Dufferin Park Avenue, between Gladstone Avenue

and Havelock Street - Request for Speed Humps

(Trinity-Niagara)

The Toronto Community Council recommends that:

(1)approval be given to alter sections of the roadway on Dufferin Park Avenue, from Gladstone Avenue to Havelock Street, for traffic calming purposes, by the installation of speed humps, with implementation subject to favourable results of the polling of residents pursuant to the policy related to speed hump installation as adopted by the Council of the former City of Toronto;

(2)the speed limit be reduced from 40 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour coincident with the implementation of speed humps; and

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

The Toronto Community Council submits the following report (April 6, 1999) from the Director of Transportation Services, District 1, Works and Emergency Services:

Purpose:

To report on the feasibility and effectiveness of the installation of speed humps on Dufferin Park Avenue, between Gladstone Avenue and Havelock Street.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Should Council decide to pursue the installation of speed humps on the subject section of Dufferin Park Avenue, the estimated cost would be $4,400.00. Funds in this amount are accommodated in the Transportation Services Division's 1999 Capital Budget.

Recommendation:

That this report be received for information.

Background:

Toronto Community Council, at its meeting of March 30, 1999, in considering a communication (March 5, 1999) from Trinity-Niagara Councillors Joe Pantalone and Mario Silva (Agenda Item No. 82), requested the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to report on the feasibility of installing speed humps on Dufferin Park Avenue, adjacent to St. Mary's Secondary Catholic School to prevent illegal "drag-racing" on this street.

Comments:

Dufferin Park Avenue between Gladstone Avenue and Havelock Street operates two-way eastbound/westbound on a pavement width of 9.7 metres and a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour. Twenty-four hour speed and volume surveys conducted by Works Services indicated the subject section of Dufferin Park Avenue carries an average weekday daily volume of approximately 750 vehicles. These volumes are significantly below the minimum requirement of 1,000 vehicles per day necessary for further consideration of the installation of speed humps.

In terms of vehicular speed, the above studies have revealed that the average daily speed on this section of Dufferin Park Avenue was 26 kilometres per hour for eastbound traffic and 29 kilometres per hour for westbound traffic. The average operating speed (the speed at which 85% of the traffic volume operates at or below) was 37 kilometres per hour for eastbound traffic and 41 kilometres per hour for westbound traffic. Incidents of excessive speeding (vehicles travelling in excess of 55 kilometres per hour) represented less than 2% of the average daily traffic volume.

A review of the Toronto Police Service's collision data records for Dufferin Park Avenue between Gladstone Avenue and Havelock Street for the three year period beginning January 1, 1996 and ending December 31, 1998, revealed there were no collisions reported.

Conclusions:

In light of the above, the section of Dufferin Park Avenue between Gladstone Avenue and Havelock Street does not merit the installation of speed humps as it does not satisfy the initial criteria as established by council policy and speeding is not excessive. Although the installation of speed humps would certainly eliminate any illegal "drag-racing" on this section of Dufferin Park Avenue, the incidence of excessive speeding represents less than 2% of the daily traffic volume and is relatively minor when compared to a number of other locations where excessive speeding constitutes a much greater percentage of the total daily traffic volume. Accordingly, no further action is recommended.

Contact Name and Telephone Number:

Bob Runnings, Traffic Investigator, 392-7771