Works and Emergency Services

City Hall

23rd Floor, East Tower

100 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M5H 2N2

February 1, 1999

To: Toronto Community Council

From: Andrew Koropeski, Director, Transportation Services District 1

Subject: North side of Turnberry Avenue in the vicinity of General Mercer Public School - Implementation of a "Student Pick-up/Drop-off Zone", "School Bus Loading Zone" and temporal "No Stopping" prohibitions (Ward 21, Davenport)

Purpose:

To improve traffic flow and enhance pedestrian safety on Turnberry Avenue, in the vicinity of General Mercer Public School, Premises No. 30 Turnberry Avenue.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funds in the estimated amount of $1,200.00 are contained in the Transportation Services Division's 1999 Current Budget request.

Recommendations:

1. That the recommendations contained in Appendix "A" of this report be adopted; and

2. That the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take whatever action is necessary to implement the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.

Comments:

At the request of Davenport Councillor Betty Disero on behalf of area residents and in consultation with the principal of General Mercer Public School, staff have investigated measures to improve traffic flow and enhance pedestrian safety on Turnberry Avenue, in the vicinity of General Mercer Public School.

Turnberry Avenue and Chambers Avenue meet to form a T-type intersection that is regulated by an all-way "Stop" sign control. The roadways operate east/west and north/south respectively with two-way traffic operations and pavement widths of 8.5 metres. Parking on the north side of Turnberry Avenue is prohibited from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, from a point 39.5 metres west of Rosethorn Avenue to a point 35.0 metres east of Old Weston Road and otherwise allowed for a maximum period of three hours, outside of the 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily permit parking hours of operation. Parking on the south side is prohibited at anytime.

During a site meeting attended by Transportation Services staff and the principal of General Mercer Public School, a number of motorists were observed parking their vehicles within the T-type intersection while engaged in pick-up/drop-off activities. The parked vehicles obstructed motorists' visibility of students making north/south street crossings and created a potentially dangerous situation. Vehicles were also observed to be parked across the pedestrian crossing lines at the east branch of the intersection, forcing students to walk around them to reach either the north or south curb. A number of vehicles were also observed to be illegally parked on the south side of Turnberry Avenue. Traffic flow and pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the school could be improved by implementing the following measures:

• Establishing a "No Stopping, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday" area on the north side of Turnberry Avenue, within the T-type intersection to improve motorists' sight lines of children as they engage in north/south street crossings. Contravention of a "No Stopping" prohibition (which prohibits the pick-up/discharge of passengers and the loading/unloading of merchandise) carries a set-fine of forty dollars and generally serves as an effective deterrent to illegal parking activities;

• Introducing a "School Bus Loading Zone" on the north side of Turnberry Avenue at a location approximately 35 metres east of Old Weston Road to a point 15 metres further east. The provision of an exclusive loading area for school buses engaged in the pick-up/discharge of students at a location somewhat removed from other pick-up/drop-off activities, should improve traffic flow on Turnberry Avenue and reduce loading/unloading delays often incurred by school bus drivers as they wait for access to the curb. To discourage motorists from parking within the proposed loading zone, a "No Stopping" prohibition should be implemented to replace the 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday "No Parking" prohibition; and

• Establishing a "Student Pick-up/Drop-off Zone" on the north side of Turnberry Avenue from Rosethorn Avenue to the east limit of the proposed "School Bus Loading Zone" (excluding the area within the T-type intersection). This measure would allow parents to temporarily park their vehicles for a period of up to ten minutes during the designated time periods to escort their children into the school. Parking would be prohibited at other times. In this case, the ten minute parking provision should also assist in reducing the incidence of illegal parking on the south side of Turnberry Avenue, thereby improving the operational efficiency and safety of the roadway in general.

Implementation of the above measures and the application of pedestrian crossing lines on the pavement at all branches of the Turnberry Avenue/Chambers Avenue intersection, should result in improved traffic flow and enhanced pedestrian safety in the vicinity of General Mercer Public School.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Colin Booth, Senior Traffic Investigator, 392-7771

Director.

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Appendix "A"

Recommendations:

1. That the "No Parking, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday" prohibition on the north side of Turnberry Avenue from a point 39.6 metres west of Rosethorn Avenue to a point 25.9 metres east of Old Weston Road, be rescinded;

2. That parking be permitted for a maximum period of ten minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, on the north side of Turnberry Avenue, from Rosethorn Avenue to a point 82.5 metres further west and from a point 52.0 metres east of Old Weston Road to a point 17.0 metres further east;

3. That parking be prohibited from 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, on the north side of Turnberry Avenue, from Rosethorn Avenue to a point 82.5 metres further west and from a point 52.0 metres east of Old Weston Road to a point 17.0 metres further east;

4. That stopping be prohibited from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, on the north side of Turnberry Avenue from a point 82.5 metres west of Rosethorn Avenue to a point 8.6 metres further west and from a point 35.0 metres east of Old Weston Road to a point 15.0 metres further east; and

5. That a "School Bus Loading Zone" be implemented on the north side of Turnberry Avenue, from a point 35.0 metres east of Old Weston Road to a point 15.0 metres further east.