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December 8, 1998
To:Urban Environment and Development Committee
From:General Manager, Transportation Services
Subject:Request for Traffic Control Signals
Pharmacy Avenue and Dewey Drive
Scarborough Agincourt; Councillors Norm Kelly, Mike Tzekas
Purpose:
To report on the results of the traffic signal warrant studies conducted at Pharmacy Avenue
and Dewey Drive.
Recommendation:
It is recommended that this report be received for information.
Background:
This location was investigated in response to concerns raised by members of the public about
the operation of the intersection of Pharmacy Avenue and Dewey Drive and the existing
pedestrian crossover on Pharmacy Avenue south of Dewey Drive.
Discussion:
Pharmacy Avenue in this vicinity is a four-lane arterial roadway with a posted speed limit of
50 km/h and a two-way 24 hour volume of approximately 20,700 vehicles. Dewey Drive, a
local road, intersects Pharmacy Avenue to form a full intersection with four approaches.
Eastbound and westbound stop signs on Dewey Drive control traffic at this intersection. At
Dewey Drive there are northbound and southbound "near-side" bus stops. Maryvale Public
School is located on the south side of Dewey Drive immediately east of Pharmacy Avenue.
Adjacent traffic control devices are a pedestrian crossover (PXO) located approximately 215
metres to the north, near Kellyvale Road, and a PXO located approximately 80 metres to the
south of Dewey Drive.
Over the past year, three eight-hour traffic control signal warrant studies have been conducted
which consistently revealed that the warrants for traffic control signals are not met at the
intersection of Pharmacy Avenue and Dewey Drive. The warrant studies also included the
pedestrian crossings at the PXO south of the intersection. The results are listed below:
|
Warrant |
Compliance |
|
October 1,
1998 |
April 15,
1998 |
November
12, 1997 |
| Minimum
Vehicular
Volume |
44% |
37% |
52% |
| Delay to Cross
Traffic |
90% |
95% |
79% |
| Collision Hazard |
20% |
20% |
13% |
For the traffic control signal warrants to be satisfied, one of the "Minimum Vehicular
Volume" or "Delay to Cross Traffic" warrants must be 100 per cent. satisfied or any two of
the three warrants must be at least 80 per cent. satisfied. The "Collision Hazard" warrant is
based on the number of collisions that occurred at the intersection in a three-year period which
were potentially preventable by the installation of traffic control signals. Collision statistics
provided by the Toronto Police Service indicate three collisions occurred over a three-year
period from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1997 which were potentially preventable by the
installation of traffic control signals. None of these collisions involved pedestrians. On August
14, 1998, a vehicle making a westbound left turn from Dewey Drive onto Pharmacy Avenue
was struck by a northbound vehicle. The driver of the northbound vehicle, a 78 year-old
woman, was fatally injured as a result of the collision. Based on the above information, the
technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are not met.
The operational characteristics of the existing PXO, approximately 80 metres south of Dewey
Drive, were evaluated according to the guidelines that were developed for the "Audit of
Operational and Physical Suitability at Pedestrian Crossovers in Metropolitan Toronto". The
results are as follows:
| Standards or Criteria to be met for Physical
Suitability of a PXO |
Met/Not Met |
Comments |
| Vehicle operating speed less than 60 km/h |
Not met |
85th percentile speed is 60 km/h for
southbound and 63 km/h for northbound
vehicles |
| Not more than four lanes wide |
Met |
Four lanes |
| Traffic volume less than 35,000 vehicles per
day |
Met |
approximately 20,700 vehicles per day |
| No driveways or entrances nearby |
Met |
Private driveways into residences on the
west side of Pharmacy Avenue generate low
traffic volumes |
| No significant volume of turning movements
which interfere with the PXO |
Met |
None |
| No visibility problems exist for either
pedestrians or vehicles |
Met |
None |
| No loading zones (including TTC) in the
immediate vicinity |
Met |
None |
| Not less than 215 metres to another PXO or
traffic control device |
Met |
North 295 metres to pedestrian crossover at
Kellyvale Road; south 935 metres to traffic
control signals at Brian Avenue. |
As described above, the existing PXO satisfies all but one of the pedestrian crossover
"environmental" criteria. Although the current speed profile of vehicles on Pharmacy Avenue
is a concern, this issue is being addressed by the Toronto Police Service who are conducting
speed enforcement.
During our most recent study, 469 pedestrians were observed crossing at the pedestrian
crossover during an eight-hour period. A crossing guard is on duty during school hours to
assist students of Maryvale Public School. A review of the Toronto Police Services collision
records for the three-year period from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1997 indicates that
there was one collision involving a pedestrian in the pedestrian crossover. In 1995, an 11
year-old boy was struck in the crossover and received minor injuries. While any pedestrian
collision is regrettable, the specific details of this collision are not indicative of a safety hazard
that would justify the removal of the PXO and the installation of traffic control signals.
If unwarranted traffic control signals were to be installed they would replace the existing PXO
in front of Maryvale Public School either at the PXO location itself, or at the Pharmacy
Avenue and Dewey Drive intersection. In general, the installation of traffic control signals at
the intersection of two public roads is preferred over a mid-block location. Traffic control
signals at the Dewey Drive location would provide signalized crosswalks for pedestrians on
both the north and south sides of the intersection. Both northbound and southbound TTC bus
stops are located at Dewey Drive which provide logical pedestrian crossing points. In
addition, the "Delay to Cross Traffic" warrant is close to being met and the installation of
traffic control signals would allow easier access to Pharmacy Avenue from Dewey Drive.
However, the installation of traffic controls signals at Dewey Drive may also encourage the
use of Dewey Drive as a short-cut route between Pharmacy Avenue and Ellesmere Road. The
estimated cost of intersection traffic control signals is approximately $65,000.00.
The installation of mid-block traffic control signals at the existing PXO location would have
the least impact on the school children's pedestrian crossing patterns and would be the less
expensive of the two options (approximately $48,000.00). However, the Dewey Drive location
may become warranted in the future and if traffic control signals are installed at the existing
PXO location, it may be necessary to relocate them to Dewey Drive at that time.
Both ward Councillors (Councillors Kelly and Tzekas) are fully familiar with the issues
addressed in this report and are presently evaluating the options.
Conclusions:
The technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are not met at Pharmacy
Avenue and Dewey Drive. A review of the physical and operational characteristics of the
pedestrian crossover on Pharmacy Avenue south of Dewey Drive indicates that a PXO is the
appropriate form of control for this location.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Peter K. Hillier
Manager, Traffic Operations, District 4
(416) 396-7148
David C. Kaufman
General Manager, Transportation Services
Barry H. Gutteridge
Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
RAN/
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