February 16, 1999

Ms. Novina Wong

Clerk

City of Toronto

2nd Floor, West Tower

Toronto City Hall

100 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M5H 2N2

Dear Ms. Wong:

At its meeting on Wednesday, February 10, 1999, the Commission considered the attached report entitled, "510 Spadina: Effects of Proposed Traffic Changes on Adjacent Neighbourhoods."

The Commission approved requesting City of Toronto Council to immediately close the openings that have been left in the bollards at the unsignalized intersections on Spadina, as detailed in Exhibit 1 of the attached report entitled "510 Spadina: Update on Collisions," excluding the Baldwin Street intersection which was referred back to staff in order to convene a meeting with City Transportation staff, Councillor Chow and the Community to review the following with a report back once the review has been completed:

1.The feasibility of installing traffic signals at the Baldwin Street and Spadina Avenue intersection.

2.The feasibility of moving the traffic signals currently located at the Nassau Street and Spadina Avenue intersection to Baldwin Street and Spadina Avenue.

3.The internal street design in the Kensington Market area as to the feasibility of adjusting one-way streets to make St. Andrews Street the main access route to the market.

The Commission also approved the following:

1.That staff request the City Transportation Department to install appropriate clear signage indicating where U-Turns are permitted such signs to be installed at the same time as the bollards are installed.

2.That the Commission support in principle that turns be permitted only at signalized intersections, thus if new signalized intersections are established that associated bollards would be removed.

3.That the following suggestion put forward by Councillor Chow be referred to staff for report with such report to include a possible source of funding for this year:

• Subject to approval of design and cost for a permanent solution, that the community be consulted regarding the streetscaping of the design of the barriers.

• Subject to the approval of cost, that the City Transportation Department undertake a detailed analysis of:

-the signalized and non-signalized intersection performance; and

-impact on neighbouring streets.

• That the streetscape design for barriers be prepared at the same time as the design of the lanes or edge lines for bicycles.

The foregoing is forwarded to the Urban Environment and Development Committee and Toronto City Council for the necessary approval to undertake the immediate closure of the openings that have been left in the bollards at the unsignalized intersections on Spadina Avenue, as detailed in Exhibit 1 of the attached report entitled "510 Spadina: Update on Collisions," with the exception of the Baldwin Street intersection which has been referred back to staff for further analysis.

Sincerely,

Vincent Rodo

General Secretary

1-64

Attachment

Copy:Councillor Olivia Chow, City of Toronto

Councillor Kyle Rae, City of Toronto

Mr. Dave Kaufman, General Manager - Transportation Services, City of Toronto

Mr. Paul Bedford, Executive Director/Chief Planner, City of Toronto

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION

REPORT NO. 11

MEETING DATE:February 10, 1999

SUBJECT:510 SPADINA: EFFECTS OF PROPOSED TRAFFIC CHANGES ON ADJACENT NEIGHBOURHOODS

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that the Commission:

1.Approve requesting City of Toronto Council to immediately close the openings that have been left in the bollards at nine unsignalized intersections on Spadina Avenue, in order to eliminate the ongoing collision problem, as documented in the attached reports, noting that:

-City of Toronto Transportation Department and TTC staff agree that closure of these openings is the only means by which these collisions can be eliminated;

-City of Toronto Transportation Department and TTC staff agree that closure of these openings should not result in significant traffic infiltration on the local sidestreets surrounding Spadina Avenue, although motorists using Spadina Avenue will have to adapt their travel patterns in response to the turn prohibitions, as they have already done for weekday rush hours and midday on weekends;

-With closure of the current openings, motorists have alternative access routes to all destinations on Spadina Avenue; and

2.Forward this report to Councillor Olivia Chow, Councillor Kyle Rae, the City of Toronto, and Toronto Transportation and Planning Departments.

FUNDING

This report has no funding implications for the TTC because Toronto City Council previously directed that the Toronto Transportation Department will be responsible for paying for the installation of bollards on Spadina Avenue.

BACKGROUND

At its meeting on January 27, 1999, the Commission considered the staff report entitled, "510Spadina Update on Collisions" in conjunction with the January 13, 1999 memorandum (attached) from David Kaufman, General Manager, City of Toronto Transportation Services, both of which indicated that temporary barriers should be installed at the remaining nine unsignalized openings in the bollards on Spadina Avenue to eliminate the ongoing collisions at these locations.

The Commission referred the matter back to staff with a request that they meet with City of Toronto Transportation staff in an effort to resolve the concerns raised by Councillor Chow as it relates to the traffic patterns in the community, and that a report on the results of these deliberations be brought back for consideration at the next meeting.

This report responds to the Commission's request.

DISCUSSION

In mid-1998, TTC and City of Toronto staff had evaluated the potential impacts of extending, to all times, the turning restrictions already in place during weekday rush hours and weekends, which prevent motorists from crossing the streetcar right-of-way at unsignalized locations.

Both staff expect that, if such turning restrictions were put in place at all unsignalized intersections, some percentage of motorists on Spadina Avenue would change their route of travel, in advance of reaching the Spadina Avenue area, so that they arrive at their destination in a way which would not require a left turn to or from Spadina Avenue. However, in order to assess what effects such turn restrictions would have on the community, staff looked at a "worst-case" situation whereby all of the affected motorists would continue to use Spadina Avenue and would have to make adjustments to their travel when they are on Spadina Avenue itself. Staff took traffic counts of all turns currently made across the streetcar right-of-way at unsignalized locations between Spadina Circle and Front Street, in a typical hour of weekday afternoon traffic, before there were any bollards and, using this data, looked at two "extreme" situations:

1.City Transportation staff assessed the impacts on traffic signal operations if all of the motorists who had been making a left turn at unsignalized locations chose to, instead, go to the nearest, signalized left-turn lane and made a U-turn on the exclusive signal phase. City Transportation staff determined that there is sufficient capacity available at the signalized intersections to accommodate all such additional traffic volumes.

2.A consultant was retained to assess what effects there would be on neighbouring residential streets if motorists choose to not make U-turns from left-turn lanes at signalized intersections but, instead, look for alternative routings on their own. The consultant's study concluded that alternative local access is available for all left-turning motorists, although some involve circuitous routings, and that most of the neighbouring residential streets would experience limited changes in traffic volumes. Three road sections would be expected to have a more significant increase in traffic volumes, but these are already busy roads which are generally non-residential in nature:

Subsequent to the January 27, 1999 Commission meeting, TTC and City staff met once again to review the results of their previous analyses. Noting that the two previous analyses had examined the likely effects of two "extreme" situations where all affected motorists would do either one alternative or the other -- situations which will not materialize -- staff agreed that the actual impact of closing the current openings would not be as significant as either of the two scenarios which had been previously analyzed. Some motorists which currently use Spadina Avenue would choose another route by which to approach the area, which might be more convenient, while others would learn that making a U-turn from the left-turn lanes, during the protected signal phases, would be the most convenient alternative. Still others might choose to look for alternative routings on local sidestreets, such as those described in the consultant's study. Overall, both TTC and City Transportation staff believe that closure of the current openings should not result in significant traffic infiltration on local sidestreets or neighbourhoods, although motorists using Spadina Avenue would have to adapt their travel patterns to reflect the turn prohibitions, as they have done for weekday rush hours and weekends.

Staff do recognize that there would be a need to advise motorists that they are able to make a U-turn from the exclusive left-turn lanes, and City Transportation staff will be developing options for improved signage at these locations.

Councillor Chow had raised the following three areas of particular concern at the January27, 1999 Commission meeting:

i)Access to the Grange Avenue area:

Southbound motorists on Spadina Avenue wishing to make a left-turn to enter the parking lot at Grange Avenue can make their southbound left turn at Dundas Street; there is another entrance to the garage on the south side of Dundas Street, just east of Spadina Avenue. Those southbound motorists now making the left turn from Spadina Avenue and destined to Grange Avenue, east of Huron Street, or to Huron Street itself, can turn left at Dundas Street, travel east to Beverley Street, south on Beverley, and turn right onto Grange Avenue. Grange Avenue, from Spadina Avenue to Huron Street, and Larch Street, can be accessed only from Spadina Avenue. A southbound motorist on Spadina Avenue, destined to those areas, would travel to Queen Street, make a U-turn from the left-turn lane, and return to Grange Avenue, or turn left from Spadina Avenue onto Dundas Street, take Beverley south to Queen Street, and Queen Street to northbound Spadina Avenue.

ii)Baldwin Street

There is a northbound U-turn lane provided at Nassau Street, just north of Baldwin Avenue, which northbound motorists can use to travel back to Baldwin Street.

ii)Camden Street

Camden Street runs for one block from Spadina Avenue to Brant Street. Because it is one-way westbound, it can be accessed only from Spadina Avenue. A northbound motorist on Spadina Avenue destined to this block can continue north to Queen Street, make a U-turn from the left-turn lane and return to Camden Street.

SUMMARY

TTC and City of Toronto Transportation staff agree that, in order to eliminate the current automobile-streetcar collision problem on Spadina Avenue, it is necessary to close the current nine openings in the bollards. Motorists who would be affected by these closures have alternative access routes to all their destinations, either by re-orienting their approach to the Spadina Avenue area, or by using the protected left-turn signal phases to make U-turns to complete their trip. Both TTC and City Transportation staff believe that any adjustments to travel patterns which such closures would require should not result in significant traffic infiltration in the neighbourhoods adjacent to Spadina Avenue. The three areas of greatest concern to Councillor Chow -- Grange Avenue, Baldwin Street, and Camden Street -- are all accessible by means of a U-turn at nearby signalized intersections.

The alternative routings which would be available to motorists may not be as convenient as their current routings. The recommended traffic changes would significantly improve the safety of all users of Spadina Avenue.

11-84-42/80

Attachments:January 13, 1999 Commission Reports:

510 Spadina: Update on Collisions

510 Spadina: Update on Collisions - Follow-up Information

January 13, 1999 Memorandum from David Kaufman, General Manager - Transportation Services

FILENAME: COMREP/510SPAD.WPD