Proposed Conversion of Temporary Traffic Control

Signals at Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road,

and Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (November 10, 1998) from the General Manager, Transportation Services:

Purpose:

To propose the conversion of the temporary traffic control signal installations at Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road and at Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road to permanent installation standards.

Funding Sources:

The funds associated with new traffic control signal installations are contained in the Works and Emergency Services Capital Program under project No. C-TR031. In 1998, $1.6 million has been allocated for new traffic control signal installations. These funds have been fully committed already through approvals of 21 new signal installations. Therefore, unless additional funding is identified in 1998, new signal approvals for the balance of 1998 will be placed on a priority list for 1999 and await approval of the appropriate budget item in the 1999 Capital Budget.

The estimated cost to upgrade from a temporary to permanent installation at the Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road intersection is $61,000.00. At the Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road intersection, the cost is $62,000.00. Included in these amounts is $67,000.00 to be refunded to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) for the value of equipment recovered from the temporary installations which they funded.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)the temporary traffic control signals at Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road be converted to a permanent installation; and

(2)the temporary traffic control signals at Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road be converted to a permanent installation.

Background:

Temporary traffic control signals were installed at the intersections of Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road and at Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road in 1995 as part of the traffic management plan associated with the Sheppard Subway Tailtrack Project. The traffic control signals were required to accommodate diverted traffic resulting from lane reductions on Sheppard Avenue East.

All cost associated with these two temporary traffic control signal installations were incurred by the TTC on the basis that they would be reimbursed for any equipment that could be recovered when the subject installation was no longer needed.

Discussion:

TTC staff have advised that the Sheppard Avenue East lane closures related to the Tailtrack Project have been completed and the temporary traffic control signals at the two subject intersections are no longer required as traffic control measures for this project.

To determine whether the devices should be removed or retained traffic signal warrant studies were recently conducted. The results indicate that the minimum technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are satisfied at the intersections of Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road, and at Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road. The specific warrant values are as follows:

WarrantPark Home Avenue/Park Home Avenue/

Beecroft RoadSenlac Road

(1)Minimum Vehicular Volume100 percent88 percent

(2)Delay to Cross Traffic 69 percent80 percent

(3)Collision Hazard 20 percent20 percent

Either Warrant 1 or Warrant 2 should be 100 percent satisfied or any two of the three warrants should be 80 percent satisfied to meet the minimum technical requirements for the installation of traffic control signals. Based on the above-noted results, the minimum technical warrants for the installation of traffic control signals are satisfied at each of the subject intersections. Therefore it is appropriate to retain the existing devices and convert them to permanent installations.

Both Councillors agree with the recommendations of this report.

Conclusion:

Traffic control signals are warranted at the two intersections of Park Home Avenue and Beecroft Road and at Park Home Avenue and Senlac Road, and the temporary installations should be upgraded to permanent standards. TTC should be reimbursed for recoverable material from the two temporary installations according to the original agreement.

Contact Name:

Mr. Bruce Zvaniga, Manager, North and West Traffic Regions, 392-8826.

(A copy of the location map, which was appended to the foregoing report, has been forwarded to all Members of Council with the agenda of the November 30, 1998 and December 1, 1998 meeting of the Urban Environment and Development Committee, and a copy thereof is also on file in the office of the City Clerk.)