All-Way Stop Study: Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road

The Etobicoke Community Council recommends that:

 (1)recommendations (1), (2), (3) and (5) of the following report (May 6, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works, Etobicoke District, be adopted;

(2)school crossing lines be painted across Wimbleton Road; and

(3)St. Georges Road be designated as a school zone and the speed reduced to 40 km/h:

The Etobicoke Community Council reports having requested the Commissioner of Works, Etobicoke District:

(i)to consider making the Acurve@ warning sign larger than normal;

(ii)to obtain a written undertaking from Kingsway College School that they will continue their supervision of students crossing Wimbleton Road; and

(iii)to report back to the Etobicoke Community Council in six months with respect to the effect of the foregoing recommendations.

The Etobicoke Community Council submits the following report (May 6, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works, Etobicoke District:

Purpose:

To address concerns with respect to the speed and volume of vehicular traffic at the intersection of St. Georges Road and Wimbleton Road, and in the vicinity of Kingsway College School.

Funding Sources:

The funds associated with the installation of the appropriate warning signs are allocated in the Transportation Department=s 1998 Operating Budget.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) all-way stop controls not be installed at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road;

(2)the Toronto Police Service be requested to consider the introduction of the School Crossing Guard Programme or the School Patroller Programme on Wimbleton Road immediately in front of Kingsway College School, in consultation with the school administration;

(3)subject to the outcome of the Toronto Police Service review of the pedestrian crossing conditions on Wimbleton Road in front of Kingsway College School, staff will examine the need for the implementation of alternative traffic management measures in conjunction with the implementation of the preferred pedestrian crossing assistance programme, in consultation with concerned residents, school administrators and the Toronto Police Service;

(4)a Ahidden intersection@ sign be installed on Wimbleton Road, south of St. Georges Road, for northbound traffic; and

(5)a Acurve@ warning sign and a 30 km/h advisory speed tab be installed on Wimbleton Road, north of St. Georges Road, for southbound traffic.

Council Reference:

The Etobicoke Community Council, at its February 18, 1998, meeting, received a communication from Mr. I. Nishisato, President, Humber Valley Village Residents= Association. In his letter, Mr. Nishisato raised concerns with respect to the speed and volume of vehicular traffic at the intersection of St. Georges Road and Wimbleton Road, and in the vicinity of Kingsway College School. The communication was referred to the Commissioner of Works with a request for a report. A map of the area is Attachment No.1.

Comments and Discussion:

Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road are classified as local roads. Each has a roadway width of approximately 7 metres, providing one lane of traffic per direction. The posted speed limit on Wimbleton Road is 40 km/h; the speed limit on St. Georges road is 50 km/h. There are no sidewalks on either of these roadways. The intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road has three municipal approaches to the north, south, and east. The west approach is the private driveway to St. George=s-on-the-Hill Church. For purposes of this report, the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road will include the church driveway and will be considered as an intersection with four approaches. Kingsway College School is located on the west side of Wimbleton Road immediately north of Dundas Street West.

To assess traffic conditions at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road, and on Wimbleton Road in front of Kingsway College School, the following information was obtained:

(1)Turning movement counts, conducted on March 26, 1998, at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road.

(2)Intersection Capacity Analysis: Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road.

(3)Radar speed studies, conducted on March 26, 1998, on Wimbleton Road, mid-block between Dundas Street West and St. Georges Road; St. Georges Road, mid-block between Wimbleton Road and Canterbury Road on October 7, 1997, and March 26, 1998.

(4)A vehicle collision summary for the period January 1, 1995, to December 31, 1997.

The following chart summarizes the results of the turning movement counts undertaken on March 26, 1998, at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road.

Turning Movement Count Summary

Date: Thursday March 26, 1998

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario has provided the following warrants for the installation of all-way stop controls on roads and streets considered to be neither arterial nor major collector streets:

a)a total of vehicle volume on all intersection approaches must exceed 350 for the highest hour recorded; and

b)a volume split should not exceed 65/35 for a four-way control.

As noted in the turning movement count summary, the peak hour at this intersection is 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The total vehicle volume on all approaches during this hour is 295 vehicles and the vehicle volume split is 64/36. Although the volume split does meet the warrant requirement, the vehicle volume fails to meet the minimum requirement necessary to satisfy the vehicle volume warrant. Attachment No. 2 summarizes the peak hour turning movement data.

Intersection Capacity Analysis

The results of the capacity analysis for the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road indicate that this intersection functions very efficiently at level of Service A, during the peak hour conditions. The intersection approach delay to motorists is minimal and the potential for vehicular conflict is very low.

Notwithstanding the results of the vehicular volume study and capacity analysis, there are a number of conditions that must also be addressed when considering the introduction of all- way stop controls at an intersection. The stop sign installation guidelines provided in the Highway Traffic Act, Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices, indicate that All-Way Stop Controls should not be used under the following conditions:

1.Where pedestrian protection, in particular school children, is a prime concern, as this concern can usually be addressed by other means;

2.As a speed control device;

3.At intersections having less than three or more than four approaches;

4.At offset or poorly defined intersections;

5.On truck or bus routes unless in an industrial area where two such routes cross;

6.On multi-laned approaches where a parked or stopped vehicle on the right will obscure the stop sign;

7.Where traffic would be required to stop on grades;

8.As a method of deterring the movement of through traffic in a residential area;

9.Where visibility of the sign is hampered by curves or grades and a safe stopping distance of less than 100 metres exists; and

10.Where any other traffic device controlling right-of-way is permanently in place within 250 metres, with the exception of a Yield sign.

Three of these conditions are of concern at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road: the roadway grade at the intersection; the driver visibility of the intersection, and the safe stopping distance requirement on approach to the intersection; and the intersection definition.

This intersection is located on a relatively steep grade. The installation of a stop control is not considered where grade is a factor because it inhibits the ability of a driver to start and, more importantly, stop a vehicle on a grade, particularly during inclement weather when pavement conditions are hazardous. The horizontal curve on the southbound approach and the vertical curve on the northbound approach reduce a driver=s visibility of the intersection to approximately 70 metres, 25 metres below the recommended safe stopping distance of 100 metres. Compounding the visibility issue is the poor definition of this intersection. Unlike more recently developed intersections where the roads are generally wider and curbs and sidewalks have been constructed, these roads are narrow and treed or landscaped to the road=s edges reflecting the more rural character of the neighbourhood. These features make the intersection less discernible to an approaching motorist.

Grade becomes an even greater factor at this location when the sight distance to the intersection is reduced and the intersection is poorly defined. The combination of these factors makes this intersection a poor candidate for the installation of an all-way stop control. Requiring the drivers and pedestrians on St. Georges Road and the church driveway to stop and yield the right-of-way to motorists on Wimbleton Road ensures that these conditions do not become a safety factor at this intersection.

Pedestrian Activity/School Zone

During the study it was noted that on several occasions throughout the day a large number of students crossed Wimbleton Road between the Kingsway College School and the playground located on the east side of the road. In September 1997, staff, in consultation with the administration of the school, upgraded the school zone advanced warning signs on Wimbleton Road, in front of the school. The pedestrian crossing issue was discussed at this time and staff referred the school administration to the appropriate contact in the Toronto Police Service to discuss the merits of introducing the School Crossing Guard and School Patroller Programmes at this location. Representatives of the police Community Services-Education Unit met with the school administration and examined the pedestrian crossing activity in front of the school. The police concluded that the use of school patrollers would be suitable at this location; however, the school did not implement the programme. By virtue of recommendation (2) in this report, this issue will be forwarded to the Toronto Police Service for consideration and the school=s administration will have the opportunity to re-examine this option.

 There appears to be some question among area residents as to whether or not St. Georges Road is considered to be a school zone. Only roads immediately adjacent to a school are considered to be school zones. The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) clearly states that Awhere a school is contiguous to a highway or arterial street, it is considered advisable to provide advance warning to motorists that they are approaching an area where children walk along, or may cross, the roadway, and that they are required to exercise caution and foresight in proceeding through these areas.@ School zones are denoted with blue and white signs displaying the silhouette of two school children. Based on the MUTCD definition, Wimbleton Road is considered to be the school zone and a review of the area indicates that all the required warning signs are in place.

Radar Speed Studies

Radar speed studies conducted on Wimbleton Road, mid-block between Dundas Street West and St. Georges Road, on March 26, 1998, between the hours of 7:00-9:00 a.m., and 3:00-5:00 p.m. indicated an average speed of 39 km/h. The average speed of vehicles recorded at this location that proceeded straight through the intersection of St. Georges Road was 40 km/h. Since the posted speed limit on this roadway is 40 km/h, these results are well within acceptable levels.

Radar speed studies conducted on St. Georges Road, mid-block between Wimbleton Road and Canterbury Road, on October 7, 1998, between 7:00-10:00 a.m. and 3:00-5:00 p.m. indicated an average speed of 32 km/h. The results of the study conducted on March 26, 1998, were consistent with results of the study completed on October 7, 1998. Vehicle speeds on this roadway are well below the legal speed limit of 50 km/h.

Vehicle Collission Summary

The vehicle collision summary has indicated that one reportable accident occurred at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road during the past three years. It occurred on September 4, 1997, when a vehicle travelling westbound on St. Georges Road struck a vehicle travelling southbound on Wimbleton Road at approximately 30 km/h. There were no injuries or property damage, however, the driver of the westbound vehicle was charged with careless driving.

Conclusions:

Based on the results of these studies, the installation of all-way stop controls at this intersection cannot be recommended. Traffic volumes at the intersection of Wimbleton Road and St. Georges Road do not meet the minimum requirements of the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario all-way stop control warrants: the results of the radar speed studies clearly indicate that motorists are driving in a safe and responsible manner on Wimbleton Avenue in this school zone, and on St. Georges Road. Although an all-way stop control does strictly control right-of-way in an intersection it also affords road users the ultimate level of access to an intersection in that pedestrians and motorists enjoy the benefit of priority access to an intersection. The safety of a pedestrian or a driver lawfully entering an intersection cannot be compromised by challenging the ability of a driver to stop a motor vehicle on a grade, particularly where visibility is a concern.

Contact Name:

Gwyn Thomas, Manager - Traffic and Parking Operations,

Transportation and Engineering Planning Division.

(416) 394-8414, Fax 394-8942.

The Etobicoke Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having also had before it the following communications:

-(April 28, 1998) from Mrs. C. Moore, Vice-Chair, Kingsway College School Parent Network; and

-(April 2, 1998) from Mr. T. Rouse, Parish Council Representative, St. George=s-on-the-Hill Anglican Church.

The following persons appeared before the Etobicoke Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Mr. I. Nishisato, President, Humber Valley Village Residents= Association;

-Mr. D. Richards, Kingsway College School; and

-Mrs. C. Moore, Vice-Chair, Kingsway College School Parent Network.

(Copies of Attachment Nos. 1-2, referred to in the foregoing report were forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the Etobicoke Community Council meeting of May 6, 1998, and copies thereof are on file in the office of the City Clerk.)