CITY CLERK

Clause embodied in Report No. 10 of the Community Council, which was before the Council of the City of at its meeting held on December 4, 5 and 6, 2001.

13

Traffic Concerns - Westmore Drive Between Finch Avenue West and Boulevard (Ward 1 - Etobicoke North)

(City Council on December 4, 5 and 6, 2001, deferred consideration of this Clause to the next regular meeting of City Council scheduled to be held on February 13, 2002.)

The Etobicoke Community Council recommends that the Recommendations embodied in the report (October 29, 2001) from the Director, Transportation Services, District 2, be struck out and the following Recommendations be inserted in lieu thereof:

“It is recommended that:

(1) the No Through Prohibition By-law, which currently prohibits the movement of through traffic on Westmore Drive between the north and south side of Finch Avenue West, be rescinded;

(2) the Director, Transportation Services, District 2, be directed to submit a by-law to implement a 40 km/h speed limit on Westmore Drive between Finch Avenue West and Humber College Boulevard and by-laws to implement all-way stop controls for the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle, and Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent;

(3) the removal of the No Through Prohibition and the installation of the All-Way Stop Control and the 40 km/h speed limit occur simultaneously; and

(4) the Toronto Police Service be requested to conduct a periodic review at the intersections of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle, and Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent, to ensure that motorists are stopping.”

The Etobicoke Community Council submits the following report (October 29, 2001) from the Director, Transportation Services, District 2: 2 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13

Purpose:

To report on the findings of the need to implement a 40 km/hr speed limit on Westmore Drive between Humber College Boulevard and Finch Avenue West, and, the need for all-way stop controls at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle, and Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent, applying the interim warrants approved by City Council at its meeting starting on April 23, 2001.

Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no financial implications associated with this report.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1) the existing No Through Prohibition be retained and that an assessment of the effectiveness of the regulation be reported to Community Council, in February 2002;

(2) all-way stop controls not be implemented at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle and the intersection of Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent, since the interim warrants for all way stop controls are not met; and

(3) a 40 km/h speed limit not be implemented on Westmore Drive since the 40 km/h speed warrant is not met.

Background:

Clause No. 8 contained in Report No. 3 of The Etobicoke Community Council, headed “Traffic Concerns on Westmore Drive (Rexdale-Thistletown)”, was adopted, without amendment, by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on April 11, 12 and 13, 2000, thereby adopting the staff report of November 9, 1999, from the Director, Transportation Services-District 2, and directing that:

“(3) Councillors Brown and Councillor Sinclair, the area representatives, hold a community meeting to determine whether the community would be amenable to prohibiting through movement from Westmore Drive, north of Finch Avenue West to Westmore Drive, south of Finch Avenue West, similar to the traffic control measures in effect at the intersection of Bloor Street West and Aberfoyle Crescent.”

In accordance with the Council directive, former Councillors Elizabeth Brown and Bruce Sinclair hosted a community meeting on the evening of May 24, 2000; a senior staff member of the Transportation Services Division was in attendance to present the issues and as a staff resource. At the community meeting, Transportation Services staff presented the findings of the studies conducted and reported on, in the staff report dated November 1999. The concept of prohibiting the through movements was subsequently presented and opened up for discussion Toronto City Council 3 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13 amongst the attendees at the meeting. As a result of the ensuing public consultation, the majority of the attendees concluded, and concurred, with the idea of implementing some type of traffic control measures that would prevent the industrial/commercial generated traffic, north of Finch Avenue West, from using the residential section of Westmore Drive, south of Finch Avenue West. A map of the area is Attachment No. 1.

The intent of the prohibition was to reduce the level of through traffic that uses the residential section of Westmore Drive, south of Finch Avenue West, to gain vehicular access to the industrial/commercial area north of Finch Avenue West; and, since convenient options for traffic to use the adjacent arterial roads were available, it was staff’s opinion and recommendation to Community Council, that the prohibition be implemented.

Toronto City Council, at its meeting, held on October 3, 4 and 5, 2000, adopted a staff report that recommended the implementation of a Through Prohibition for northbound and southbound traffic on Westmore Drive at Finch Avenue West. The new regulation was implemented on June 19, 2001.

Comments:

Following the implementation of the Through Prohibition, police enforcement of the new regulations, resulted in numerous calls from the public to the Transportation Services office in the District, as well as the Ward Councillor, complaining about the infractions that they had been issued, and the fact that the prohibition was too restrictive and inconvenient.

As a result of the number of calls and complaints received from the public by both the Ward Councillor and City staff, the Ward Councillor decided to convene an evening meeting to discuss the issue with her community.

A community meeting was hosted by Councillor Suzan Hall on September 19, 2001, at the Elmbank Community Centre, with senior Transportation Services staff also in attendance. The meeting was well attended (approximately 150 persons) by residents of the larger community, and a petition was also presented to the Councillor with over 1100 signatories, requesting the removal of the Through Prohibition. The primary reason given for the request to remove the Through Prohibition, was that the prohibition was too restrictive, it required the community to find alternative means of vehicular circulation which were too circuitous, and many found the prohibition too inconvenient.

The majority of the community, however, did request that staff examine other means of reducing the speed and volume of traffic on Westmore Drive, before the existing regulation is removed. Following the community meeting, the Councillor requested staff to examine:

(A) the feasibility of implementing a 40 km/h speed limit on the residential portion of Westmore Drive between Humber College Boulevard and Finch Avenue West; and

(B) the feasibility of implementing all way stop controls on Westmore Drive and the intersections of Countryman Circle and Brownridge Crescent; both studies using the Toronto City Council 4 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13

newly and recently City Council approved interim warrants. The results of these investigative studies are summarized in the following:

A. 40 km/h Speed Warrant:

The interim City-wide warrants for the installation of 40 km/h speed limits requires that the pavement width be less than 10.5 metres; and that at least one of the following be met:

(i) elementary or junior high school abuts the road;

(ii) parkland abuts the road which is contiguous to and used to gain access to an elementary school or junior high school; or

(iii) absence of sidewalk on both sides of the road or a major portion of road.

Although the pavement width on Westmore Drive is less than 10.5 metres, none of the additional requirements are met, thus a 40 km/h speed limit is not warranted and not recommended for this road.

B. All-Way Stop Control:

Staff applied the interim harmonized All-way Stop Control warrants to the traffic volume data collected at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle/Saraband Street, on October 5, 1999, as follows:

Vehicle/Pedestrian Unit Volume Split Four-Hour Total Approach Volume Crossing Major Major/Minor Study Period Vehicle Volume Road Roads 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. 178 54 73/27 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. 236 43 84/16 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 413 44 90/10 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 471 42 91/9 Study Period Average 330 46 87/13 Warrant Requirements For Study Period ≥ 250 ≥ 100 ≥ 30/70 or ≤ 70/30 Average

To warrant the installation of an all-way stop control, the traffic volume requirements for the “Study Period Average” must be completely satisfied in either of the following two combinations:

(1) “Total Approach Vehicle Volume” & “Unit Volume Split – Major/Minor Roads”, or

(2) “Vehicle/Pedestrian Volume Crossing Major Road” & “Unit Volume Split-Major/Minor Roads.” Toronto City Council 5 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13

It is evident that neither combination is completely satisfied at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle/Saraband Street. The same analysis was conducted for the intersection of Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent, this analysis also concluded that the warrants for an all-way stop control are not met.

The “stand alone” warrant for the installation of an all-way stop control based on the collision history at the intersections, was also examined. The warrant is met for a local road, if there is an average number of two collisions per year, over a three year period, of the type susceptible to correction by the use of all-way stop controls. The three year (1998-2000) collision history at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle/Saraband Street revealed an average of one collision per year, thus not meeting the collision history warrant.

Based on the non-compliance of the warrants, the installation of all-way stop controls is not recommended at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle/Saraband Street; nor is it warranted at the intersection of Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent.

A subsequent public meeting was held on the evening of October 23, 2001, with residents of the immediate residential neighbourhood, to report on these findings; the Ward Councillor also wanted input from the immediate neighbourhood on the Though Prohibition. At this meeting, the residents made it perfectly clear, that although the Through Prohibition was a means of reducing the volume and speed of transient traffic traversing their neighbourhood, the prohibition was too restrictive for their convenience, and they wanted it removed.

Staff was requested to report to Community Council, with the results of the most recent warrant studies. This is the subject of this report.

Conclusions:

In response to a request in November 1999, from the residents adjacent to the residential portion of Westmore Drive, between Humber College Boulevard and Finch Avenue West, concerning the volume and speed of traffic, Transportation Services staff conducted a number of traffic studies including the need for all-way stop controls.

The staff investigations and studies revealed that all-way stop controls were not warranted. To deal, however, with the issue of through traffic, City Council directed the area Councillors to meet with the community to explore the community's "amenability" to a Through Traffic Prohibition. The former Councillors consulted with their community, and as a result of that consultation, concluded that a Through Traffic Prohibition at Westmore Drive was an appropriate traffic management tool to deal with the volume and speed of through traffic being experienced by the residential community. In October 2000, the studies conducted by staff clearly demonstrated that over 50 percent of the traffic on the subject section of Westmore Drive, was transient. The Through Prohibition would discourage through traffic and the Toronto City Council approved the implementation of a Through Prohibition between the north and south side of Westmore Drive at Finch Avenue West.

On June 19, 2001, the prohibition was implemented in the field. Following the implementation of the prohibition, the residents of the surrounding community expressed their displeasure with Toronto City Council 6 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13 the prohibition. The current Ward Councillor held a community meeting on September 19, 2001. As a result of that meeting, staff was instructed to once again examine the feasibility of implementing all-way stop controls and a posted speed of 40 km/h, based on the new interim warrants. Staff conducted these studies and once again concluded that they are not warranted.

In conclusion, the existing Through Prohibition has not been in place long enough to comprehensively assess its effectiveness in reducing transient traffic on the local residential portion of Westmore Drive, between Finch Avenue West and Humber College Boulevard. The warrants to implement any other type of traffic control measures at the subject location of Westmore Drive, have not been met, therefore, staff is of the opinion that the existing regulation should be retained, and its effectiveness assessed, six months following the original implementation date.

Contact:

Dominic Gulli, Manager, Traffic Operations, District 2 Tel: (416) 394-8409; Fax: (416) 394-8942, E-mail: [email protected]

The Etobicoke Community Council submits the following Motion by Councillor Suzan Hall, Ward 1, Etobicoke North, seconded by Councillor Peter Milczyn, Ward 5, Etobicoke-Lakeshore:

“WHEREAS the residents of Ward 1 have expressed their concern and displeasure with the No Through Prohibition implemented for traffic on Westmore Drive north and south of Finch Avenue West, and

WHEREAS the Ward Councillor has received a petition with more than 1,100 signatures opposing the No Through Prohibition, and

WHEREAS two community meetings were held by the Ward Councillor, one in September with the larger community where 150 people attended and one in October with the immediate neighbourhood with 50 people in attendance, and where there was overwhelming objection expressed at both meetings to the No Through Prohibition, and

WHEREAS there is a conclusive need to reduce the speed and volume of through traffic on the local residential section of Westmore Drive between Finch Avenue West and Humber College Boulevard,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Etobicoke Community Council rescind the No Through Prohibition By-law, which currently prohibits the movement of through traffic on Westmore Drive between the north and south side of Finch Avenue West,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to submit a by-law to implement a 40 km/h speed limit on Westmore Drive between Finch Avenue West and Humber College Boulevard and submit by-laws to implement all way stop controls for the intersection of Westmore Drive and Countryman Circle, and Westmore Drive and Brownridge Crescent, Toronto City Council 7 Etobicoke Community Council December 4, 5 and 6, 2001 Report No. 10, Clause No. 13

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the removal of the No Through Prohibition and the installation of the All-Way Stop Control and the 40 km/h speed limit occur simultaneously.”

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The Etobicoke Community Council reports, for the information of Council, having had before it, during consideration of this matter, an undated petition forwarded by Councillor Suzan Hall, Ward 1, Etobicoke North, containing signatures of 256 area residents in support of the foregoing Motion.

Mr. John Davidson, Etobicoke, appeared before the Etobicoke Community Council in connection with this matter.

(A copy of Attachment No. 1, referred to in the foregoing report, was forwarded to all Members of the Etobicoke Community Council with the agenda for its meeting on November 21, 2001, and a copy thereof is on file in the City Clerk’s Office, Etobicoke Civic Centre.)