Proposed Pedestrian Crossover:

Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends that Council approve the installation of a pedestrian crossover at the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue, and that the appropriate officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee submits the following communication (March 11, 1998) from the Acting Manager, East Traffic Region, Transportation Division:

This memo is to inform you that the Toronto Police Service has indicated to our Department that a crossing guard is not warranted at this location and will not be provided (see attached letter).

At its meeting on June 4, 1997, Metropolitan Council approved Clause No. 4 of Report No. 14 of The Planning and Transportation Committee which recommended that a pedestrian crossover (PXO) be installed at the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue, subject to a crossing guard being provided at such intersection.

Given that a crossing guard will not be provided, the pedestrian crossover will not be installed and our Department now considers this issue to be closed.

Please contact Richard Noehammer at 397-0506 if you have any questions or require additional information.

(Communication dated February 16, 1998, fromStaff Inspector Ron Taverner, Community Policing Support Unit,Toronto Police Services.)

At your request, a traffic study was conducted at the abovementioned location. The conditions observed during the study indicate that school crossing guard supervision is not warranted. The relevant observations are:

(1)children have minimal involvement with motor vehicle traffic;

(2)accident reports covering the past 24 months for the location indicate there were no accidents involving elementary school children;

(3)the elementary school children that crossed did not appear to experience difficulty in crossing;

(4)traffic control provides adequate assistance for the children to cross safely; and

(5)the majority of elementary school children crossed in groups and or were escorted by adults.

We have enclosed a copy of the School Guard Site Evaluation Program, Policy Criteria and Procedure.

Should you require a meeting or want to discuss this information further, please contact the School Survey Section, Community Policing Support Unit at 808-7050.

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(Clause No. 4 embodied in Report No. 14 of The Planning and Transportation Committee, headed "Request for Installation of Pedestrian Crosswalk - Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue", as adopted bythe Council of The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto at its meeting held on June 4, 1997.)

(The Metropolitan Council on June 4, 1997, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

The Planning and Transportation Committee recommends that a pedestrian crossover be installed at the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue, subject to a crossing guard being provided at such intersection.

The Planning and Transportation Committee submits the following communication (April 10, 1997) from Councillor Tom Jakobek, Ward 10, City of Toronto:

I have attached a copy of your Traffic Department's report of September 12, 1996, concerning a crosswalk.

Please ensure that the matter is scheduled for deputations and advise me as to when the community can attend.

(Communication dated September 12, 1996,from the Acting Manager, East Traffic Region,Metropolitan Transportation Department.)

We have completed our investigation into the feasibility of installing a pedestrian crossover at the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue. Based on our investigation, the installation of a pedestrian crossover is not justified at this time.

We conducted an eight-hour pedestrian study to determine whether this intersection meets the minimum technical requirements for the installation of a pedestrian crossover. Our survey, conducted on September 9, 1996, revealed that a total of 215 pedestrians crossed Victoria Park Avenue in the vicinity of Swanwick Avenue, of which 56 were delayed significantly (greater than ten seconds) before finding a suitable gap to cross. The 215 pedestrians consisted of 196 youths/adults, 13 assisted children and six unassisted children.

Based on the volume of traffic on Victoria Park Avenue, the minimum technical requirements for the installation of a pedestrian crossover at this location is 275 pedestrian crossings during the busiest eight hours of the day. This requirement is not met. However, if this requirement were met, a second requirement would be applied which takes into account how many pedestrian were delayed more than ten seconds before being able to complete their crossing. This requirement also is not met. Both of these requirements must be met for a pedestrian crossover to be considered technically warranted.

We also considered the installation of a pedestrian refuge island near the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue to assist pedestrians. However, this section of Victoria Park Avenue is not wide enough to accommodate a pedestrian refuge island without widening.

We have reviewed the collision records of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Service for the five-year period ending December 31, 1995. This review revealed that there has been one pedestrian-related collision reported in the vicinity of this intersection. This collision involved an eastbound-to-southbound right-turning vehicle which struck a pedestrian who was crossing Swanwick Avenue from south to north. There were no reported incidents involving pedestrians crossing Victoria Park Avenue at this location.

Therefore, given that the intersection of Victoria Park Avenue and Swanwick Avenue fails to satisfy the minimum technical requirements for a pedestrian crossover and has a good safety record, we cannot justify the installation of a pedestrian crossover, at this location, at this time.

If you have any questions, please contact the undersigned at 392-5243.

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Councillor Tom Jakobek, East Toronto, appeared before the Urban Environment and Development Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.

(A copy of the School Guard Site Evaluation Program, Policy Criteria and Procedure, which was appended to the foregoing communication (February 16, 1998) from the Toronto Police Services, has been forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda for the June 15 and 16, 1998 meeting of the Urban Environment and Development Committee, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)