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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-13-064 - Morrison Road Traffic Calming REPORT TO:Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 12, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Justin Readman, Director of Transportation Services PREPARED BY: Danny Pimentel, Traffic Technologist (741-2200 ext. 7371) WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 2 DATE OF REPORT: July 31, 2013 REPORT NO.: INS-13-064 SUBJECT: TRAFFIC CALMING - MORRISON ROAD RECOMMENDATIONS: That three (3) speed humps be installed on Morrison Road between Grand River Boulevard and Sims Estate Drive, and further; That one (1) raised crosswalk be installed on Morrison Road at the trail crossing between Grand River Boulevard and Quinte Crescent, and further; That a roadway improvement be installed on Morrison Road near 75/80 Morrison Road. BACKGROUND : Traffic volume and speeding are significant safety related issues frequently raised by residents of affected neighbourhoods in the City of Kitchener. In response to these issues, Kitchener City Council adopted a Traffic Calming Policy in 2004 and established an annual budget to address traffic management issues in residential neighbourhoods. The traffic calming policy outlines a number of evaluation criteria that provide a fair and consistent review of streets and communities, while defining and prioritizing the individual streets and/or communities that are most in need of traffic calming from a traffic safety perspective. In January 2012, Council approved INS 12-015, “Traffic Calming Priority - 2012”, which recommended that a traffic calming review be conducted for several streets in the City of Kitchener, including Morrison Road. In response, Transportation Services staff have reviewed the existing traffic conditions on Morrison Road and in March 2012 a neighbourhood traffic calming review was initiated with the intent to reduce vehicle speeds, deter non-residential traffic from the area and reduce the incidence of collisions, thereby increasing safety for all users within the right of way. 7 - 1 REPORT : In March 2012, affected residents were surveyed in order to determine if there was sufficient neighbourhood support to commence the traffic calming review. Through this survey it was determined that sufficient resident support existed as per the City of Kitchener Traffic Calming policy. Subsequently, two (2) public meetings were held in June 2012 and November 2012 to discuss the traffic calming review process along with the current traffic conditions, alternative design options as well as advantages and disadvantages of each design alternative and present the preferred design alternative (see attached) option as determined by the traffic calming steering committee. As part of the traffic calming review process, staff circulated the preferred design alternative option to all affected agencies for comment. Kitchener Fire provided the following comments: Fire maintains its position that the Department does not support traffic calming initiatives that will affect apparatus response times to emergencies that will in turn, affect citizen safety. The Department maintains a Council approved Standard of Cover that outlines our response times to Fire, Medical, Rescue and HazMat calls and traffic calming initiatives such as the alternatives proposed have a negative impact on being able to achieve those response times. In addition to response times, traffic calming initiatives have a detrimental effect on our apparatus due to additional wear and tear and will have an effect on our apparatus maintenance budget in the future. We are in support of alternative traffic calming initiatives that do not affect response times, such as the flex stake design that has been on trial on Pioneer Drive. Unfortunately, the alternatives proposed do not include this design. Transportation Services also received comments from Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) regarding the preferred design alternative. GRCA provided the following comments: It is my understanding that the proposed speed humps will be within the limits of the existing curb and that there will be no grading or construction adjacent to the paved roadway. It is my further understanding that the proposed raised crosswalk will have minor grading adjacent to the paved surface but will be within the existing sidewalks. The construction at the 90 degree bend in Morrison Rd by the Grand River Hospital does not have any GRCA regulated features in the vicinity of the proposed works. Based on the above understanding, a permit from the GRCA will not be required for the proposed traffic calming measures. 7 - 2 In addition, Grand River Transit (GRT) responded to the circulation of the preferred design alternative with the following comments: Morrison Road currently has a bus route travelling along it with full 7 day a week service. There are 5 bus stops located on the street, serving not just Morrison Road but the streets that feed on to Morrison Road. While recognizing that this is a City road, and as has been noted in the past, Grand River Transit have concerns about the use of traffic calming in this situation, particularly the use of vertical deflections (speed humps). Our Operations staff have indicated that the existing use of speed bumps along a number of transit routes has had serious impacts on the ability to maintain schedules due to the excessive need to repeatedly slow down rather than maintain the speed limit. In addition there is a significant impact on passenger comfort, particularly at the rear of the bus as the motion is greater behind the rear wheels. Generally speaking, speed humps are not recommended for use on bus routes, as has been noted in ITE guidelines [Updated Guidelines for the Design and Application of Speed Humps]. Other options are typically preferred or recommended along bus routes that fit more in line with a Complete Streets approach, such as curb extensions at the bus stops, parking changes to narrow (or create a perception of narrowing) the street or bike lanes. Sometimes speed tables can create vertical deflection with less negative impact on the transit service, although these would still be less preferred options. In addition, the corner radius change near the back of Freeport Hospital needs to be looked at closely. With a bus stop just before the curve, any changes to the radius need to ensure that the bus turning movement is not adversely affected. GRT also presented a report (P-13-066 Traffic Calming Measures Proposed On Streets In Kitchener With Grand River Transit Routes) to the Regional Planning and Works Committee. The recommendations made by GRT to the Region are as follows: Staff recommend that the Region advise that, for the reviews currently underway, the City of Kitchener that horizontal or passive traffic calming measures should be used on streets with bus routes. Vertical measures such as speed humps should be discouraged, due to negative impacts on transit operations and passenger comfort and safety concerns. This is informed from operational experience here in Waterloo Region, as well as in other municipalities in Canada, as determined from the CUTA survey. It is further proposed that policies in all local municipalities and the Region of Waterloo incorporate a prohibition on vertical traffic calming measures on streets with bus routes, with limited exceptions. One exception discussed in this report that could be acceptable for transit is measures at intersections and crossings such as raised crosswalks or raised intersections (speed tables), which have a similar, but lesser impact on transit operations and customer comfort than traditional speed humps. 7 - 3 Finally, it is recommended that the Region participate in the City of Kitchener’s review of their traffic calming policy, which is planned to begin later this year. While the policy does state that vertical deflection will not be considered on transit routes, this has not always been reflected in practice. A new policy should look at existing traffic calming installations for review and possible retrofitting measures, to allow for better integration with transit service where applicable. A new policy could also promote innovative alternatives as described in this report, and traffic calming measures that are most beneficial to sustainable transportation modes, including transit, to align with RTMP goals. The Region of Waterloo Planning and Works Committee passed two motions as a result of the report presented by GRT: THAT the Regional Municipality of Waterloo endorse Report No. P-13-066, dated June 18, 2013, regarding traffic calming measures on streets with Grand River Transit Routes. AND THAT this report be forwarded to the City of Kitchener for consideration in its current review of traffic calming measures and to all other Area Municipalities. Be advised that the traffic calming policy is currently under staff review, with an intent to address the concerns identified by the above agencies by working with these groups through the policy review. The recommended roadway improvement on the curved section near 75/80 Morrison Road has been designed to allow for safe and proper transit bus manoeuvering through this curve. In February 2013, Transportation Services staff mailed out a final survey to all affected residents/property owners along Morrison Road. The survey asked all residents/property owners if they were in favour of the recommended traffic calming plan. The intent of the survey was to determine if there was sufficient support for the implementation of the recommended traffic calming measures. As per the City of Kitchener Traffic Calming policy, a minimum of 50% of directly affected residents/property owners must respond to the survey and 60% of the respondents must support the recommended plan, in order for there to be any further consideration of the plan. There were a total of 138 surveys sent out to residents/property owners along Morrison Road. The results of this survey are as follows: In favour of the recommended plan: 54 (68.4%) Opposed to the recommended plan: 25 (31.6%) Total - 79 out of 138 (57.2% response rate) The results of the final survey indicate that both the minimum support rate and the minimum response rate have been achieved. Based on the above results, Transportation Services is recommending that the preferred traffic calming plan be implemented. This plan includes the following: 7 - 4 three (3) speed humps between Grand River Boulevard and Sims Estate Drive one (1) raised crosswalk at the trail crossing between Grand River Boulevard and Quinte Crescent a roadway improvement to the intersection near 75/80 Morrison Road Transportation Services is recommending the three (3) speed humps be installed in the fall of 2013, whereas the raised crosswalk and roadway improvement be incorporated into the 2014 Roads Program. Incorporating the raised crosswalk and roadway improvement into the 2014 Road Program will result in cost savings due to the opportunity to have the work completed under general contract pricing, as opposed to isolated time and material pricing. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The cost to install the recommended traffic calming measures is approximately $60,000 and will be taken form the existing traffic calming budget. COMMUNICATIONS: This project has had extensive public involvement and communication. It has included two (2) public information centres, two (2) information packages and three (3) surveys including the final resident survey. Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Infrastructure Services Department 7 - 5 Proposed Traffic Calming Measures Morrison Road three (3) speed humps on Morrison Road between Grand River Boulevard and Sims Estate Drive one (1) raised crosswalk at the trail crossing between Grand River Boulevard and Quinte Crescent a roadway improvement to the intersection near 75/80 Morrison Road Please see attached for details LEGEND Speed Hump (2013) Raised Crosswalk (2014) Roadway Improvement (2014) 7 - 6 Morrison Road Roadway Improvement 7 - 7