Document 3 – Analyses of Various Scenarios for Renaud Road The primary purpose of this study is to undertake a high-level assessment of the transportation impacts associated with the potential closure/relocation of Renaud Road in the vicinity of the Bradley Estates community. More specifically, the analysis: Examines traffic conditions along Renaud Road, the nature and magnitude of the problem Identifies opportunities for alleviating traffic issues on Renaud Road Evaluates the traffic impacts associated with each alternative and the ability of the adjacent road network to accommodate diverted traffic While the focus of this assignment is Renaud Road, a much larger study area was selected for analysis purposes given the range of road network changes under consideration and the associated impacts on traffic flow. Traffic Flow to and from Anderson Road South Through-traffic on Renaud Road has essentially two destinations: To/from the east via Innes Road To/from the south via Anderson Road Based on the most recent traffic count from February, 2014, 65 per cent of the westbound traffic on Renaud Road during the AM peak hour (554 vehicles/hour) turns south on Anderson Road. Likewise, during the PM peak hour, 65 per cent of the traffic departing the Anderson Road/Renaud Road intersection in the eastbound direction (451 vehicles/hour) originates from the south on Anderson Road as shown in Figure 5. Such patterns indicate a significant desire line between the east and south. Given this desire line, any road network modification which improve access to Innes Road is likely to be only partially successful at attracting traffic from Renaud Road. Similar traffic patterns are anticipated in the future, and as such the City’s longer-term plans include a new roadway corridor that address the east-south movement: the Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club Connection. This Connection has undergone an Environmental Assessment, is approved by the Province, and is awaiting funding for design and implementation. However, this Connection will not significantly improve traffic conditions on Renaud Road. Figure 5 Existing Area Traffic Counts 2 Current Volumes in the Vicinity of the Bradley Estates Community A review of the traffic count data along Renaud Road within the vicinity of the Bradley Estates community reveals the following: Based on the most recent traffic counts for the corridor, the volume of traffic on Renaud Road east of Joshua Street is 600 to 800 veh/hr in the peak westbound direction during the AM peak hour. In the eastbound direction during the PM peak hour, the volume of traffic is 700 to 1000 veh/hr. These volumes are well above the 300 veh/hr screening threshold in the City’s ATM guidelines for collector roads. Given the above traffic volumes, and assuming a capacity of roughly 800 veh/hr/lane, the existing volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio along Renaud Road is approaching (and in some cases exceeding) 1, indicating that the corridor is operating at/near capacity during peak periods As a two-lane collector road passing through a residential community, Renaud Road carries significant traffic volumes. Rather than serving as an attractive neighbourhood travel route where residents want to walk, cycle, and interact with their neighbours, the corridor, with its high volume of traffic, essentially acts as a barrier, bisecting the communities to the north and south. Such volumes also negatively impact neighbourhood livability, particularly for residents with homes fronting directly on the corridor. While the focus of this assignment is Renaud Road, a much larger study area was selected for analysis purposes given the range of road network changes under consideration and the associated impacts on traffic flow. To capture the extent of traffic diversion associated with the various road network scenarios, the study area roughly includes the area bounded by the Ottawa River in the north, Blair Road in the west, Renaud Road in the south, and Mer Bleue Road in the east. Within the Greenbelt, Renaud Road has a rural cross-section; however, an urban cross-section is provided within the developed area located east of the greenbelt limits. Sidewalks are provided on the south side of the street between Joshua Street and Pagé Road, and on the north side of the street beginning at the park at the western end of the community and continuing through to Navan Road. Cycling accommodation along the corridor is generally poor; the only dedicated cycling space is an eastbound bicycle pocket located at the Navan Road intersection. 3 Intersection treatments vary along the corridor. The Navan Road intersection is signal-controlled, while the intersection with Joshua Street / Percifor Way is all-way stop controlled. At Pagé Road and Saddleridge Drive, stop control is provided on the minor leg. As such, protected pedestrian crossings are only found at Navan Road and Joshua Street/Percifor Way; at all other locations, pedestrian crossings are uncontrolled. To facilitate turning movements into/out of the community, dedicated turning lanes are provided at major intersections. Within the vicinity of the Bradley Estates community, land use along the corridor is primarily residential, and is therefore sensitive to traffic speed and volume. Towards the west end of the community, houses back onto the road; closer to Navan Road, houses front onto the road, with direct driveway access. There is a park located at the western end of the community and a school located east of Navan Road – both with the potential to generate pedestrian and cycling demand. In addition, access to the Prescott-Russell cycling trail is provided south and west of the community. Given its location in the network, Renaud Road serves both access and mobility needs. The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) identifies two versions of future road and transit networks in Ottawa: The “Affordable Network” includes a strategic subset of the projects in the 2031 Network Concept that are considered to be achievable within the 2031 horizon based on anticipated funding levels The 2031 “Network Concept” includes infrastructure projects that are necessary to achieve the TMP’s targets for travel behaviour and desired level of service for roads and transit A summary of the relevant road projects recommended in the TMP is provided below. Affordable Network-Phase 1: 2014-2019 Brian Coburn Boulevard New two-lane road (ultimately four-lane) between Navan Extension Road and Mer Bleue Road. Blackburn Hamlet New four-lane road between future Orleans Boulevard Bypass Extension Extension and Navan Road Mer Bleue Road Widen from two to four lanes between Brian Coburn Boulevard and Renaud Road. 4 Affordable Network-Phase 2: 2020-2025 Blackburn Hamlet New four-lane road between Innes Road and future Bypass Extension Orleans Boulevard Extension. Tenth Line Road Widen from two to four lanes between Harvest Valley Road and Wall Road Network Concept Blackburn Hamlet Widen from four to six lanes between Innes Road (west Bypass Expansion entrance to Blackburn Hamlet) and Navan Road. Addresses capacity deficiencies across the Greens Creek screenline and provides arterial road service for the growth areas in south Orléans. Innes-Walkley-Hunt New four-lane road (initial phase two-lanes) between Hunt Club Connection Club Road and Innes Road west of Blackburn Hamlet. Bypasses congested section of Innes Road and provides direct connection between Orléans and Hunt Club. Navan Road Widen from two to four lanes between Brian Coburn Boulevard and Mer Bleue Road. Provides capacity for the development areas south of Innes Road. Mer Bleue Road New four-lane realignment, west of the existing Mer Bleue Road, between Renaud Road and Navan Road. Provides capacity for the development areas south of Innes Road. In addition, transit infrastructure is to be phased in throughout the TMP horizon and will play a significant role in the movement of people in Ottawa East. Key projects within the Affordable Network include the future eastern extension of light rail transit service along Ottawa Road 174 between Blair Station and Place d’Orléans Station, and the provision of a transit priority corridor with peak period bus lanes on the Blackburn Hamlet Bypass (and its extension). The TMP Affordable Network also recommends isolated transit priority measures on Innes Road between Blair Road and Trim Road, and Brian Coburn Boulevard from Navan Road to Tenth Line Road. The “base” network in the 2031 model 5 generally reflects the “affordable” road and transit network from the Transportation Master Plan. To assess the transportation impacts associated with different road network scenarios, a screenline analysis was undertaken. As part of this analysis, the travel demand at strategic locations was compared to the available road capacity, providing insight into the ability of the road network to accommodate diverted traffic. Overall, six road network scenarios are identified with the potential to reduce traffic volumes on Renaud Road. Some road network scenarios call for the closure of Renaud Road, while others explore opportunities for leaving Renaud Road open while encouraging drivers to shift to other facilities. A visual representation of each scenario is presented on the following pages, along with a description of the anticipated traffic diversion associated with the proposed road network modifications as predicted by the EMME model. The following analysis is based on screenline analysis as per the TMP and is used to determine future capacity of area roadways.To support the analysis, three screenlines were selected for evaluating the adequacy of the road capacity in relation to demand, as measured by the screenline volume-to-capacity ratio. The three screenlines are illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 6-Screenlines 6 The Blackburn Hamlet Screenline captures impacts within the immediate vicinity of the proposed changes, where traffic diversion is likely to be greatest, while Screenlines 6 and 16 provide an indication of broader impacts over an extended area, including impacts through the Greenbelt (as measured at Screenline 16).