January 25, 1999

To:The Urban Environment and Development Committee

From:General Manager, Transportation Services

Subject:Temporary Traffic Regulations for the Construction of the Sheppard Subway - Yonge Station

North York - Centre; Councillors John Filion, Norm Gardner.

Purpose:

To authorize the introduction of traffic regulations, as and when required, to optimize the management of traffic during the construction of the Sheppard Subway - Yonge Station.

Funding Sources:

The costs associated with this work will be the responsibility of the Toronto Transit Commission.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that authority be granted for the introduction of traffic regulations as outlined in Appendix I.

Background:

Construction of the Yonge Station for the Sheppard Subway commenced in September 1998. The new Yonge Station is located over the top of the existing Sheppard Station and beneath the intersection of Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street. The main components are the station and running structure which are approximately centred within the Sheppard Avenue right-of-way, extending from Beecroft Road to Doris Avenue, and the southeast and southwest Wyes which connect the Yonge line south of Sheppard Avenue to the Sheppard line in order to bring trains in and our of service.

The location of the new station over the existing station makes it difficult, and in some locations impossible, to construct the new station roof under conventional timber traffic decking. Raised timber decking will be required along Sheppard Avenue east of Yonge Street, and a temporary closure of Sheppard Avenue west of Yonge Street to all but TTC and emergency vehicles will be necessary. Where the Sheppard Subway line actually crosses over the Yonge line a clear span structural element is required, which falls within the Yonge/Sheppard intersection. To facilitate construction of this element the existing intersection will be relocated to the south and west.

The TTC, in consultation with Transportation Department staff, developed a traffic management plan to mitigate the impacts of the station construction. The objective of the plan is to minimize the impact of construction on local residents and businesses, ensure safe movement of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles through the construction zone, to maintain traffic flow on Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street and to construct the station in the most cost effective and timely manner possible.

The main elements of the plan can be summarized as follows:

(I)Identify for the Contractor a range of reasonable options for rerouting traffic around the construction work site.

(ii)Ensure accessibility for affected property owners, residents and transit patrons, particularly emergency access. Ensure that existing bus operations are maintained and operational costs to the TTC are minimized.

(iii)Recognize fully the relative merits of options which are slightly more disruptive but which significantly shorten construction time/ or reduce cost.

(iv)Maintain the effective north/south capacity of Yonge Street to the extent practical throughout the course of construction by providing a basic six lane cross-section and turning prohibitions where necessary.

(v)Capacity reductions in the Sheppard Avenue corridor should be minimized until the Wye Break-in traffic decking is complete on Yonge Street.

(vi)Provide for a minimum three lane cross-section on Sheppard Avenue East and temporary closure of Sheppard Avenue West by way of turning prohibitions and temporary diversion to alternate routes.

(vii)Maintain traffic movements on Sheppard Avenue to and from the east at Yonge Street at all times to minimize the potential use of local Avondale streets by regional traffic.

(viii)Encourage the use of alternate routes using the North York City Centre (e.g. Beecroft Road and Doris Avenue) and the regional road system by way of appropriate information signage.

The Traffic Management Plan was presented to the area Councillors, and was also the subject of three "Open Houses" that were held in the neighbourhood, prior to being finalized.

Discussion:

To assist in the efficient detouring of traffic around the work sites, reliance is being placed on Doris Avenue, Greenfield Avenue, Elmhurst Avenue, Beecroft Road, and Poyntz Avenue, for use by traffic diverting from Sheppard Avenue. To ensure maximum road capacity on these streets a large number of parking meters will be removed to allow two traffic lanes in each direction during all periods of the day on the above detour routes. The removal of the parking meters and compensation for lost revenue is the subject of a previous agreement between the TTC and the Parking Authority. A report on the required changes in the parking regulations will be submitted to North York Community Council in February.

Temporary geometric improvements have been made at Poyntz Avenue and Beecroft Road, and Poyntz Avenue has been temporarily widened between Beecroft Road and Yonge Street. Temporary traffic control signals are being provided at the Elmhurst Road/Beecroft Road and Beecroft Road/Poyntz Avenue intersections.

To improve the efficiency of the traffic detour arrangements, and to maximize the capacity of the signalized intersections along Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue, a number of traffic movements must be restricted for extended periods of time. The movements that are restricted can be accomplished by using the detour system or alternate property access/egress that will be provided.

The planned restrictions are detailed in Appendix I. It is proposed that the restrictions will be introduced when they can contribute to an improvement in traffic flow or enhance the safety of pedestrian movements, and will be rescinded as changes in the traffic detour pattern render them redundant. The implementation periods are based on the construction schedule as perceived at this time. This schedule could vary according to ground or weather conditions, or other factors beyond the contactor's control. Some key turning movements, such as northbound right turn and westbound left turn at Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue will be maintained to reduce the potential negative impact on the adjacent residential communities south and east of the Yonge Street/Sheppard Avenue intersection.

Conclusions:

The construction of the Yonge Station, affecting the intersection of two major arterial roads, will have consequences on traffic flows within the immediate vicinity and also on a regional basis. The Traffic Management Plan adopted by the Toronto Transit Commission has been designed to mitigate the impacts of the construction as wherever possible, without unduly constraining construction operations. The traffic movement prohibitions proposed in this report will increase the effectiveness of the measures outlined in the Traffic Management Plan and minimize overall disruption to the community and local businesses. A public information campaign will be initiated prior to the implementation of each major traffic stage and extensive use of paid duty police officers is planned. The extent of traffic infiltration into the local community resulting from the traffic management plan will be monitored and additional measures may be required in consultation with the local councillors and the community.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

David Butler, Manager

Sheppard Subway Traffic Operations

(416) 392-5285

David C. Kaufman

General Manager, Transportation Services

Barry H. Gutteridge

Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services

Appendix I

Proposed Traffic Movement Prohibitions