Proposed Installation of Traffic Control Signals -
McNicoll Avenue and Eagle Point Road
(Scarborough Agincourt - Ward 17)
The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (March 3,
1999) from the General Manager, Transportation Services and that authority be granted for the introduction of the
necessary bill in Council to give effect thereto:
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
Insert Table/Map No. 1
Location: McNicoll Avenue at Eagle Point Road