APPENDIX B: TRAFFIC STUDY HURONIA ROAD TRAFFIC STUDY HURONIA ROAD TRAFFIC STUDY JUNE, 2006 READ, VOORHEES & ASSOCIATES TORONTO, ONTARIO Read, Voorhees & Associates Lim ited, 2 Duncan Mill Road, Toronto, Ontario M3B 1Z4 Tel: 416 445-4360 / Fax: 416 445-4809 / [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1........ INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS....................................................................... 1 2.1 Road System ...................................................................................... 1 2.2 Land Use ........................................................................................... 3 2.3 Traffic............................................................................................... 3 2.4 Capacity and Operational Review ........................................................ 4 2.5 Intersection Analysis.......................................................................... 5 2.6 Accident History................................................................................ 5 3. FUTURE CONDITIONS......................................................................... 6 3.1 Future Road System ........................................................................... 6 3.2 Land Use ........................................................................................... 6 3.3 Traffic Forecast.................................................................................. 6 4. DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES....................................................... 7 4.1 Introduction...................................................................................... 7 4.2 Alternative 1 – Do Nothing................................................................. 7 4.3 Alternative 2 – Other Measures or Non-structural Im provem ents......... 8 4.4 Alternative 3 – Construct Alternative Routes........................................ 8 4.5 Alternative 4 – Intersection Im provem ents.......................................... 8 4.6 Alternative 5 – Reconstruct with Existing Two Lanes (8.5 m etres)....... 11 4.7 Alternative 6 – Reconstruct with Two Lanes (11 m etres)..................... 11 4.8 Alternative 7 – Reconstruct with Two Lane/Three Lane Com bination.. 12 4.9 Alternative 8 – Reconstruct with Three Lanes.................................... 12 4.10 Alternative 9 – Reconstruct with Three Lane/Four Lane Com bination.. 12 4.11 Alternative 10 – Reconstruct with Four Lanes.................................... 13 4.12 Alternative 11 – Reconstruct with Four Lane/Five Lane Com bination... 14 4.13 Alternative 12 – Reconstruct with Fiv3e Lanes..................................... 15 5. CONCLUSION................................................................................... 16 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 REGIONAL LOCATION FIGURE 2 EXISTING LANE CONFIGURATION FIGURE 3 EXISTING DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES FIGURE 4 EXISTING P.M. PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES FIGURE 5 FUTURE MINIMUM LANE CONFIGURATION FIGURE 6 FUTURE MAXIMUM LANE CONFIGUATION FIGURE 7 ALTERNATE ROUTES FIGURE 8 FUTURE DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES FIGURE 9 FUTURE P.M. PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES FIGURE 10 HURONIA ROAD CAPACITY ANALYSIS HURONIA ROAD TRAFFIC STUDY 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to update the traffic analysis for Huronia Road from Yonge Street to Lockhart Road, and to assist in the evaluation of alternatives for this road section as part of the Class EA study. The regional location and study area are shown in Figure 1. The study area extends to the south City lim it of the City of Barrie. It extends from Yonge Street along Huronia Road to the south City lim it at Lockhart Road. The City of Barrie Transportation Study dated April 1999 recom m ended that the section of Huronia Road from Yonge Street to Lockhart Road be widened from the existing two lane sem i-urban cross-section (7 m etres pavem ent width) to a two lane urban cross-section (11 m etres pavem ent width). The existing right-of-way of Huronia Road from Yonge Street to Lockhart Road varies in width. Som e sections are 20 m etres wide, som e are 23 m etres wide, and others are 26 m etres wide. It was recom m ended in the City of Barrie Transportation Study dated April 1999 that the right-of-way for Huronia Road from Yonge Street to Big Bay Point Road be widened to 26 m etres and from Big Bay Point Road to Lockhart Road be widened to 30 m etres. This was adopted in the Official Plan. Huronia Road is an arterial road serving trips from the Painswick and Allandale area of Barrie to the Highway 400 industrial area in South Barrie and beyond the City lim it to Innisfil and Bradford. It is nam ed Huronia Road within the City of Barrie Lim its and Sim coe County Road 54 south of Barrie’s Lim its. The County of Sim coe has no plans to widen County Road 54 south of Barrie’s Lim its. This analysis deals with the section of Huronia Road from Yonge Street to Lockhart Road. It reviews the previous work in m ore detail for this road section Read, Voorhees & Associates Huronia Road Traffic Study 2 and the surrounding area, and exam ines the alternatives for reconstruction of Huronia Road in the context of the environm ental assessm ent. 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS 2.1 Road System Huronia Road is classified as an arterial from Yonge Street southerly to the City lim it, where it continues as County Road 54. It crosses the m ajor east-west roads including Little Avenue, Big Bay Point Road, and Mapleview Drive East. It continues southerly past Lockhart Road to Innisfil Beach Road (County Road 23) and beyond. The existing section of Huronia Road from Lockhart Road to Yonge Street is neither a public transit route, nor a bicycle path, nor a pedestrian route. The existing lane configurations at the Huronia Road intersections are shown in Figure 2. At the north term inus of Huronia Road, Yonge Street has recently been constructed as a five lane arterial both east and west from Huronia Road. Yonge Street continues westerly from Huronia Road and becom es Burton Avenue, which term inates at a traffic signal at Essa Road. East of Huronia road Yonge Street continues south-easterly. It crosses Little Avenue, Big Bay Point Road, and Mapleview Drive East. From Mapleview Drive East, Yonge Street continues southerly as County Road 4. South of Yonge Street, Huronia Road crosses Little Avenue, a two lane arterial, at a traffic signal. West of Huronia Road Little Avenue continues past Bayview Drive to Fairview Road, which connects to Essa Road at the Highway 400/Essa Road interchange. East of Huronia Road Little Avenue crosses Yonge Street and continues to the recently constructed Hurst Drive. South of Little Avenue Huronia Road passes three local roads (Web Street, Harrell Avenue and Trum an Road) at stop controlled T- intersections. A railway level crossing is located between Harrell Avenue and Trum an Road. South of Trum an Road the signalized intersection of Huronia Road/Big Bay Point Road is located. West of Huronia Road Big Bay Point Road crosses Bayview Drive Read, Voorhees & Associates Huronia Road Traffic Study 3 and turns into Fairview Road. East of Huronia Road Big Bay Point Road crosses Yonge Street and Hurst Drive. It serves the residential areas of Painswick and Innis-shore. It continues past the Barrie City lim it as County Road 24 to Big Bay Point in the Town of Innisfil. South of Big Bay Point Road Huronia Road continues past two local roads (Ellis Drive and Loon Avenue). These roads are stop controlled at T- intersections. A railway crossing is located on Huronia Road between Ellis Drive and Loon Avenue. South of Loon Avenue Huronia Road continues through the traffic signal at Huronia Road/Mapleview Drive East. West of Huronia Road Mapleview Drive East crosses Bayview Drive, becom ing Molson Park Drive and connects to the Highway 400/Molson Park interchange and beyond. East of Huronia Road it serves the Painswick and Innis-Shore residential areas. It crosses Yonge Street and continues past the City lim it as Twelfth Line in the Town of Innisfil. South of Mapleview Drive East Huronia Road passes Saunders Road. Saunders Road is stop controlled at a T- intersection. South of Saunders Road Huronia Road crosses Lockhart Road and continues past the Barrie City lim it as County Road 54. West of Huronia Road Lockhart Road continues past Bayview Drive to a dead end. It does not cross Highway 400. East of Huronia Road Lockhart Drive crosses the Barrie City lim it and becom es the Eleventh Line in the Town of Innisfil. It crosses Yonge Street and continues to Sandy Cove in the Town of Innisfil. The current speed lim it is 80 km /h on Huronia Road from Lockhart Road to just south of Saunders Road where it changes to 60 km /h through the Huronia Road/Mapleview Drive East intersection to just south of Loon Avenue. From Loon Avenue to Yonge Street the speed lim it is 50 km /h. This is anticipated to rem ain in effect. 2.2 Land Use In the north Huronia Road serves the Planning Areas of Allandale Heights and Painswick North, with residential frontage from Yonge Street southerly to Read, Voorhees & Associates Huronia Road Traffic Study 4 approxim ately Harrell Avenue. There is additional residential frontage in the vicinity of Loon Avenue. South of the residential area Huronia Road serves the industrial area in southeast Barrie from approxim ately Trum an Road to Lockhart Road, in the Highway 400 East Planning Area. Most of the property along the industrial section of Huronia Road is zoned M2. There is a sm all