STAFF REPORT
November 8, 1999
To: Toronto Community Council
From: Andrew Koropeski, Director, Transportation Services District 1
Subject: St. Clarens Avenue, between College Street and Bloor Street West - Proposed installation of speed humps.
(Trinity-Niagara)
Purpose:
To obtain Toronto Community Council's authorization to poll residents of St. Clarens Avenue, between Bloor Street West
and College Street, to gauge the level of support for the installation of speed humps.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Should installation of speed humps on St. Clarens Avenue, between Bloor Street West and College Street, be approved,
funds to implement the work in the estimated amount of $13,500.00 could be accommodated within the Transportation
Services Division 1999 Capital Budget.
Recommendations:
(1) That approval be given to alter sections of the roadway on St. Clarens Avenue, from Bloor Street West to College
Street, for traffic calming purposes as described below, with implementation subject to favourable results of the polling of
the affected residents pursuant to the policy related to speed hump installation as adopted by the former City of Toronto
Council:
The construction of speed humps on ST. CLARENS AVENUE, from Bloor Street West to College Street, generally as
shown on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5399, dated June 1999";
(2) That a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour be introduced on St. Clarens Avenue, from Bloor Street West to College
Street, coinciding with the implementation of speed humps and as legislation permits; and
(3) That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to give effect thereto, including the
introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.
Comments:
Trinity-Niagara Councillors Joe Pantalone and Mario Silva have requested that Transportation Services' staff report to the
Toronto Community Council to obtain the authority to conduct a poll of St. Clarens Avenue residents, between Bloor
Street West and College Street, to determine their support for the installation of speed humps.
St. Clarens Avenue, between College Street and Bloor Street West, operates one-way northbound on a pavement width of
6.4 metres. Parking is prohibited at anytime on the west side. Parking is permitted on the east side to a maximum of three
hours. The permit parking system is in effect from 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., daily. The maximum speed limit is 40
kilometres per hour and heavy vehicles are prohibited.
Transportation Services' staff conducted a twenty-four hour automatic speed and volume survey on St. Clarens Avenue,
between College Street and Bloor Street West, and it was found that this street carries approximately 1,400 vehicles per
day with an average operating speed (speed at which 85 percent or less of the traffic travels) of 48 km/h. The average speed
of vehicles on the street is 36 km/h and about 2 percent of the vehicles travel in excess of 55 km/h.
A review of the Toronto Police Service's collision data records for St. Clarens Avenue for the three year period beginning
November 30, 1995 and ending November 30, 1998, revealed nine collisions were reported in which speeding may have
been a factor. Three of these collisions involved pedestrians.
Under the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act, the lowest enforceable speed limit allowed on a public highway in the
Province of Ontario is 40 kilometres per hour. However, under special provision granted by the Province to the former City
of Toronto, the maximum enforceable speed limit may be lowered to 30 kilometres per hour in conjunction with the
implementation of significant traffic calming measures.
While the speed profile on this street is low and would not normally qualify for speed hump installation (as noted above,
the average speed is 36 km/h), in light of the accident history noted above, this street is an appropriate candidate for the
installation of speed humps and Transportation Services' staff have developed a traffic calming plan with the view of
reducing operating speeds to a range of 30 kilometres per hour.
The traffic calming proposal, as illustrated on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5399 dated June 1999, consists of
nine speed humps with spacings between the speed humps of approximately 60 to 90 metres. As suggested above, a speed
limit reduction to 30 kilometres per hour would also be appropriate. No impacts on parking are anticipated and the effects
on snow removal, street cleaning and garbage collection should be minimal.
As stipulated in the Speed Hump Policy, once it has been determined that speed hump installation meets the initial criteria,
a formal poll should be conducted of adults (18 years of age and older) of households directly abutting the affected section
of street, and also households on side streets whose only access is from the street under consideration for speed hump
installations. Under this policy, at least 60 percent of those responding should be in favour of the proposal to authorize
implementation.
The changes proposed to St. Clarens Avenue, as described above, constitute an alteration to a public highway pursuant to
the provisions of the Municipal Act. The intent of Council to enact a by-law to authorize any physical changes resulting in
the alteration of the pavement configuration must be advertised and subsequently be subject to a public hearing. In the
interim, consultations with the emergency services agencies have been undertaken to ensure that the detailed design does
not unduly hamper their respective operations. However, the introduction of speed humps would result in slower operating
speeds for all vehicles, including emergency vehicles, resulting in increased response times.
This project would be pre-approved in accordance with Schedule A of the Class Environmental Assessment for the
Municipal Roads Project.
Contact:
Bob Runnings, Traffic Investigator
Telephone: 392-7771
Fax: 392-0816
E-mail: rrunning@toronto.ca
Director.
RJR/br
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List of Attachments
Speed hump proposal Drawing No. 421F-5399, dated June 1999.
