other noxious emissions.

-The major signalized intersections of Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue, Yonge Street/Ranleigh Avenue and Yonge Street/Fairlawn Avenue will experience increased congestion.

-The proposed right turn prohibitions at the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Ardrossan Place, Ronan Avenue and Wanless Crescent, as well as the proposed internal controls at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections, during both rush periods, will minimize traffic infiltration into the area.

-The additional all-way "Stop" sign controls in the area are not necessary from the operations point of view, will have a negative environmental impact and should be postponed until the effect of the recommended turn prohibitions have been assessed. The high volume of pedestrians however, crossing the intersection of Wanless Avenue/Kappele Avenue warrants the installation of an all-way "Stop" sign control including the reconfiguration of the intersection as per Figure 8.

Recommendations:

(1)That in consideration of the negative impact the proposed Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area traffic management plan will have on the arterial streets of Yonge Street, Lawrence Avenue, Avenue Road, Bayview Avenue and Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue, on the area west of Yonge Street and south of Lawrence Avenue West and on the quality of public transit operations in the area, and given the probability of extraneous traffic infiltrating throughout the residential communities north, south and west of the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area, all as set out in this report, the proposed traffic management plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area not be implemented in its entirety at this time;

(2)That the Metropolitan Corporation be requested to implement the proposed turning prohibitions at the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Ardrossan Place, Ronan Avenue and Wanless Crescent as listed in Appendix 2.1 of this report;

(3)That the proposed turning prohibitions at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections as listed in Appendix 2.2 of this report be approved;

(4)That all-way "Stop" sign control be approved for the intersection of Wanless Avenue/Kappele Avenue;

(5)That approval be given to reconfiguring the Wanless Avenue/Kappele Avenue intersection as shown on Figure 8 attached to this report;

(6)That I review the impact of the above controls six months after installation and report back to your Committee; and

(7)That the appropriate City Officials be authorized to take whatever action is necessary to implement the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills which might be required to amend By-law No. 522-78 and implement the work.

Background: Your Committee, at its meeting of February 5, 1992, in considering my report of January 24, 1992 together with communications of January 17 and 20, 1992 from Mr. Scott Stevens and Mr. Mario Buszynski of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association, respectively and January 28, 1992 from Councillor Kay Gardner regarding a proposed traffic management plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area, requested me to review the traffic management plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area submitted by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association in consultation with its Traffic Committee and report back to your Committee as soon as practicable.

Comments:

1.Existing Conditions

1.1General Description of the Study Area

The Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area is located in the most northerly portion of Ward 16 and is bounded by Yonge Street, Lawrence Avenue East and the boundary between the City of Toronto and the City of North York. Figure 1 indicates the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area and vicinity. Yonge Street, Lawrence Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road, south of Lawrence Avenue East, are four lane arterial roads under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Toronto Corporation.

Mount Pleasant Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road, is a City arterial road and Glen Echo Road, from Mount Pleasant Road to Yonge Street, is a City collector road. Both of these streets are former Metropolitan roads which were reverted to City of Toronto jurisdiction on June 1, 1990.

The study area is residential in nature except that section fronting Yonge Street, from Lawrence Avenue to the City limit, which is predominately retail and commercial. A large City park, Wanless Park, is situated on the block bounded by Kappele Avenue, Haslemere Road, Braeside Road, Wanless Crescent and Wanless Avenue. Two schools are located either in the area or just adjacent to it.

Bedford Park Public School is located just east of Yonge Street and borders on Ranleigh Avenue to the north and Wanless Avenue to the south. The Toronto French School is located on the east side of Mildenhall Road, just north of Lawrence Avenue East, in the City of North York, one block east of the study area.

The area is well served by public transit. The Yonge Subway line provides the major focus for public transit serving the area with a station located at Lawrence Avenue and Yonge Street (the Lawrence Station). Surface bus routes, which provide direct connection with the Lawrence Station, operate on Yonge Street (Yonge No. 97) and Lawrence Avenue East (Lawrence-Donway No. 162 and Sunnybrook No. 124). The Nortown East No. 103 bus operates on Mount Pleasant Road, from Glen Echo Road south to Eglinton Avenue East and thence to the Eglinton Station of the Yonge Subway line. Surface bus service is also provided to points west of the Yonge Subway line on Lawrence Avenue West (Lawrence West No. 52).

1.1.1City of North York Streets

Just north of the subject area are a number of residential streets located in the City of North York which are accessible only via the City of Toronto (see Figure 1). These streets are Doncliffe Place, Forest Glen Crescent and sections of Doncliffe Drive. The most easterly end of Riverview Drive, just east of the subject area, is also situated within the City of North York with its only access from the City of Toronto.

On the easterly boundary of the study area properties on the east side of Braeside Road are in the City of North York. The streets in this area include Mildenhall Road (which becomes Haslemere Road on the west side of Braeside Road), Braeside Crescent, Proctor Crescent and Rothmere Drive (which becomes Wanless Crescent on the west side of Braeside Road). The intersection of Mildenhall Road and Lawrence Avenue East in the City of North York is signalized and facilitates access to the subject area for both City of Toronto and City of North York residents destined to Lawrence Avenue East and Bayview Avenue.

1.2Traffic Regulations

Figure 2 shows all existing traffic control signals, turning prohibitions and "Stop" sign locations in the study area.

Many of the streets in the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area are currently signed to give effect to a 40 kilometres per hour speed limit including Mount Pleasant Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road and Glen Echo Road, from Mount Pleasant Road to Yonge Street.

Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East have 50 kilometres per hour speed limits and parking is prohibited on both streets in the predominant direction of travel during both rush periods.

1.3Recent Changes to Area Traffic Regulations

Mount Pleasant Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road, has been narrowed to two lanes of traffic from four lanes by means of signage and extensive pavement markings. The four all-way "Stop" sign control locations on Mount Pleasant Road indicated on Figure 2 were implemented in June, 1991 at the request of area residents and the local Councillor, as a means of improving safety for pedestrians (especially children) and in conjunction with the posting of 40 kilometres per hour speed signs, to control the speed of traffic along Mount Pleasant Road.

Speed and volume counts taken on Mount Pleasant Road before and after the implementation of these measures indicate a 10 percent reduction in the daily volume of traffic and a minor reduction in the average speed of motor vehicles. However, some of the reduction in traffic volumes on Mount Pleasant Road, as on many other streets within the City of Toronto, can be directly attributed to the current economic recession.

1.4On-street Overnight Permit Parking

Eight streets in the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area are designated for on-street overnight permit parking and permits are issued only to residents of these specific streets. These are detailed in Appendix 3. A total of 648 permit parking spaces are available for which as of August 19, 1992, 243 permits have been issued.

1.5Traffic Volumes

Existing traffic volumes are summarized for the a.m. peak hour, the daytime normal hour and the p.m. peak hour on Figures 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

The daily (24-hour) volumes, as well as morning and afternoon peak hour volumes, for the busiest streets in the subject area are in Appendix 4.

1.6Summary of Existing Conditions

Mount Pleasant Road, carrying some 8,000 vehicles per day, is the major route in the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area used by transient traffic during both rush periods. Transient traffic uses the east-west streets between Yonge Street and Mount Pleasant Road to turn off of or onto Yonge Street to bypass the Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue intersection. Much of this traffic is destined to points south via Mount Pleasant Road. Secondary egress points used by transient traffic, destined to Bayview Avenue, are the streets intersecting with Lawrence Avenue East, east of Mount Pleasant Road and include the intersection of Mildenhall Road and Lawrence Avenue East in the City of North York.

Some of the traffic using Ranleigh Avenue and Wanless Avenue, from Yonge Street to Mount Pleasant Road, can be attributed to two factors. Firstly, many parents drive their children to and from Bedford Park Public School using either of these streets, especially during the morning rush period, and secondly, many motorists pick up and drop off persons using the Ranleigh Avenue entrance to the Lawrence Station.

2.Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area Traffic Management Plan

The area traffic management plan proposed by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association is shown on Figure 6 for the morning rush period and on Figure 7 for the afternoon rush period.

The primary purpose of the proposed traffic management plan is to regulate and reduce the volume of transient traffic which originates from the north and flows through the residential streets east of Yonge Street destined to Mount Pleasant Road, south of Lawrence Avenue East and/or Bayview Avenue during the morning rush period and the returning northbound traffic during the afternoon rush period.

In the morning rush period a series of southbound left turn prohibitions or entry prohibitions are proposed on the portion of Yonge Street, from Teddington Park Avenue to Wanless Avenue, on the westerly boundary of the area in order to reduce the volume of southbound transient traffic through the subject area. In the southeasterly quadrant of the subject area westbound to northbound right turn prohibitions are proposed along Lawrence Avenue East where it intersects with Ardrossan Place, Ronan Avenue and Wanless Crescent, as well as some internal turn restrictions at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections. These controls are designed to reduce westbound transient traffic on Lawrence Avenue East attempting to bypass the Lawrence Avenue East/Mount Pleasant Road intersection, as well as to divert transient traffic generated by the Toronto French School to the arterial roads.

In the afternoon rush period northbound to westbound left turn prohibitions are proposed at streets intersecting with Mount Pleasant Road from Ranleigh Avenue to Glen Echo Road. These prohibitions are intended to restrict transient vehicles from travelling north through the subject residential area in order to bypass the Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue intersection. As well, an entry prohibition is proposed on Wanless Avenue, between Leith Place and Yonge Street, to reduce westbound transient traffic along Wanless Avenue and any transient vehicles entering northbound from the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Leith Place, Cardinal Place and Preston Place. In order to advise motorists of the controls, the posting of "Local Traffic Only" signs is proposed for all intersections with Lawrence Avenue East within the study area.

For the southeasterly portion of the study area similar controls to the morning rush period are proposed. One major concern of the residents in this part of the study area centres on transient traffic on such streets as Wanless Crescent, Wanless Avenue, Braeside Road, Haslemere Road and on Kappele Avenue, generated in part by parents picking up and dropping off their children at the Toronto French School. As these streets also border on Wanless Park, the residents are concerned for the safety of children utilizing Wanless Park.

In addition to the foregoing, the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association is proposing the installation of a number of additional all-way "Stop" sign controls within the area. Councillor Michael Walker has also forwarded to me a petition, signed by a number of residents on Ronan Avenue, supporting the installation of additional all-way "Stop" sign controls on Ronan Avenue as indicated on Figures 6 and 7. These are addressed in Section 4 of this report.

In consideration that Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East are Metropolitan roads and, accordingly, any turning restrictions along either of these streets would require the approval of the Metropolitan Corporation, I have consulted with staff of the Metropolitan Transportation Department whose comments respecting this traffic management plan are contained in a letter dated June 11, 1992, which is quoted in its entirety in Appendix 5 to this report.

3.Traffic Impact

The Wanless Park Ratepayers Association's traffic management plan would have the effect of removing approximately 1,300 transient vehicles from that residential community during the morning rush period (7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) of which 630 vehicles fall within the morning peak hour. Of those vehicles to be displaced during the morning peak hour, approximately 560 vehicles are currently turning into the area from Yonge Street and would have to be accommodated elsewhere. The remaining 70 vehicles enter the area east of Mount Pleasant Road or are generated by the Toronto French School. The only access to the school under this scheme is from Mildenhall Road.

During the afternoon rush period (4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) about 1,300 vehicles would be diverted from the subject area of which 670 fall within the afternoon peak hour. Five hundred and seventy vehicles currently execute northbound to westbound left turns from Mount Pleasant Road towards Yonge Street, utilizing the various streets from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road. The remaining 100 vehicles would either be diverted from the streets intersecting Lawrence Avenue East, from Wanless Crescent to Mount Pleasant Road or would be transient traffic generated by the Toronto French School.

Many local residents would have to travel circuitous routes in order to access their homes during the times that the various turning/entry prohibitions are in effect. The net result, however, should be a significant drop in the volume of traffic on internal residential streets.

I would expect some transient traffic to continue utilizing the area. The traffic displaced from the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area, especially from Mount Pleasant Road, during both rush periods will have a negative impact on Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue West. Adjacent residential communities to the west and to the south will also experience higher traffic volumes.

While it is difficult to predict with accuracy the new routes that traffic will take once the subject traffic management plan is implemented, I believe some of the traffic displaced will transfer to other Metropolitan roads such as Avenue Road and Bayview Avenue and other City roads such as Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue, one block west of Yonge Street. This may result in some increase in traffic volumes on residential streets on the west side of Yonge Street. During the afternoon rush period, traffic travelling north on Mount Pleasant Road, prior to reaching Lawrence Avenue East, may choose to execute left turns onto City streets such as Dawlish Avenue, St. Leonard's Avenue and Lawrence Crescent to get to northbound Yonge Street, resulting in higher traffic volumes on these streets.

Residents living in the City of North York, as described in Section 1, would be negatively impacted. The City of North York Commissioner of Transportation, by his letter of April 14, 1992 (quoted in its entirety in Appendix 5 to this report) has raised a number of concerns respecting the impact of the proposed traffic management plan upon City of North York streets which are not now experiencing difficulties with transient traffic.

3.1Morning Rush Period, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

3.1.1Yonge Street

I expect that Yonge Street will carry the bulk of the traffic to be displaced by the proposed traffic controls. At the present time, approximately 1,800vehicles travel southbound on Yonge Street, approaching Lawrence Avenue, during the a.m. peak hour.

The intersections of Yonge Street with Fairlawn Avenue, Ranleigh Avenue and Lawrence Avenue will experience increased southbound congestion.

Assuming that all existing southbound to eastbound left turning traffic which would be eliminated by the proposed controls remains on Yonge Street, approximately 560 vehicles would be added to existing southbound traffic volumes for a total of approximately 2,360 vehicles over the rush period. This traffic volume exceeds the capacity of Yonge Street, resulting in excessive queues and delays for southbound motorists, as well as delays to the Yonge No. 97 bus.

3.1.2Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue Intersection

As noted above, there will be an increased demand for southbound left turns at the Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue intersection. There currently is some surplus capacity for this movement. However, the increased demand created by this plan will bring the intersection to capacity. In addition, the exclusive southbound left turn lane at this intersection has limited storage capacity and vehicles queued back waiting to execute left turns will block southbound through lanes, further restricting the capacity of Yonge Street. There is little opportunity to provide additional green time for southbound Yonge Street traffic because the entire cycle length is utilized now.

3.1.3Ranleigh Avenue

To permit parents to drop off children at Bedford Park Public School, the southbound left turn from Yonge Street to Ranleigh Avenue is to be retained. To prevent transient traffic from utilizing this street beyond the school eastbound to southbound right turns would be prohibited at Mount Pleasant Road, as well as at Ronan Avenue.

3.1.4Prohibition of Entry - Wanless Avenue and Glenforest Road, east of Yonge Street

Posting "No Entry" signs on Wanless Avenue and Glenforest Road, just east of Yonge Street, combined with "Local Traffic Only" signs on these streets where they intersect with Yonge Street, will retain vehicular access to businesses on these streets but will discourage transient traffic.

3.1.5Lawrence Avenue East, east of Mount Pleasant Road

The subject plan proposes westbound right turn prohibitions at the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place. These would be implemented in conjunction with compulsory left turns at the Braeside Road/Haslemere Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections. The latter controls would divert transient traffic from the subject area that would enter at the intersection of Mildenhall Road and Lawrence Avenue East while allowing North York residents and those destined to the Toronto French School continued access through this intersection.

The total number of vehicles (about 60) to be diverted from these streets during the morning rush period is not significant and there is sufficient surplus capacity at the intersection of Mount Pleasant Road and Lawrence Avenue East to accommodate these vehicles. This will result in less transient traffic in the area east of Mount Pleasant Road and north of Lawrence Avenue East and will provide the greatest benefit to the residents of Ronan Avenue. Accordingly, I support this aspect of the proposed traffic management plan.

3.1.6Impact of City of North York Streets

It is the opinion of the City of North York Commissioner of Transportation that the proposed southbound to eastbound left turn prohibitions on Yonge Street would sever reasonable access requirements to Doncliffe Place, Forest Glen, Mildenhall Road, Braeside Crescent, Proctor Crescent and Rothmere Drive. The residents on these streets would face similar access restrictions as those residents living in the subject area in the City of Toronto. I would anticipate that the level of transient traffic on the latter four streets would in fact decrease should the subject traffic management plan be implemented.

3.1.7Alternative Routes to the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

Increased congestion on Yonge Street will prompt motorists to find alternative routes. It is possible that motorists will switch to other nearby Metropolitan roads such as Avenue Road and Bayview Avenue. However, Mount Pleasant Road/Jarvis Street provides a direct route downtown and it is likely that many motorists who currently use this route will wish to continue doing so.

Those motorists on Yonge Street proceeding south of Lawrence Avenue and wishing to access Mount Pleasant Road will utilize the streets in the residential community south of Lawrence Avenue East and east of Yonge Street, resulting in higher volumes of transient traffic within that community.

No controls are proposed for the west side of Yonge Street. Accordingly, it is possible that some motorists will shift to Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue in order to continue their southbound journey. However, Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue already carries a high volume of traffic and there is very little additional capacity to accommodate more southbound traffic through the traffic control signals at the Lawrence Avenue West and Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue intersection. Accordingly, motorists may turn right off Yonge Street, south of Yonge Boulevard, using such streets as Deloraine Avenue, Melrose Avenue and St. Germain Avenue, travel west to Jedburgh Road (or utilize the public lanes to the rear of the stores fronting on Yonge Street) and then back to Yonge Street via Fairlawn Avenue, use the traffic control signals to cross over to Snowdon Avenue and thence south onto Mount Pleasant Road. Other streets on the west side of Yonge Street could also be similarly impacted.

3.2Afternoon Rush Period, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

3.2.1Mount Pleasant Road

To prevent the reverse flow of transient traffic in the afternoon rush period northbound left turn prohibitions are proposed at all intersections of Mount Pleasant Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road, with the exception of Wanless Avenue which would have a westbound "No Entry" prohibition just east of Yonge Street (see Section 3.1.4 of this report). It is estimated that these controls, with the inclusion of similar controls during the afternoon rush period as discussed in Section 3.1.5, will divert approximately 670 transient vehicles from the area.

These restrictions will significantly reduce traffic volumes on Mount Pleasant Road and on all east-west streets in the subject area from Mount Pleasant Road to Yonge Street. However, the traffic to be diverted from the study area (some 570 vehicles during the p.m. peak hour) will cause problems at other locations in the surrounding area, especially at the intersection of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue.

3.2.2Lawrence Avenue East, east of Mount Pleasant Road

The subject plan proposes westbound right turn prohibitions at the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place. These would be implemented in conjunction with compulsory left turns at the Braeside Road/Haslemere Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections. These controls are similar to those noted in Section 3.1.5. The impact of these controls can be accommodated on the surrounding road system. The residents have requested that these turn prohibitions be implemented from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in order to also discourage transient traffic generated by the Toronto French School, as well as other transient vehicles entering the area via the Mildenhall Road/Lawrence Avenue East intersection.

The resultant diverted traffic is not significant, representing some 100 vehicles during the p.m. peak hour. Half of these vehicles would have destinations within the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area and would most likely turn north onto Mount Pleasant Road, with the remainder continuing west to Yonge Street. Accordingly, I support the implementation of these turning prohibitions, in conjunction with the internal compulsory turns at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersections. As in the morning rush period, these internal controls would deflect transient traffic entering the area via the Mildenhall Road/Lawrence Avenue East intersection and would reduce transient traffic generated by the Toronto French School. In consideration of the residents' concerns respecting the Toronto French School I support the request to commence the prohibitions at 3:30 p.m.

3.2.3Lawrence Avenue East/Mount Pleasant Road Intersection

The proposed turning prohibitions along Mount Pleasant Road, north of Lawrence Avenue East, will have an impact on this intersection. As noted in Section 3.2.2 the westbound Lawrence Avenue East traffic to be diverted from the study area can be accommodated by the existing traffic control signals at Lawrence Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road.

However, the proposed prohibitions on Mount Pleasant Road, from Lawrence Avenue East to Glen Echo Road, will result in changes to northbound traffic approaching the subject intersection. Although right turns onto Lawrence Avenue East and left turns from Lawrence Avenue East to northbound Mount Pleasant Road should be reduced by at least fifty percent representing some 290 vehicles during the peak p.m. hour, these vehicles will be added to the northbound left turn queue on Mount Pleasant Road. This movement is currently at capacity during the p.m. peak hour and excessive delays will occur for motorists waiting to make this turn. Alternatively, motorists may use residential streets south of Lawrence Avenue East to access Yonge Street causing transient traffic problems for streets such as Dawlish Avenue, St.Leonard's Avenue, Dinnick Crescent and Lympstone Avenue.

3.2.4Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue Intersection

The traffic to be diverted from the study area will have the greatest impact on the Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue intersection. As noted in Section 3.2.3 approximately 290 vehicles will be added to those vehicles currently travelling north on Mount Pleasant Road, executing left turns onto Lawrence Avenue East and thence right turns to northbound Yonge Street. An additional 50vehicles will be added to westbound Lawrence Avenue East traffic approaching Yonge Street from the turning restrictions proposed in Section 3.2.1. Some of this traffic will divert to residential streets to the south of Lawrence Avenue East and will be added to the existing northbound Yonge Street traffic approaching Lawrence Avenue.

The intersection of Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue is operating at capacity during the afternoon peak hour and the addition of approximately 350 more vehicles through the intersection cannot be accommodated. Should the plan be implemented traffic queues would lengthen, congestion would increase and the movement of Toronto Transit Commission buses would be inhibited.

3.2.5Impact on North York Streets

The proposed northbound to westbound left turn prohibitions on Mount Pleasant Road would "trap" transient motorists at the north end of Mount Pleasant Road. These motorists could use Doncliffe Drive and Forest Glen Crescent in the City of North York to travel to Glen Echo Road to access northbound Yonge Street, thereby circumventing the turn restrictions along Mount Pleasant Road. In order to prevent this, a southbound to westbound right turn prohibition from the west leg of Doncliffe Drive to Glen Echo Road would be required should the proposed traffic management plan be implemented.

City of North York residents living on Mildenhall Road, Braeside Crescent, Proctor Crescent and Rothmere Drive would lose direct access to Yonge Street via the Teddington Park/Wanless Park area during the rush periods and would be forced to access their streets via Lawrence Avenue East. However, the existing level of transient traffic on these streets should be substantially reduced should the proposed traffic controls be implemented.

3.2.6Alternative Routes to the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

Possible alternative routes which include some of the residential streets running east off Mount Pleasant Road, from Dawlish Avenue to Lawrence Avenue East, have been identified above. These streets currently experience some transient traffic, however, should the proposed traffic management plan be implemented the volumes of transient traffic on these streets would increase.

I would also expect that other streets, especially Jedburgh Road/Duplex Avenue, as well as Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue, will experience increased levels of traffic as a result of this plan.

4.Additional All-way "Stop" Sign Controls

The additional all-way "Stop" sign controls proposed by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association are indicated on Figures 5 and 6 and are listed in Section 1.5 of Appendix 1.

As can be seen, most of the proposed all-way "Stop" sign controls are on streets intersecting with Ronan Avenue. The residents of Ronan Avenue, by petition submitted to Councillor Michael Walker, have indicated their support for these additional "Stop" signs as a way of reducing the speed and volume of traffic on their street. Additional "Stop" signs are proposed for the intersections of Wanless Avenue with Leith Place, Preston Place and Kappele Avenue and on Bocastle Avenue at Roslin Avenue and at Snowdon Avenue.

The turn prohibitions recommended in Sections 3.1.6 and 3.2.1, specifically, the westbound to northbound right turn prohibitions at the intersections of Lawrence Avenue East with Wanless Crescent, Ronan Avenue and Ardrossan Place combined with the internal compulsory turns at the Haslemere Road/Braeside Road and Wanless Crescent/Wanless Avenue intersection during both rush periods should result in decreasing traffic volumes on Ronan Avenue by one half to approximately 40 vehicles during each of the a.m. and p.m. peak hours (representing less than 1 car per minute). I suggest that the need for additional "Stop" sign controls be reassessed as part of the six month review referred to above in Recommendation 6.

I also note that I am preparing an implementation report on the removal of superfluous "Stop" signs within the City of Toronto and will be suggesting the removal of some "Stop" signs as a method of reducing noxious automobile emissions. Accordingly, I do not feel that it would be advisable to place all the additional all-way "Stop" sign controls in the subject area at this time.

4.1Wanless Avenue/Kappele Avenue Intersection

The unusual configuration of this intersection would make the placement of "Stop" signs confusing. To accommodate all-way "Stop" sign controls, the intersection will need to be reconfigured to clearly define the appropriate traffic movements. There are numerous pedestrians crossing this intersection to access Wanless Park which is contiguous to the subject intersection. Accordingly, it would be desirable to consider all-way "Stop" sign controls at this intersection. I note that this is consistent with Criteria 2(e) of the Stop Sign Management Programme, as approved by City Council at its meeting of September 16 and 17, 1991 (Clause 35 in City Services Report No.11, contained in Executive Committee Report No. 21), dealing with the installation of all-way "Stop" sign controls "at intersections serving special categories of pedestrians such as school children and senior citizens".

A number of possible designs have been considered to channelize traffic for the subject intersection. The design shown on Figure 8, estimated to cost $15,000, achieves the desire result while minimizing costs. Over the past three years no accidents have been reported at this intersection. There are no plans to reconstruct either Wanless Avenue or Kappele Avenue in the foreseeable future.

Funds are available in my 1992 Capital Budget Account No. 292-250 to reconfigure the subject intersection as per Figure 8. The work constitutes an alteration to the public highway pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Act.

5.Environmental Impact

The proposed traffic management plan will contribute to increased congestion on arterial roads and will require some residents to extend their trips in order to access their homes. This will result in increased fuel consumption by cars, leading to an increase in vehicle emissions and higher levels of air pollution. As well, the increased levels of traffic on the arterial roads will have a deleterious effect on public transit as the travel times for buses will be increased.

The placement of additional "Stop" signs in the area as discussed in Section 4 would result in increased fuel consumption and an increase in vehicle emissions. Furthermore, residents living near these new "Stop" sign locations will be subjected to increased noise levels.

6.Implementation

The traffic controls necessary to implement the proposed traffic management plan recommended by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association are listed in Appendix 1 by area of jurisdiction.

I have listed in Appendix 2 those traffic controls which I consider necessary and supportable at this time and those considered likewise by the Metropolitan Commissioner of Transportation.

I am presently reviewing the possibility of exempting bicycles from the proposed turn/entry prohibitions for this area, as well as for other areas of the City of Toronto. According to the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, bicycles are classified as vehicles and as such cyclists are required to obey all traffic regulations. I will reporting on this matter as soon as practicable.

7.Costs

I estimate that the cost to manufacture and post the required signs in order to implement the entire proposed traffic management plan as recommended by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association would be approximately $10,000. If the entire traffic management plan were to be implemented funds could be provided from my 1992 Operating Budget, Account No.739-631.

I estimate that to manufacture and post the required signs to implement the controls recommended by me and the Metropolitan Commissioner of Transportation will cost approximately $1,000. Funds for this modest amount of work are available in my 1992Operating Budget Account No. 739-631.

8.Comments Received from Other Government Agencies

In accordance with City Council policy respecting area traffic management plans, I have contacted other governmental agencies in order to obtain their comments respecting the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area traffic management plan. The responses from these agencies are included in Appendix 5 of this report.

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Appendix 1

Traffic Controls Proposed by the

Wanless Park Ratepayers Association for the

Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

1.1 Proposed Turn Restrictions Under the Jurisdiction of

Metropolitan Toronto

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Yonge Streetsouthboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Teddington Parkexcept

AvenueSaturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Yonge Streetsouthboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Golfdale Roadexcept

Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Yonge Streetsouthboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Snowdon Avenueexcept

Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Yonge Streetsouthboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Roslin Avenueexcept

Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Yonge Streetsouthboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Bowood Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Wanless Crescent3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Ronan Avenue3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Ardrossan Place3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

1.2 Proposed Turn Restrictions Under the Jurisdiction of the

City of Toronto

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Ranleigh Avenueeastboundright7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Mount Pleasantexcept

RoadSaturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays,

Buses Excepted

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Ranleigh Avenueeastboundright7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m.,

Ronan Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Haslemere Roadwestboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m. and

Braeside Road3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Wanless Crescentwestboundright7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m. and

Wanless Avenue3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Ranleigh Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays,

Buses Excepted

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Bowood Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Roslin Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Glenforest Roadexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Snowdon Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Golfdale Roadexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Teddington Parkexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Mount Pleasant Roadnorthboundleft4:00 p.m. to

and6:00 p.m.,

Glen Echo Roadexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

1.3 Proposed "No Entry" Restrictions

ProhibitedTravelledTimes and

HighwayHighwayDirection Days

Wanless Avenue,Wanlesseastbound7:00 a.m. to

100 m east ofAvenue9:00 a.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept

Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Wanless Avenue,Wanlesswestbound3:30 p.m. to

100 m east ofAvenue6:00 p.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Glenforest Road,Glenforesteastbound7:00 a.m. to

50 m east ofRoad9:00 a.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

1.4 Proposed "Local Traffic Only" Signs

TravelledTimes and

IntersectionHighwayDirectionDays

Wanless AvenueWanlesswestbound7:00 a.m. to

andAvenue9:00 a.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Ranleigh AvenueRanleighwestbound7:00 a.m. to

andAvenue9:00 a.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Glenforest RoadGlenforestwestbound7:00 a.m. to

andRoad9:00 a.m.,

Yonge Streetexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Leith PlaceLeithnorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andPlace6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Cardinal PlaceCardinalnorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andPlace6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Preston PlacePrestonnorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andPlace6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Ardrossan PlaceArdrossannorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andPlace6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Ronan AvenueRonannorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andAvenue6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Wanless CrescentWanlessnorthbound4:00 p.m. to

andCrescent6:00 p.m.,

Lawrence Avenueexcept Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

1.5 Proposed "All-way Stop" Controls

IntersectionsStop Streets

Bocastle Avenue andBocastle Avenue

Snowdon Avenue(northbound and southbound)

Bocastle Avenue andBocastle Avenue

Roslin Avenue(northbound and southbound)

Wanless Avenue andLeith Place

Leith Place(eastbound and westbound)

IntersectionsStop Streets

Wanless Avenue andPreston Place

Preston Place(eastbound and westbound)

Wanless Avenue andWanless Avenue

Kappele Avenue(eastbound and westbound)

Wanless Avenue andKappele Avenue

Kappele Avenue(southbound)

Ronan Avenue andGolfdale Road

Golfdale Road(eastbound and westbound)

Ronan Avenue andRonan Avenue

Snowdon Avenue(northbound and southbound)

Ronan Avenue andRonan Avenue

Glenforest Road(northbound and southbound)

Ronan Avenue andRonan Avenue

Bowood Avenue(northbound and southbound)

Ronan Avenue andRonan Avenue

Ranleigh Avenue(northbound and southbound)

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Appendix 2

Traffic Controls Recommended for the

Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

2.1 Recommended Turn Restrictions Under the Jurisdiction of

Metropolitan Toronto

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Wanless Crescent3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Ronan Avenue3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Lawrence Avenuewestboundright7:00 a.m. to

East and9:00 a.m. and

Ardrossan Place3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

2.2 Recommended Turn Restrictions Under the Jurisdiction of the

City of Toronto

TurnsTimes and

IntersectionDirectionProhibitedDays

Haslemere Roadwestboundleft7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m. and

Braeside Road3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

Wanless Crescentwestboundright7:00 a.m. to

and9:00 a.m. and

Wanless Avenue3:30 p.m. to

6:00 p.m.,

except Saturdays,

Sundays and

Public Holidays

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Appendix 3

Permit Parking for the

Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

The following number of permits have been issued for the spaces available as of August 19, 1992:

SpacesPermits

LocationFrom/ToAvailableIssued

ArdrossanLawrence Avenue East to3017

PlaceWanless Avenue

BowoodYonge Street to11023

AvenueRonan Avenue

GlenforestYonge Street to13349

Roadthe easterly limit of

Glenforest Road

RanleighYonge Street to 8037

AvenueRonan Avenue

SnowdonBocastle Avenue to16440

AvenueRiverview Drive

RonanWanless Avenue to 4214

AvenueRanleigh Avenue and

Glenforest Road to

Snowdon Avenue

RoslinYonge Street to 6226

AvenueBocastle Avenue and

Ronan Avenue to

easterly limit of

Ronan Avenue

WanlessMount Pleasant Road to 2737

AvenueArdrossan Place and

Ronan Avenue to

Kappele Avenue

Total648243

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Appendix 4

Highest Traffic Volume Carrying Streets for the

Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area

24-HourA.M. PeakP.M. Peak

StreetVolume Hour Hour

Yonge Street, north of39,2402,7402,710

Lawrence Avenue East

Lawrence Avenue East, east of24,9001,8702,035

Yonge Street

Mount Pleasant Road, north of 8,060 920 900

Lawrence Avenue East

Teddington Park Avenue, east of 4,070 465 270

Yonge Street

Snowdon Avenue, east of 2,100 150 170

Yonge Street

Golfdale Road, east of 2,040 220 170

Yonge Street

Glen Echo Road, east of 1,990 230 220

Yonge Street

Ranleigh Avenue, east of 1,800 215 215

Yonge Street

Ronan Avenue, north of 1,400 75 85

Wanless Avenue

Wanless Avenue, east of 1,200 130 120

Mount Pleasant Road

Bowood Avenue, east of 1,150 70 100

Yonge Street

Glenforest Road, east of 1,050 85 110

Yonge Street

Roslin Avenue, east of 950 70 70

Yonge Street

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Appendix 5

Comments Received from Other Government Agencies

In accordance with City Council policy respecting area traffic management plans, I contacted other government agencies in order to obtain their comments respecting this traffic management plan.

2.1City of Toronto Fire Department

Mr. Walter. J. Shanahan, Fire Chief, by letter dated February 26, 1992, advised as follows:

"The Toronto Fire Department has no objection to this plan as it consists mostly of "No Turn" signs which we would ignore when responding to an emergency.

The addition of more "Stop" signs can slow down our emergency responses as it means our vehicles must come to a complete stop before proceeding."

2.2Metropolitan Toronto Ambulance Services Department

Mr. K. J. Kitchen, Assistant Director, Operations, by letter dated March 6, 1992, advised as follows:

"Further to your request of February 20, 1992, I have had my staff review the proposals and have found that we do not anticipate any impact to our daily operations at this time.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposed amendment."

2.3Metropolitan Toronto Police Force

Inspector D. Hutt, Traffic Support Services, by letter dated March 6, 1992, advised as follows:

"A member of my staff has inspected the area covered in the proposal.

While the Force makes no objection to the plan, we would prefer the City to examine the plan more closely to determine the impact it will have on traffic patterns in the communities south of Lawrence Avenue East. It is believed that failure to address this issue as a whole will result in additional dissatisfaction in the Community.

Once the restrictions are in place and enforcement action is taken, no exemptions or understandings will be made for residents of the area. Please be further advised that signs such as "Local Traffic Only" are not enforceable and are considered advisory only. The addition of "Stop" signs to the area is unnecessary if the intention of the plans is to limit traffic flow and is contrary to the City's stated policy to eliminate unnecessary stops."

2.4Toronto Transit Commission

Mr. G. Y. Chien, P.Eng., Manager - Operational Planning, by letter dated March 18, 1992, commented as follows:

"Thank you for your letter of February 20, 1992 requesting our comments on the subject proposal. We have reviewed the plans and offer the following comments for your consideration.

Although none of the proposed measures has an impact on the routing of any of our current services in the area, there could be substantial increases in delay to our buses resulting from additional traffic on Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East.

The traffic control measures in the proposed traffic management plan would not only discourage through vehicles from using local streets but would also limit direct access from the neighbourhood to much of the local and arterial road network. These additional turning movements of local and through traffic at nearby major intersections could adversely affect our services presently using these intersections."

2.5City of North York

2.5.1Mr. Vince Murphy, Commissioner of Transportation, by letter dated April 14, 1992, advised as follows:

"Thank you for your letter dated March 20, 1992 soliciting comments regarding the above noted proposal.

Our review had indicated that while the proposed control plan is totally within the City of Toronto limits, it will have a great impact on roadways within North York which are not currently experiencing any transient traffic problems. Should this plan be implemented, re-routing of traffic would cause unreasonable infiltration.

Specifically, during the A.M. peak period, proposed southbound left turn restrictions on Yonge Street would sever reasonable access requirements to Doncliffe Drive, Forest Glen, Mildenhall Road, Braeside Crescent, Proctor Crescent and Rothmere Drive.

Proposed northbound left turn restrictions on Mount Pleasant Road, in the P.M. peak period would "trap" drivers on Mt. Pleasant Road and force a re-routing of traffic to Doncliffe Drive or Forest Glen to exit this area. At the east end of the traffic management plan area, these restrictions would also re-route transient traffic onto Mildenhall Road, north of Lawrence Avenue. Traffic would travel through North York streets to by-pass the proposed turn restrictions, or as a result of a lack of an alternative route to access or egress the area. These type of controls are therefore unreasonable, and in consultation with Councillor. J. Flint, are not considered acceptable to North York residents.

I would, therefore, request that the North York Transportation Department and Councillor J. Flint be included in the development of this Traffic Management Plan."

2.5.2Councillor Joanne Flint, City of North York Ward 8, by letter dated April 30, 1992, advised as follows:

"I am very concerned about the rerouting of traffic in the City of Toronto that will have serious repercussions for residents of Ward 8. I wish to be informed of the development of this traffic plan to date are to be included in any future meetings regarding the above and any other issues that you feel will impact my ward."

2.6 Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Department

Mr. Peter K. Hillier, Regional Traffic Manager, by letter dated June 11, 1992, advised as follows:

"The proposed morning and afternoon traffic plans, developed by the Traffic Committee of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association in January 1992, have been analyzed with respect to their anticipated effect upon two Metropolitan Toronto roadways: Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East. Generally speaking, these plans would have a severe negative impact on the Metropolitan roads and we do not support the majority of the proposed turn prohibitions on Metropolitan roads.

A.Proposed Morning Traffic Plan:

The predominant traffic flow in the morning peak period on Yonge Street in this area is southbound. If southbound left turns were prohibited on Yonge Street, there would be an accumulative increase in the southbound volume. The first intersection with traffic signals that would encounter this increase is Yonge Street and Fairlawn Avenue.

(i)Yonge @ Fairlawn:

The southbound approach is operating at capacity during the morning peak hour, and an additional 431 vehicles (22 percent of existing) would need to be serviced if the turn prohibitions are introduced as proposed.

Additional green time cannot be added to the Yonge Street phase because the side street green indication is the minimum length required to safely provide pedestrian crossing time across Yonge Street.

We calculate that the resultant delays and congestion caused by the additional traffic would be severe: the vehicular capacity of the intersection will be considerably lower than the volume of traffic being serviced by the intersection at the present time. If we attempt to operate the intersection in this "over capacity" condition, we anticipate an increase in accidents, vehicular delays, fuel consumption, and air pollution.

(ii)Yonge @ Ranleigh:

The proposed left turn prohibitions would result in an additional 64 southbound vehicles on Yonge Street between Fairlawn Avenue and Ranleigh Avenue, resulting in a cumulative increase of 495 vehicles in the morning peak hour. This represents a 22.5 percent increase over the existing southbound volume, and the existing traffic operation is already at capacity.

The same comments as were applied to the Yonge Street at Fairlawn Avenue intersection apply to this one. The anticipated detrimental effects of added traffic volumes are severe and unacceptable.

(iii)Yonge @ Lawrence:

The total additional southbound traffic flow on Yonge Street approaching Lawrence Avenue East would be approximately 559 vehicles in the morning peak hour, if the southbound left turn prohibitions were introduced as proposed. This is a 33 percent increase over the existing volume.

At the present time, there is some reserve capacity in the morning rush hour. However, the additional traffic volume will bring the operation of the intersection to capacity. Furthermore, if there is a high left turn demand added to the southbound approach (as a result of the left turn prohibitions "upstream") the left turn storage lane will be overburdened and the left turn queue will obstruct southbound through traffic.

(iv)Yonge @ Chatsworth:

The next traffic signal which will be encountered by southbound Yonge Street traffic south of Lawrence Avenue East is at Chatsworth Drive. Presently, this intersection is operating at capacity in the morning peak hour. Even if a conservative estimate of the southbound through movement from Yonge Street at Lawrence Avenue East is used in the impact analysis, the impact would be severe and the resultant increase in delays and congestion would cause a higher accident risk and higher fuel consumption and air pollution.

(v)Lawrence @ Mount Pleasant:

At the present time, the intersection of Lawrence Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road is operating at capacity in the morning peak hour. If the proposed southbound left turn prohibitions were adopted on Yonge Street, the southbound Mount Pleasant Road traffic flow should be reduced significantly. However, because of the awkward intersection geometrics and the specialized signal phasing at this location, major improvements which could be gained because of the reduced southbound demand would be off-set by the anticipated increase in eastbound traffic flow originating from the displaced traffic on Yonge Street.

B.Proposed Afternoon Traffic Plan:

The major traffic demand in the afternoon peak period is northbound and the purpose of the proposed westbound right turn prohibitions on Lawrence Avenue East, east of Mount Pleasant Road, and northbound left turn prohibitions on Mount Pleasant Road, north of Lawrence Avenue East, is to divert through traffic onto other roadways. It is probable that some of the displaced traffic will find alternate routes through the residential neighbourhood immediately to the south of Lawrence Avenue East.

(vi)Lawrence @ Mount Pleasant:

Right turn prohibitions on Lawrence Avenue East to the east of Mount Pleasant Road could have the accumulative impact of adding 96 vehicles to the westbound approach of the Lawrence Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road intersection in the afternoon peak hour. Assuming that 50 percent of this traffic is "local" in nature, and has a destination within the Teddington Park/Wanless Park area, then approximately 48drivers will be turning right onto Mount Pleasant Road and approximately 48 will be driving straight through westbound. Even though the existing traffic flow at this intersection is operating close to capacity at this time of day, these additional volumes could be accommodated without severe impacts on the Metropolitan road system.

(vii)Yonge @ Lawrence:

At the present time, there are approximately 577 northbound drivers making left turns from Mount Pleasant Road onto streets within the Teddington Park/Wanless Park area, north of Lawrence Avenue East, in the afternoon peak hour. Assuming a low conservative estimate of only 50 percent of this volume being displaced onto Metropolitan roads (because the other 50 percent has a destination within the Teddington Park/Wanless Park area and will therefore find a route through the neighbourhood) approximately 290 through vehicles will wish to make a left turn onto Lawrence Avenue East at Mount Pleasant Road or will be displaced onto northbound Yonge Street approaching Lawrence Avenue East. These northbound left turns onto Lawrence Avenue East will eventually be added to the westbound Lawrence Avenue East traffic approaching Yonge Street. This is in addition to the approximately 48vehicles displaced from westbound Lawrence Avenue East wishing to turn right, east of Mount Pleasant Road.

The Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East intersection is presently operating at capacity in the afternoon peak hour, and the addition of approximately 350 vehicles would cause severe delay and congestion problems.

(viii)Yonge @ Ranleigh

In the afternoon peak hour, there is presently reserve capacity in the northbound direction on Yonge Street at Ranleigh Avenue. The potential additional northbound traffic could be accommodated.

(ix)Yonge @ Fairlawn

The northbound flow on Yonge Street at Fairlawn Avenue is presently over capacity during the afternoon peak hour. If the additional traffic from the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Traffic Plan were added, the impact on delays and congestion would be severe. Northbound left turn movements are permitted at this time and, if they were prohibited, the traffic flow would be improved but would still be over capacity.

C.Conclusions

The Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Department cannot support any of the proposed morning traffic plans for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park area because of the severe impacts to Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue East. Similarly, we cannot support the majority of the afternoon traffic plans because of severe impacts to the Metropolitan Roads and the potential adverse affects on the neighbouring residential area to the south. However, we are not opposed to afternoon peak period right turn prohibitions on Lawrence Avenue East for westbound traffic: at Wanless Crescent, at Ronan Avenue, and at Ardrossan Place. The relative impacts of these prohibitions are not severe and the Metropolitan road system should be able to absorb the displaced traffic without undue additional delays and congestion. The proposed control periods are from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, but, to be consistent with other existing turn controls in the area, the control periods should be 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except Public Holidays."

3.7City of Toronto Planning and Development Department

Ms. Maggie Easton, P. Eng., Policy Planner - Transportation, in a telephone conversation of May 27, 1992 with a member of my staff advised that the Planning and Development Department does not have any objections to the implementation of this plan on a six month trial basis. However, she recommends that consideration be given to exempting cyclists from the proposed restrictions.

The drawings attached to the foregoing report from the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment, Figures 1 - 8, are included in the attached material and are on file with the City Clerk.

The Committee also submits the report (January 24, 1992) from the Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment:

Origin: Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment (c39csc92099:17)

Recommendation: That I be directed to review the traffic management plan for the Teddington Park/Wanless Park Area submitted by the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association in consultation with its Traffic Committee and report to your Committee as soon as practicable.

Comments: I submit herewith copy of letter of transmittal dated January 20, 1992 from Mr. Mario Buszynski, Chairperson, Traffic Committee of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association, for a traffic management plan of the above noted area.

This is consistent with City Council's policy adopted on July 14 and 18, 1986 as per Clause 24 in City Services Committee Report No. 11, contained in Executive Committee Report No. 25.

I will review the traffic management plan of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association in consultation with its Traffic Committee and report to your Committee as soon as practicable on this plan.

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(Letter dated January 20, 1992 from Mr. Mario Buszynski, Chairperson, Traffic Committee, Wanless Park Ratepayers Association, addressed to Mr. Nick Vardin, Commissioner of Public Works and the Environment)

"By copy of this letter, the Traffic Committee of the Wanless Park Ratepayers Association is submitting a proposal to establish a rush hour traffic plan in the area bounded by Yonge Street on the west, Lawrence Ave. on south, and the City of Toronto Limits on the north and east.

Issue

The issue is the volume of transient rush hour traffic passing through the neighbourhood causing safety, noise and air pollution concerns. The gradual build-up of transient rush hour traffic culminated in over 100 letters being written to Councillor Walker in 1987 from residents in the area requesting introduction of rush hour traffic controls.

A letter from the Commissioner of Public Works to Councillor Walker dated November 13, 1987 detailed the results of traffic surveys in the Wanless Park Area. A licence plate trace survey to determine the routing of traffic in the Wanless Park area was completed for both the morning and afternoon rush hours. The results showed that in the morning rush hour, 47.7% of the vehicles entering the area from Mt. Pleasant exited at Lawrence Avenue East. In the afternoon rush hour 42% of the vehicles entering the area from Lawrence Avenue East exited at Mt. Pleasant Road.

A letter of April 3, 1991 to the Commissioner of Public Works for the City of Toronto from the Manager of Traffic Investigations for Metro Toronto states that approximately 1,000 vehicles could be diverted to the Yonge Street/Lawrence Avenue intersection in the morning rush hour if traffic controls (turning restrictions) were implemented on Yonge Street. This indicates the magnitude of the problem. Once the recession is over it is expected that this issue will magnify because of the additional volumes of traffic on the road.

History

The Traffic Committee was initially formed in 1987 and held a number of meetings. The development of a traffic plan was deferred during the Hearings to revert Mt. Pleasant to a City Street. Once this was accomplished and controls were developed for Mt. Pleasant, the Committee was re-activated and continued on with the work assigned to it.

Composition

The Committee is composed of between 16 and 22 members, representing streets in the neighbourhood. Many members dropped off the Committee during the deferment but an equal number of new members were added after the February 27, 1991 public meeting at the Bedford Park Public School during which a traffic plan was developed for Mt. Pleasant Road. The membership stayed dynamic and was increased after the public meetings to review our plans. Both supporters and objectors were incorporated to develop plans which would satisfy residents of the neighbourhood.

A City of Toronto traffic engineer was made available to assist the Committee in terms of what would be feasible from an engineering standpoint.

Public Involvement

Public open houses were held on June 11 and 26, 1991 and formal public meetings were held on June26 and November 26, 1991. Comments were received and suggestions were incorporated where feasible. All of this information has been appended.

The Plans

Maps showing the morning and afternoon rush hour traffic plans may be found on the following two pages. Mr. Benjamin of the City's Traffic Department is very familiar with the plans and can further interpret them for you.

The turning restrictions are self-explanatory. The no entry restrictions east of Yonge St. on Glenforest Rd. and Wanless Ave. are done to accommodate car repair businesses that receive a great deal of their business during the morning rush hours. The reason for allowing a left hand turn southbound from Yonge St. to Ranleigh Ave. is to accommodate the school parking and daycare centres on Ranleigh. The turn restrictions in the Wanless Park area are designed to reduce the traffic generated by the Toronto French School. It is also proposed to establish a traffic island in the Wanless Park area at the intersection of Wanless Avenue and Kappele Avenue. Numerous resident concerns about the safety of this intersection were received during the traffic study and we feel that a traffic island would alleviate these concerns.

As is evidenced by the analysis of public involvement, these plans have significant community support. This can be attested to by both the local and metro councillors who attended the November 26, 1991 public meeting.

We appreciate your assistance in this matter and look forward to your review. If we can be of assistance please do not hesitate to call.

The Committee also had before it the following material which is included in the additional material and on file with the City Clerk:

-(January 17, 1992, February 3, 1992 and October 28, 1992) from Scott Stevens

-(October 5, 1992) from Mario Buszynski, President, Wanless Park Ratepayers' Association

-(November 14, 1992) from H. M. Pedlar

-(November 19, 1992) from Jim and Daphne Doak

-(November 23, 1992) from Eric and Margaret Taylor

-(December 2, 1992) from Rod Borstmayer

-(December 5, 1992) from Robert Hall

-Summary of a residents' public meeting on December 2, 1992

-Drawing No. 421F-2809 dated November 1992

Comments submitted at a Public Open House on December 2, 1992, are on file with the City Clerk.

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The Toronto Community Council reports for the information of Council, having also had before it during consideration of the foregoing matter, the following communication (May 1, 1998) from Councillor Michael Walker, North Toronto, and a copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk.

Insert Table/Map No. 2

Teddington

Insert Table/Map No. 3

Teddington

Respectfully submitted,

KYLE RAE,

Chair

Toronto, May 6 and 7, 1998

(Report No. 9 of The Toronto Community Council was adopted, without amendment, by City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998.)

 

   
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