STAFF REPORT

September 28, 1999

To: York Community Council

From: Director, Transportation Services District 1

Subject: Request for Vehicular Traffic Count on Menin Road

Ward 28, York Eglinton

Purpose:

To respond to a request from York Community Council to undertake a vehicular traffic count on Menin Road.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

That this report be received for information.

Background:

York Community Council, at its meeting of June 22, 1999, considered a request from Councillor Joe Mihevc for a report on the traffic volumes on Menin Road since reinstatement of the parking meters on the south side of Eglinton Avenue West. (Clause No. 15(h) of Report No. 7).

Comments:

Menin Road is a local street within the Citys road network. The street is currently designated in a one-way southbound direction between Eglinton Avenue West and Dewbourne Avenue.

Currently on-street parking is legally permitted on the west side of the street. Parking between Eglinton Avenue West and the Municipal lane is controlled by parking meters, providing a maximum duration of two hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday, with a maximum unsigned three-hour regulation for all other times and days. On-street parking between the Municipal lane and Dewbourne Avenue is regulated by an unsigned maximum three-hour parking duration at all times.

For comparison purposes, the attached Appendix details the results of traffic volume studies done on Menin Road over the past three years. Study A was done in November 1996, prior to implementation of the Cedarvale Traffic Management Plan, when parking meters were operational on Eglinton Avenue West and eastbound right turns from Eglinton Avenue West to Menin Road were prohibited during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday. The average weekly volume was 601 vehicles/day and the average weekday (Monday to Friday) volume was 642 vehicles/day.

Study B was done in October 1998, after the implementation of the Cedarvale Traffic Management Plan, when parking was not allowed on Eglinton Avenue West, eastbound right turns from Eglinton Avenue West to Menin Road were prohibited during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and traffic calming measures had been installed on Menin Road. The average weekly volume was 706 vehicles/day and the average weekday (Monday to Friday) volume was 693 vehicles/day.

Study C was done in August 1999, after reinstatement of the parking meters on Eglinton Avenue West, when eastbound right turns from Eglinton Avenue West to Menin Road were prohibited during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. The average weekly volume was 706 vehicles/day and the average weekday (Monday to Friday) volume was 758 vehicles/day.

It should be cautioned that comparison of the results of these studies will only give a partial view of the changes in traffic volumes for this area. The Cedarvale Traffic Management Plan was a neighbourhood study and any conclusions should take into consideration the changes in traffic patterns on all streets within the community.

Comparison of the results of Study A and Study C indicate that the average volumes increased by 18 per cent. Notwithstanding, the volumes experienced in the most recent count, although higher than previous, are still typical of a local street and relatively low compared to many similar street in the City. Since parking meters were in place during both of these studies, the increase can be partially attributed to the change in times of the eastbound right turn prohibition. It should be noted that this change was expected by the community and was considered as a trade-off for greater access to the neighbourhood.

Comparison of study results for Study B and Study C indicate no change in the average weekly volumes. There was some shift in the traffic from weekend to weekday, resulting in an increase of 9 per cent in the average weekday (Monday to Friday) volumes. Since the times of the turn prohibition were equivalent in both studies, the impact of reinstating the parking meters was marginal.

Conclusions:

As the vehicular volume summary shows, traffic volumes have marginally increased on Menin Road during the weekday (Monday to Friday) by 65 vehicles/day or 9 percent. However, the average weekly volume is constant at 706 vehicles/day.

Contact:

Jacqueline White

Manager, Traffic Operations, District 1

397-5021

392-8504 (fax)

Andrew Koropeski

Director

APPENDIX 1

MENIN ROAD VEHICULAR VOLUME STUDY RESULTS

Location: Menin Road between Eglinton Avenue West and Dewbourne Avenue

Direction: Southbound

Study A: November 28, 1996 to December 5, 1996

Eastbound Rights Prohibited - 7 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday

Parking meters operating on Eglinton Avenue

Study B: October 27, 1998 to November 1, 1998

Eastbound Rights Prohibited - 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday

No parking on Eglinton Avenue

Study C: August 6, 1999 to August 13, 1999

Eastbound Rights Prohibited - 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday

Parking meters operating on Eglinton Avenue