March 3, 1999
To:Urban Environment and Development Committee
From:General Manager, Transportation Services
Subject:Proposed Installation of Traffic Control Signals -
McNicoll Avenue and Eagle Point Road
Scarborough Agincourt: Councillors Doug Mahood and Sherene Shaw
Purpose:
To obtain approval for the installation of traffic control signals at the intersection of McNicoll
Avenue and Eagle Point Road coincident with the removal of the pedestrian crossover (PXO)
at McNicoll Avenue and Brookshire Boulevard.
Funding Sources:
The funds associated with new traffic control signal installations are contained in the
Transportation Services Division's Capital Program under Project No C-TR031. Total
funding in this program is $1.6 million for 1999. The estimated cost of installing traffic
control signals at the intersection of McNicoll Avenue and Eagle Point Road is $55,900.00
including the removal of the existing PXO.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)traffic control signals be approved on McNicoll Avenue at Eagle Point Road;
(2)coincident with the traffic control signal installation, the existing pedestrian crossover at
McNicoll Avenue and Brookshire Boulevard be removed; and
(3)the appropriate by-law(s) be amended accordingly.
Council Reference/Background/History:
This location was investigated as part of the routine examination of District traffic signal
needs.
Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:
McNicoll Avenue in this vicinity is a two-lane collector roadway with a posted speed limit of
50 km/h and a two-way 24 hour volume of approximately 11,700 vehicles. Eagle Point Road,
a local road, forms a "T" intersection on the north side of McNicoll Avenue. A southbound
stop sign on Eagle Point Road currently controls traffic at this intersection. Sir Samuel B.
Steele Junior Public School and Sir Ernest MacMillan Senior Public School are located on
Huntsmill Road approximately 170 metres north of McNicoll Avenue. Eagle Point Road
serves as a connecting link between Huntsmill Road and McNicoll Avenue. Adjacent traffic
control devices on McNicoll Avenue include a pedestrian crossover located approximately 66
metres to the west at Brookshire Boulevard and traffic control signals located approximately
415 metres to the east at Warden Avenue.
An eight-hour traffic control signal warrant study was conducted and revealed that traffic
control signals are technically warranted. The results are listed below:
| Warrant |
Compliance |
| Minimum Vehicular Volume |
56 per cent. |
| Delay to Cross Traffic |
100 per cent. |
| Collision Hazard |
27 per cent. |
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 that four 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. Based on
the above information, the technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are
met.
The PXO on McNicoll Avenue at Brookshire Boulevard is only 66 metres from Eagle Point
Road. Given that the Ontario Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices suggests a
minimum spacing between traffic control devices of 215 metres in order to allow motorist to
recognize and react to each device, it is proposed that the PXO at Brookshire Boulevard be
removed coincident with the installation of traffic control signals at McNicoll Avenue and
Eagle Point Road.
The purpose of the existing PXO is to provide pedestrian crossing protection for students
attending Sir Ernest MacMillan Senior Public School who live in the residential community
south of McNicoll Avenue and are required to cross McNicoll Avenue on their way to and
from school. If the PXO is removed and replaced with traffic control signals at Eagle Point
Road, the students and other pedestrians who use this crossing will be required to walk on the
south side of McNicoll Avenue between Brookshire Boulevard and Eagle Point Road.
Therefore, coincident with the installation of traffic control signals, a concrete sidewalk will
be constructed along the south side of McNicoll Avenue between Brookshire Boulevard and
Eagle Point Road. In addition, it is proposed to relocate the Toronto Transit Commission
(TTC) bus stops from Brookshire Boulevard to Eagle Point Road and to construct concrete
TTC platforms to accommodate the bus stop relocation.
Neither McNicoll Avenue or Eagle Point Road are arterial roads and the installation of traffic
control signals would not have an impact on the effectiveness of the network of arterial roads.
Furthermore, the traffic control signals would provide benefits to all road users in the
immediate area. The estimated cost of installing traffic control signals at the intersection of
McNicoll Avenue and Eagle Point Road is $55,900.00 including the removal of the existing
PXO.
Staff have contacted the Ward Councillors and both Councillors Mahood and Shaw have
voiced support for the proposed installation of traffic control signals at this location.
Conclusions:
The installation of traffic control signals on McNicoll Avenue and Eagle Point Road are
technically warranted and would provide benefits to all road users in the immediate area.
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/ca/wo;fc
c:\work\wpwork\reports\mcnieagl.ued
