Pedestrian Crossing Concerns: Horner Avenue at Beta Street
(Lakeshore-Queensway)
The Etobicoke Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report
(May26,1999) from the Director, Transportation Services, District 2:
The Etobicoke Community Council reports, for the information of City Council, having
requested the Director, Transportation Services, District 2, to:
(i)ensure that the existing 40 km/h signs on Horner Avenue are not obscured and the
necessary tree pruning is undertaken;
(ii)install "seniors crossing" signs at an appropriate location on Horner Avenue;
(iii)ask the Toronto Police Service for enforcement of of the speed limit; and
(iv)to review the situation in one year's time and submit a report to Community Council.
The Etobicoke Community Council submits the following report (May26,1999) from the
Director, Transportation Services, District 2:
Purpose:
To evaluate the request of the members of the Franklin Horner Community Centre to have a
pedestrian crossover installed on Horner Avenue at Beta Street in conjunction with the
reinstatement of the 50 km/h speed limit on the section of Horner Avenue between Beta Street
and Gamma Street.
Funding Sources:
The funds associated with the installation of the appropriate regulatory signs are allocated in
the Transportation Services Division's Operating Budget.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) a pedestrian crossover not be installed on Horner Avenue at Beta Street: and
(2) the existing 40 km/h speed limit on Horner Avenue along the frontage of the community
centre be retained.
Background:
Correspondence/petition (Attachment No. 1) was forwarded from Councillor Irene Jones
regarding a request from the members of the Franklin Horner Community Centre to have a
pedestrian crossover installed on Horner Avenue at Beta Street and to have the current 40
km/h speed limit increased to 50km/h. A map of the area is Attachment No. 2.
The Franklin Horner Community Centre, formerly an elementary school, is located on the
north side of Horner Avenue between Beta Street and Gamma Street.
Horner Avenue, in the area of the community centre, is a four lane collector roadway with an
average daily traffic volume of 12,000 vehicles.
Discussion:
To qualify the request for a pedestrian crossover an evaluation was completed for
HornerAvenue in the area of Beta Street based on pedestrian and vehicular volumes and
pedestrian delay warrants.
To determine the pedestrian crossing demand, pedestrian classification counts were conducted
on HornerAvenue between Aldercrest Road and Gamma Street.
The volume warrant utilizes twelve-hour vehicle volumes and eight-hour pedestrian crossing
volumes as criteria for the evaluation. The studies revealed an average eight-hour volume of
82pedestrians crossing Horner Avenue (without difficulty), in the vicinity of Beta Street.
Based on the existing twelve-hour vehicular volume of 9,075, a net eight-hour pedestrian
volume of 260would be required to fully satisfy the warrant. Therefore, the recorded vehicular
and pedestrian volumes fail to satisfy the volume warrant by 68%.
In terms of the delay warrant, the percent compliance could not be determined since the
minimum eight-hour pedestrian volume of 200 required for the evaluation was not recorded.
A pedestrian volume of less than 200 does not normally require a pedestrian crossover.
The 40 km/h speed limit should be retained given that the request for the increase in the speed
limit was in conjunction with the installation of a pedestrian crossover.
Conclusions:
The results of the pedestrian crossover evaluation revealed that the pedestrian volume and
crossing delay in the vicinity of the subject location are well below the minimum requirements
for the consideration of this traffic control device.
Given the request for the increase in the speed limit to 50 km/h was in conjunction with the
installation of a pedestrian crossover the 40 km/h speed limit should be retained.
Contact Name:
Kevin Akins, Traffic Technologist, - Transportation Services - District 2
(416) 394-6046; Fax (416) 394-8942
(A copy of Attachments Nos. 1-2, referred to in the foregoing report, was forwarded to all
Members of Council with the agenda for the Etobicoke Community Council meeting of May
26, 1999, and a copy of each is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)
_____
Mr. George Ropchan, Franklin Horner Community Centre, appeared before the Etobicoke
Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter.
