Traffic and Parking Regulations in the

Vicinity of Air Canada Centre - Bay Street, from

Lake Shore Boulevard West to the

Railway Underpass (Downtown)

The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (February3, 1999) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to implement more stringent parking regulations and prohibit U-turns on Bay Street, in the vicinity of the Air Canada Centre, to enhance operational safety.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Funds to undertake the necessary signage adjustments in the estimated amount of $500.00 are contained in the Transportation Services Division 1999 Current Budget request.

Recommendations:

(1) That the parking prohibition at anytime on the east side of Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to Front Street West, be rescinded;

(2) That the parking prohibition at anytime on the west side of Bay Street from Front Street West to Lake Shore Boulevard West, be rescinded;

(3) That the stopping prohibition from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., except Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays, on the west side of Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to Front Street West, be adjusted to apply from a point 30.5 metres north of Lake Shore Boulevard West to Front Street West;

(4) That stopping be prohibited at anytime on the west side of Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to a point 30.5 metres north;

(5) That standing be prohibited at anytime on the east side of Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to the railway underpass;

(6) That standing be prohibited at anytime on the west side of Bay Street from a point 30.5 metres north of Lake Shore Boulevard West to the railway underpass;

(7) That parking be prohibited at anytime on both sides of Bay Street from the railway underpass to Front Street West;

(8) That U-turns be prohibited at anytime by northbound and southbound traffic on Bay Street between Lake Shore Boulevard West and Front Street West; and

(9) That the appropriate City Officials be requested to take whatever action is necessary to give effect to the foregoing including the introduction in Council of any Bills that are required.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The Toronto Community Council at its meeting of January 20, 1999 recommended that the report (January 6, 1999) entitled Bremner Boulevard, from York Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West - Implementation of enhanced parking/standing regulations (Downtown), be adopted. This matter will be considered by City Council at its meeting of February 2, 3 and 4, 1999 (Clause 33 in Toronto Community Council Report No. 2).

As indicated in the aforementioned report, Transportation Services staff have been examining options which might enable passenger pick-up/drop-off areas on Bay Street at the east side of the Air Canada Centre. We have completed an investigation on this section of Bay Street and note as follows.

Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to the railway underpass, a distance of about 120 metres, is an arterial road with two-way traffic operation and a 19.5 metre cross-section with traffic lanes delineated at widths of 5.0 metres (southbound curb lane), 3.5 metres (southbound centre lane), 4.0 metres (northbound centre lane), 4.5 metres (northbound curb lane) and a painted median 2.5 metres in width. The southbound curb lane is designated as a right turn lane from Lake Shore Boulevard West to a point 30.5 metres north and TTC bus service operates on this street.

Stopping is prohibited from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday on the east side and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday on the west side. Parking is prohibited at other times on both sides of Bay Street between Lake Shore Boulevard West and the railway underpass.

Transportation Services staff have had discussions with representatives of the Air Canada Centre and the Toronto Police Service. It has been mutually agreed with respect to Bay Street that measures should be taken to restrict pedestrian crossings of Bay Street immediately south of the railway underpass where sight lines between pedestrians and motorists are reduced by the piers supporting the underpass and that motorists should be permitted to stop momentarily on the west side of Bay Street near the north end of the Air Canada Centre to drop-off or pick-up passengers.

Based on our assessment, a concrete barrier will be placed on the painted median of Bay Street, extending south from the centre pier of the railway underpass to a point about 40 metres south. This will discourage pedestrian crossings of the street while still enabling motorists to turn to and from the gate at the Parking Authority of Toronto carpark on the east side of the street. Signs will also be placed on the barrier facing the opposing sidewalks advising pedestrians to Cross Bay Street at Lake Shore Boulevard West, where traffic control signals operate.

Given the anticipated pedestrian and vehicular traffic generation to and from the Air Canada Centre, parking or standing by any vehicle for any length of time on Bay Street will impede traffic operation and create a potential safety problem. The current parking prohibition outside the rush periods on Bay Street enables motorists to legally stop to drop-off or pick-up passengers. However, this regulation also allows vehicles displaying a valid disabled persons parking permit to legally park at times when parking would normally be prohibited by all other vehicles. Although, numerous off-street disabled persons parking spaces are delineated on the Air Canada Centre site and other nearby parking facilities, on-street parking occurrences are likely to occur.

Therefore, staff are recommending that:

(i)the parking prohibition on the entire east side of this section of Bay Street and on the west side from a point 30.5 metres north of Lake Shore Boulevard West to the railway underpass be replaced with a more stringent standing prohibition; and

(ii)stopping be prohibited at anytime on the west side of Bay Street from Lake Shore Boulevard West to a point 30.5 metres north.

The standing prohibition would allow motorists, including taxicabs, buses and vehicles transporting disabled persons, to stop while actually engaged in dropping off or picking up passengers but provide enforcement officers with the legal mechanism to encourage motorists to "move along". In this regard, Works staff have been advised by representatives of the Toronto Police Service that officers will be advised to stringently enforce the traffic regulations on Bay Street. The stopping prohibition will discourage motorists from stopping in the southbound right turn lane on Bay Street at Lake Shore Boulevard West.

Considering the heavy pedestrian flows that will occur, before and after events at the Air Canada Centre, staff also recommend that U-turns be prohibited at anytime on Bay Street between Lake Shore Boulevard West and the railway underpass to minimize potential conflict between pedestrians and traffic and generally enhance operational safety.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Ron Hamilton, Coordinator of Transportation Operations, 392-1806