HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-14-003 - Glasgow Street Sidewalk
REPORT TO:
Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
January 13, 2013
SUBMITTED BY:
Steve Allen, P. Eng., Manager Engineering Design and
Approvals
PREPARED BY:
Barry Cronkite, Transportation Planning Project Manager
Steve Allen, P. Eng., Manager Engineering Design and
Approvals
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
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DATE OF REPORT:
January 6, 2013
REPORT NO.:
INS 14-003
SUBJECT:
Glasgow Street Reconstruction – Introduction of Sidewalk
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council approve the installation of sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street,
from Westmount Road to Knell Drive.
BACKGROUND:
The reconstruction of Glasgow Street between Belmont Avenue and Knell Drive has been a
project in the capital budget for several years and has been approved by Council through
approval of the capital budget. The project includes the full reconstruction of Glasgow Street
from Belmont Avenue to Knell Drive which generally involves the replacement of all
underground infrastructure (watermains, sanitary sewers and storm sewers), rebuilding of the
road base and pavement structure, and installing new curb and gutter and sidewalk. The
project has been split into two construction phases; phase 1 between Belmont Avenue and
Westmount Road was completed in the 2013 construction season and phase 2 between
Westmount Road and Knell Drive is planned for 2014.
As part of the project, staff have identified a need to install sidewalk on the north side of
Glasgow Street where none currently exist. This need is derived from Council approved plans
and precedence, as well as site specific rationale.
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At the December 9
, 2013 meeting of Council, several delegations were in attendance to
express their opposition to the installation of sidewalk along the north side of Glasgow Street.
As a result of that meeting, the matter of sidewalks on Glasgow Street has been referred to the
January 13, 2013 Community and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting.
REPORT:
Glasgow Street between Westmount Road and Knell Drive is designated as a major collector
roadway, and currently has sidewalks on the south side. Major collector roadways, while
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generally residential, are intended to accommodate all modes of transportation within and
between neighbourhoods. This section of Glasgow Street carries approximately 7100 vehicles
per day.
The safety of pedestrians has been an identified concern within the City of Kitchener following a
number of decisions over the past decade to move away from an automobile-oriented
transportation network towards a more inclusive “complete streets” design. This approach allows
the City to move towards a more inclusive design and better accommodates all road users.
The reconstruction of any roadway is an ideal opportunity to make physical changes deemed
necessary to the cross section to enhance safety and sustainability. By adapting change through
reconstruction, disruptions to the neighbourhood can be minimized and financial savings can be
realized. It should be noted that roadways only require a full reconstruction once every 80-100
years, and as a result, opportunities to invoke change in this manner are limited. With this in
mind, sound engineering practice would dictate that the installation of sidewalk on the north side
of Glasgow Street be included within the overall scope of the reconstruction.
Further, the following policies/procedures/guidelines outline the direction and rationale as it relates
to sidewalk infrastructure:
POLICIES/PROCEDURES/GUIDELINES
Development Manual
The City of Kitchener Development Manual, which was approved by Council in 2010, requires
that major collector roadways have sidewalks and cycling facilities on both sides of the street,
recognizing that dedicated facilities are required on higher volume roadways for these active
modes of transportation, to promote both safety and sustainability. This manual also
recommends to provide continuous sidewalks on both sides of roadways to support transit
usage and walkable communities.
More specifically, sidewalk infrastructure is a key component of urban design that supports
walking and sustainable communities. Sidewalks are a critical component to safe and walkable
communities, as they separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic and contribute significantly to
creating a pedestrian friendly environment.
Sidewalks are essential for persons with a disability and those with strollers, as well as the
elderly, most of whom would otherwise feel uncomfortable and unsafe walking along the edge of
a roadway, integrated with vehicular traffic.
Pedestrian Charter
The City of Kitchener adopted a Pedestrian Charter in 2005, which encourages and facilitates
walking, supports community health, vitality and safety. The Pedestrian Charter recognizes that
walking increases the use of public transit; decreases car dependence; leads to cleaner air and
supports green tourism, thereby creating an environment that provides opportunities for the
informal social interaction (one of the main attributes of a vibrant, liveable urban community).
While the Pedestrian Charter does not speak to the location of sidewalks specifically, the values
and goals of the charter are intended to make the City of Kitchener as walkable and pedestrian
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friendly as possible. The lack of sidewalks on the north side of Glasgow Street should be
considered a barrier to walkability and pedestrian safety.
Kitchener’s Transportation Master Plan
The City’s Transportation Master Plan, approved by Council in June 2013, is a key tool in
continuing to build a healthy, vibrant and sustainable city, helping to provide direction for the
development of better pedestrian, cycling, transit and roadway infrastructure. Some of the key
objectives of the plan include providing transportation planning direction for enhanced
alternative modes of transportation (walking, cycling, and transit) and developing a city that is
less reliant on cars. The master plan emphasizes the importance of Complete Streets, which
means that streets are designed to accommodate all modes, including walking and cycling.
Eliminating gaps in the sidewalk network and focusing on the creation of new sidewalks and
walkways will create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
Kitchener’s Transportation Demand Management Plan
In an effort to minimize traffic congestion, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, reduce parking demand, and improve public health in the long-term, the City has
developed a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, adopted by Council in
February 2011. Transportation demand management is a system used by cities to control traffic
congestion and capacity while maintaining or increasing sustainable mobility. The installation of
new sidewalk is considered a TDM tool that can reduce the proportion of single-occupant trips
thereby enhancing overall mobility and ultimately improving air quality.
It is important to note that TDM programs involve a long-term paradigm shift in attitudes towards
travel choices. While the implementation of sidewalks on Glasgow Street may not yield
significant and immediate measureable reduction in traffic patterns, the inclusion of sidewalks
will ultimately contribute to the aforementioned paradigm shift.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was enacted by the provincial government in
2005 and, in part, was created as recognition of the history of discrimination against persons
with disabilities in Ontario. The purpose and guiding principles of the Act is to benefit all
Ontarians by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve
accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities,
accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025.
While the AODA does not specifically state that sidewalks are required on both sides of
municipal roadways, it does speak to physical barriers. “Barriers” are defined in the act as
anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society
because of his or her disability.
By knowingly choosing to not install sidewalks on the north side of Glasgow Street, it could be
interpreted that the City is in contravention of what the intent of the AODA was created for. The
absence of sidewalks on the north side of Glasgow will make the adjacent homes less
accessible and therefore less desirable for persons with mobility issues (parents with strollers,
wheelchairs, elderly, etc.).
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The Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) is a local Council supported
community group that acts on behalf of persons with disabilities. Accordingly, the mandate of
GRAAC is to:
“Fulfill the purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act for participating municipal
Councils in our community by providing vision and direction towards the removal of
barriers.
Work in collaboration with participating scheduled organizations, as part of the promotion
and facilitation of a seamless approach to effective barrier removal across our
community.”
The provision of sidewalks on both sides of Glasgow Street supports this mandate.
Other Related Sidewalk Policies/Impacts
Transportation Services is currently reviewing all policies related to sidewalks and the infill of
sidewalks within the City of Kitchener as recommended by the Transportation Master Plan.
Ultimately, all of the documents and legislation referenced within this report would suggest that
the primary recommendation of any new policies related to sidewalks in the future should
recommend that sidewalks be required on both sides of all roadways within the City of Kitchener
where possible.
IMPACTS TO CURRENT SERVICES
While a sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street may be viewed as an inconvenience,
intrusion and unnecessary, it should be noted that there are already services that are typically
an afterthought that are/have been impacted by the lack of sidewalk on the north side.
Grand River Transit Access
The provision of sidewalks can be a primary factor in determining whether a citizen can access
public transit as all transit users are pedestrians at the beginning and end of every trip.
Glasgow Street is a Grand River Transit route (route 4). There is currently a bus stop on the
north side of Glasgow Street near the intersection of Aberdeen Road and Glasgow Street (stop
#3250). Currently this stop has no sidewalk to it, nor does it have a bus pad. Without these
facilities, this stop is essentially inaccessible for persons with mobility issues. Even without
mobility issues, snow accumulation and the lack of sidewalk combine to make this stop difficult
to reach for any potential transit user. Figure one illustrates current conditions at the bus stop in
good weather.
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Figure 1 – Bus Stop at Aberdeen and Glasgow
Grand River Transit has commented on the provision of sidewalks as it relates to transit service
as follows:
Currently one set of bus stops exist in the area in question, the Route 4 stops at
Glasgow and Aberdeen. These stops serve residents along Inverness Drive, Huntley
Crescent, Aberdeen Road, Claremont Avenue, Orchard Park Crescent and Glasgow
Street between Glasgow Lane and Inwood Drive.
If the stops at Aberdeen were removed, impact on service coverage would be relatively
minimal. Some 25 houses would be removed from the Route 4 service coverage,
although 14 of these houses would continue to be within the service coverage area of
Route 12 and Route 8 on Westmount Road, leaving 11 houses unserviced. The service
coverage standard for transit is based on a 450 metre walk to distance to service.
However, as we move towards making all transit stops in our system accessible, the
presence of sidewalks plays a key role. Our service standard guidelines from the GRT
Business Plan states that transit users should be able to easily and directly walk
between bus stops and origins/destinations. GRT staff review and comment on
subdivision and site plan applications to influence road and sidewalk design and building
orientation in order to enhance transit accessibility.
Removing the transit stop at Aberdeen due to lack of sidewalk would increase
accessibility concerns in the area. Residents on the north side of Glasgow Street would
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either have to walk a longer distance along Glasgow Street without the aid of a sidewalk
in order to access a westbound transit stop, or they would be required to make multiple
street crossings. This could be a significant hindrance for some customers, and takes
away from our guideline of providing direct and easy access to transit. Removal of the
stops would also result in a considerable distance between the two adjacent set of stops
at Westmount Road and Inwood Drive, greater than our stop spacing standard.
Please also note that sidewalk on both sides of the road is the policy direction that the
Region is taking. Section 5.A.17 in the Region’s Official Plan as adopted by Regional
Council in 2009 and approved by the province in 2010 (although currently under appeal)
indicates that:
“…Wherever feasible, sidewalks will be provided on both sides of streets where transit
service currently exists or is planned, and on a minimum of one side of all other through-
streets or streets that interconnect with the walking network.”
While having stops that are not connected via a sidewalk to the surrounding community
does, unfortunately, occur in a number of places in the Region, this is not the desired
goal or policy of the Region. As any section of road is reconstructed, it is the intention of
the Region to have sidewalk connections installed to improve these situations. If road
reconstruction is not slated for a longer time period, staff may look at adding sidewalk
sooner, depending on available budget.
Canada Post and other Door to Door Related Services
In 2009 the Mayor's Office received a complaint from a resident on the north side of Glasgow
Street. According to information supplied by the Mayor's Office at the time, the complaint was
due to the fact that Canada Post had notified property owners that door to door delivery would
be suspended due to lack of sidewalk and consequently, unsafe movement along the north side
of the road (pedestrians must walk on the roadway to go door to door). This would be a similar
concern for other typical services that are supplied via door to door including, but not limited to
newspaper delivery and meter reading.
PROPOSED SIDEWALK DESIGN
In order to install the sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street, no property acquisition is
required. The available City land varies of approximately 5 to 7 meters between the edge of the
existing roadway and the property line. The edge of the proposed sidewalk is still set back a
minimum of approximately 4 meters from the property line, ultimately locating the sidewalk on
the “road” side of the pole line. Staff have found a location for the new sidewalk that minimizes
impact to private landscaping, eliminates the need to relocate hydro poles (which would cost
approximately $200K), and eliminates the need to purchase land. This location has been
determined as a result of public comments received from residents. A pictorial representation
of the location of the proposed sidewalk on the north side is shown in Appendix A.
ADDRESSING PUBLIC COMMENTS
Various comments and opinions have been expressed regarding the proposed sidewalk at
informational meetings and at meetings of Council as follows:
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Terminus of Proposed Sidewalk
An opinion that was expressed at various times throughout the design was the issue of the
sidewalk ending at "nowhere". While staff understands the perception and notes the concerns,
however, the terminus of the sidewalk at the westerly limits of the project has been determined
through careful consideration of pedestrian safety. Knell Drive is the western end of the project
limits and therefore the end of this phase of sidewalk infill on Glasgow Street. It is standard
practice and in the interests of pedestrian safety to end the sidewalk at an appropriate point to
permit safe crossing. In this case the sidewalk ends at Knell Drive, where a pedestrian refuge
island is being installed, to both provide a safe pedestrian crossing to the continuation of
sidewalk on the south side and to satisfy the traffic calming needs of the roadway.
Traffic calming and pedestrian refuge islands are being used successfully throughout the
Region to enhance pedestrian safety and calm traffic. Additionally, ending the sidewalk at an
intersection is also where drivers expect to see pedestrians crossing, and ultimately limits mid-
block and generally unsafe crossings.
Lack of Connection to Fischer-Hallman Road
Comments have been raised about the absence of sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street
between Knell Drive and Fischer-Hallman Road. Specifically, some members of the public have
stated that there will never be a sidewalk installed in this section. The installation of sidewalk
between Knell Drive and Fischer Hallman Road is outside the scope of this reconstruction
project and therefore the feasibility of it and potential benefits have not been reviewed by staff in
detail. However, staff maintains that sidewalks in this area cannot be ruled out. There are more
physical constraints present between Knell Drive and Fisher-Hallman Road, however, there is
ample city owned lands to accommodate a sidewalk. A complete sidewalk connection on the
north side of the roadway from Fischer Hallman Road to King Street should be a medium to
long term goal and will be prioritized as part of any sidewalk infill program.
Terrain Challenges Adjacent To Golf Course
Comments were raised regarding the difficulty of a sidewalk along the golf course frontage. The
terrain in this area slopes back from the roadway and a retaining wall will be installed for
approximately 20 meters to permit the construction of a sidewalk in this locations. The
maximum height of this retaining wall will be 1.6m (less than 6 feet) and will be installed with a
safety railing. The additional cost of this retaining wall and railing is included in the estimate for
the complete sidewalk installation on the north side.
Perceived Risk Adjacent to Golf Course
Another concern was raised during the December 9th meeting regarding the proximity of the
new sidewalk to the Westmount Golf Course and more specifically, perceived increased risk
from errant golf balls. Staff has consulted with other city staff in Risk Management and the Golf
Enterprise. Since Rockway golf course is in an urban setting and adjacent to an arterial
roadway (Courtland Avenue) and some local streets, one could expect similar claims
experience due to errant golf balls along Glasgow Street. According to City records, 19 claims
for damage were received since 1998 in relation to errant golf balls from Rockway Golf Course.
Of these, 14 were denied and 5 were paid. None of the claims involved personal injury. Trees
which exist along the fence line between the Westmount Golf Course and the roadway also help
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to provide a screen. As such, it is not expected that the addition of sidewalk adjacent to the golf
course introduces a significant new risk.
Tree Removal
The impacts to existing trees on the project are minimal. The City places high value on existing
trees and has a long term outlook for a healthy and abundant tree canopy in urban areas such
as Glasgow Street. No private trees are being removed as a result of the reconstruction project.
Within the 860m of this phase of the Glasgow Street reconstruction, approximately 24 city trees
will be removed. The majority of the trees (15) being removed are less than 300mm (12”) in
diameter. The largest tree being removed is approximately 600mm (24”) in diameter. Many of
the trees being removed on the north side of the roadway are negatively impacted by the
pruning activities of KW Hydro due to their close proximity to the hydro lines.
Of the City trees being removed that are in front of residences, nine (9) of them can be directly
related to the introduction of the sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street. Five (5) of these
trees have been identified as ash trees. According to City forestry staff, it is likely that these
trees (2 in front of #421 Glasgow Street and 3 in front of #539 Glasgow Street) will be deceased
within 5 years due to the Emerald Ash Borer infestation.
Twenty-four (24) locations for new tree plantings have been identified. Some of these plantings
are occurring on private property at the request of the homeowner. These trees, further from
the roadway, will generally have better growing conditions and ultimately reach larger sizes
more quickly than trees planted in boulevards or in the vicinity of hydro lines.
FUTURE SIDEWALK INFILL CANDIDATES DUE TO RECONSTRUCTION
Many locations of sidewalk infill have been completed in conjunction with road reconstruction
projects. The following is a list of road reconstructions in the capital forecast, scheduled for
construction in the next 3 years, where sections of potential sidewalk infill have been identified:
Simeon Street Samuel Street Kennedy Avenue
Palmer Avenue Peltz Avenue Stirling Avenue North
Rosedale Street Union Street Maple Avenue
Pleasant Avenue Glen Road Breithaupt Street
Cherry Street Dane Street Duchess Avenue
Marina Road Glendale Road Pandora Avenue
Guelph Street Brunswick Avenue Vista Crescent
Woodland Avenue Russell Street
Staff is concerned that Council’s decisions regarding Glasgow Street sidewalk infill will
ultimately impact the City’s ability to complete sidewalk infill on these sections, as well as impact
sidewalk infill as a whole moving forward, which ultimately contravenes the policies and
initiatives contained herein.
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.”
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of the sidewalk installation on the north side of Glasgow Street is expected to be about
$100,000. This includes the cost of the retaining wall adjacent to the Westmount Golf Course.
The cost of the sidewalk is fully allocated in the project budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The proposed reconstruction of Glasgow Street has undergone public involvement by way of
public information centres and ongoing communication through mail.
CONCLUSION:
The installation of sidewalk on the north side of Glasgow Street between Westmount Road and
Knell Drive is consistent with several Council endorsed policies and plans, as well as consistent
with the spirit of Provincial legislation and Regional goals. It is also a requirement within the
Council approved Development Manual which stipulates that sidewalks are required on both
sides of a major collector road (such is Glasgow Street).
It will provide an important pedestrian link from areas along and north of Glasgow Street, to
points of interest such as Grand River Transit, Belmont Village, neighbourhood parks and
Westmount Public School, supporting community walkability and transit usage.
The installation of this sidewalk is straight forward from a technical perspective, and can be
completed at reasonable cost. The entire length of proposed sidewalk can be installed on City
owned lands and there is no property acquisition required. Through a consultative design
process, the proposed location of new sidewalk will result in minimal impact to private features
located within the road allowance.
By way of precedent, the removal of this proposed sidewalk from the scope of the
reconstruction will negatively impact the City’s ability to complete future sidewalk infill in other
areas.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO
Infrastructure Services Department
Attachments:
Appendix A - Pictorial Representation of Proposed Glasgow Sidewalk
- Selected Locations
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Appendix A
Pictorial Representation of Proposed Glasgow Sidewalk
Selected Locations
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