Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-13-066 - School Traffic Safety - Jean Steckle Public School REPORT TO:Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 12, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Justin Readman, Director, Transportation Services PREPARED BY: Ronald Schirm, Crossing Guard Supervisor (Ext. 7232) WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 5 DATE OF REPORT: July 17, 2013 REPORT NO.: INS-13-066 SUBJECT: SCHOOL TRAFFIC SAFETY – JEAN STECKLE PUBLIC SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS: That an Adult Crossing Guard assisted School Crossing be established on Huron Road at Featherstone Street/Cranshaw Street, and further, That the 2013 Operating Budget be amended to reflect an over-expenditure of $2500.00. BACKGROUND : The Waterloo Region District School Board is opening Jean Steckle Public School, a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school, on Woodbine Avenue in Ward 5 in September 2013. In June 2013 Transportation Services received a request from the School Board to review traffic conditions on Huron Road at Featherstone Street/Cranshaw Street with respect to school pedestrian safety. REPORT : The Waterloo Region District School Board will be opening Jean Steckle Public School on Woodbine Avenue in Ward 5 in September 2013. The school will be a kindergarten to grade 7 school for the 2013-14 School Year and expanding to include grade 8 in the subsequent School Year. The school has an in ground capacity of 643 students. Enrolment for September 2013 is projected at 490 students. Enrolment is expected to increase with continued development in the area. The catchment area for this school includes a portion of the neighbourhood east of Huron Road. 65 students live within this area of which 45 will not be provided school bus transportation and are expected to walk, needing to cross Huron Road. The 20 students who will be provided busing to the school from this neighbourhood are junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten students only. The most suitable location for walking students to cross Huron Road is at the intersection of Featherstone Street, west of Huron Road, and Cranshaw Street, aligned with Featherstone Street east of Huron Road. Huron Road is a 4 lane arterial roadway that, at this time, does not carry volumes that are typical for a roadway of this classification. With development in the area traffic volumes are expected to increase dramatically over the coming years. The speed limit along Huron Road is 6 - 1 60 km/h, except within 400 metres of either side of the roundabout at Strasburg Road, where the speed limit is 50 km/h. The speed limit at the intersection in question is 60 km/h. Speeds on th this section of Huron Road are well above the posted speed limit with an 85 percentile speed th in both directions of 76 km/h. The 85 percentile speed is the speed at which 85% of vehicles drive at or below. Driver Sight Stopping Distance is in excess of 200 metres for both directions on Huron Road, which is adequate for vehicles travelling at the 85 percentile speed. Annual Average Daily Traffic (A.A.D.T.) Huron Road between Strasburg Road and Newcastle Street June 7, 2013 Northbound 4289 Southbound 3868 Huron Road at Featherstone Street/Cranshaw Street is very wide with a road cross-section of 21 metres at this location. There are sidewalks on both sides of Featherstone Street as well as Cranshaw Street. Huron Road features a combination pedestrian facility and cycle track on both sides of the roadway. All roadways internal to the catchment area of Jean Steckle Public School feature sidewalks on both sides. Pedestrian access to the school is excellent. Walkers utilizing the Adult Crossing Guard Facility on Huron Road at Featherstone Street will walk up Featherstone Street to Parkvale Drive and access the school from there. th The road classification, posted speed limit and the actual 85 percentile speeds, as well as the 4 lane cross-section all warrant an adult crossing guard facility. The best location in terms of serving all the students is the south leg of the intersection of Huron Road and Featherstone Street. The adult crossing guard facility will be placed on the south leg of the intersection as this best serves the students and provides the most direct access to the school with no further uncontrolled roadway crossings. Jean Steckle Public School Bell Times Crossing Guard Duty Times Huron Road & Featherstone Street School Bell Time Crossing Guard Duty Times 8:30 A.M. 8:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. 2:50 P.M. 2:50 P.M. – 3:20 P.M. School busing activity will be accommodated on the school site and no school bus loading zones will be required at this time. Transportation Services staff will be conducting reviews of traffic and pedestrian safety on Woodbine Avenue and the surrounding area once the school is open. No Stopping Anytime signs will be installed along the school frontage on Woodbine Avenue and No Stopping 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. signs will be installed opposite the school frontage on Woodbine Avenue as per the general provisions of the Uniform Traffic Bylaw. Any potential further stopping restrictions will be installed after the operations of the school are assessed and will require by-law amendments. 6 - 2 ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN : This initiative falls under the Community Priority of Quality of Life. “Work with partners, including all orders of government, to create a culture of safety in our community.” FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : The approximate cost for sign installation for the school crossing and the no stopping signs in front of the school is $2000 and will be taken from the existing sign maintenance budget. The installation of the adult crossing guard represents an over-expenditure of $2500 of the 2013 Operating Budget. Moving forward the 2014 Operating Budget will need to be increased by $6000 to accommodate the additional adult crossing guard. COMMUNICATIONS : Staff has been working with the Waterloo Region District School Board and the School Transportation Services of Waterloo Region in determining and implementing the most effective facilities for school pedestrian safety. Transportation Services will be providing Jean Steckle Public School with an electronic version of the 2013 School Route Map for the school which will include identifying the location of the adult crossing guard facility on Huron Road at Featherstone Drive, including Crossing Guard Duty Times, as well as other information regarding Active Transportation and parking around the school. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department 6 - 3 Appendix A Jean Steckle Public School P ROPOSED J S EANTECKLE A C DULTROSSING P S UBLICCHOOL G L UARDOCATION N EIGHBOURHOOD NEEDINGTOCROSS H R URONOAD 6 - 4