Examination of Feasibility of Installing Speed Humps-

Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue

(Midtown)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that:

(1) approval be given to alter sections of the roadway on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue for traffic calming purposes as described below, with implementation subject to the favourable results of polling of the affected residents pursuant to the policy related to speed hump installation as adopted by the former City of Toronto Council:

"The construction of speed humps on ALBANY AVENUE, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, generally as shown on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5274, dated October 1998";

(2) the speed limit be reduced from forty kilometres per hour to thirty kilometres per hour on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, coincident with the implementation of the traffic calming measures; and

(3) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take whatever action is necessary to implement the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that might be required.

The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (February 1, 1999) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To report on a request to consider the installation of speed humps on Albany Avenue between Bloor Street West and Barton Avenue.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Should Council decide to pursue the installation of speed humps on the subject section of Albany Avenue, the estimated cost would be $6,600.00. Funds in this amount are accommodated in the Transportation Services Division's 1999 Capital Budget request.

Recommendation:

That this report be received for information.

Comments:

At the request of Midtown Councillors John Adams and Ila Bossons, on behalf of area residents, staff undertook an investigation on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, to determine if the implementation of speed humps would be an appropriate traffic calming measure on this section or roadway.

Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue operates one-way northbound with a pavement width of 6.7 metres and a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour. Staff recently conducted twenty-four hour speed and volume surveys over a six day period from November 27 to December2,1998 inclusive.

The subject section of Albany Avenue carries an average daily volume of approximately 1,050 vehicles (volumes ranged from 973 to 1,182 vehicles). These volumes marginally satisfy the minimum requirement of 1,000 vehicles per day necessary for further consideration to implement speed humps.

In terms of vehicular speed, the above studies have revealed that the average daily speed on this section of Albany Avenue was 31.6 kilometres per hour and the average operating speed (the speed at which 85 percent of the traffic volume operates at or below) was 43 kilometres per hour. Incidents of excessive speeding (vehicles travelling in excess of 55 kilometres per hour) represented less than two percent of the average daily traffic volume. It should also be noted that the above data is consistent, if not somewhat lower than previous data that was obtained on the same section of Albany Avenue in April/May of 1997, following the reversal of the one-way traffic operation on the section between Barton Avenue and Wells Street.

As requested by the Councillors and interested residents, staff prepared a plan consisting of three speed humps with spacings that range from 70 to 90 metres, as illustrated on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5274, dated October 1998. It is not anticipated that this plan would impact on existing on-street parking spaces, garbage collection, street cleaning or winter operations.

Implementation of this proposal, in conjunction with other speed hump installations and current investigations on sections of Barton Avenue, Howland Avenue and Brunswick Avenue, could result in increased response times for emergency vehicles into the local residential community. Accordingly, copies of the above plan, if approved, will be circulated to emergency services agencies for comment.

In the event that Council wishes to proceed with the installation of speed humps on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, then the following recommendations would have to be approved:

(1) That approval be given to alter sections of the roadway on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue for traffic calming purposes as described below, with implementation subject to the favourable results of polling of the affected residents pursuant to the policy related to speed hump installation as adopted by the former City of Toronto Council:

"The construction of speed humps on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, generally as shown on the attached print of Drawing No. 421F-5274, dated October 1998";

(2) That the speed limit be reduced from forty kilometres per hour to thirty kilometres per hour on Albany Avenue, from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue, coincident with the implementation of the traffic calming measures; and

(3) That the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take whatever action is necessary to implement the foregoing, including the introduction in Council of any Bills that might be required.

The terms of the Speed Hump Policy require that a formal poll be conducted of all adults (18 years and older) of households directly abutting the affected section of street and also households on side streets whose only access is from the street under consideration for speed humps, of which 60 percent of those responding should be in favour of the proposed implementation.

Further, the changes to Albany Avenue as described above would constitute an alteration to the public highway pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Act. The intent of Council to enact a by-law to authorize any physical changes resulting in the alteration of the pavement configuration must be advertised and subsequently be subject to a public hearing. The project would be pre-approved in accordance with Schedule "A" of the Class Environmental Assessment for Municipal Road Projects.

Conclusions:

In evaluating the section of Albany Avenue from Bloor Street West to Barton Avenue for the installation of speed humps, it has been determined that although such a course of action is technically feasible, the guidelines for installation are only marginally met. In addition, as the incidence of excessive speeding represents less than 2 percent (approximately 13 vehicles per day) of the daily traffic volume, the overall impact that speed humps would have on this street would be minor, compared to a number of other locations where excessive speeding constitutes a much greater percentage of the total daily traffic volume.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Colin Booth, Senior Traffic Investigator, 392-7771

The Toronto Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having also had before it during consideration of the foregoing matter, the following communications, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk:

-February 11, 1999) from Mr. Niels Petersen;

-(July 15, 1998) addressed to Councillors Adams and Bosson from Mr. Niels Petersen and Ms. Wendy Martin; and

-(February 14, 1999) from Mr. Niels Petersen.