HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-14-012 - Glasgow Street Reconstruction - Cross Section ReviewStaff Rep►�►r
I r Infrastruc�ture5ervrresDepartment wvwuukitchenerra
REPORT TO: Council
DATE OF MEETING: January 27, 2014
SUBMITTED BY: Steve Allen, P. Eng., Manager Engineering Design and
Approvals
PREPARED BY: Steve Allen, P. Eng., Manager Engineering Design and
Approvals
WARD(S) INVOLVED: 8
DATE OF REPORT: January 21, 2014
REPORT NO.: INS 14 -012
SUBJECT: Glasgow Street Reconstruction — Cross Section Review
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council approve the cross section and alignment of Glasgow Street, from
Westmount Road to Knell Drive as described in Scenario A.
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.
In keeping with Engineering Services' practice to tender some projects early to increase the
chances of favorable pricing, the construction work was tendered in December 2013. The low
bid received was $2,587,078 (excl. HST) which is within the City's budget. Ministry of the
Environment approvals have also been received.
At the December 9th, 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 was referred to the
January 13, 2013 Community and Infrastructure Services Committee meeting.
At the January 13th meeting committee passed the following resolution:
"That notwithstanding the policies and guidelines governing the construction of new
sidewalks, a sidewalk shall not be installed on the north side of Glasgow Street, from
Westmount Road to Knell Drive; and further,
That staff be directed to report back to the January 27, 2014 Council meeting with
information on the Region of Waterloo Zone 4 water pressure issues as well as the cost
and timing implications of re- designing the Glasgow Street reconstruction project to
accommodate the following:
• maintain the existing length of the east bound left turn lane at the intersection of
Glasgow Street and Westmount Road;
• providing a lane width of 3 meters as opposed to the proposed 3.3 meters; and,
• road realignment options to preserve area trees. "
REPORT:
Water Pressure Issues of Zone 4
The Ministry of Environment Design Guidelines for Drinking -Water Systems 2008 says: "The
system should be designed to maintain a minimum pressure of 140 kPa (20 psi) at ground level
at all points in the distribution system under maximum day demand plus fire flow conditions. The
normal operating pressure in the distribution system should be approximately 350 to 480 kPa
(50 to 70 psi) and not less than 275 kPa (40 psi). Pressures outside of this range may be
dictated by distribution system size and /or topography."
The Region of Waterloo and area municipalities have developed the Design Guidelines and
Supplemental Specifications for Municipal Services ( DGSSMS), updated annually. The
DGSSMS prescribes the recommended pressure range:
B.2.4.3 Preferred Pressure Range
The preferred design pressure ranges are:
Average Day and Maximum Day: 350 kPa (50 psi) to 550 kPa (80 psi)
Minimum Hour and Peak Hour: 275 kPa (40 psi) to 700 kPa (100 psi)
Pressures outside of these ranges are acceptable to the limits described below; but,
are not desirable.
B.2.4.4 Minimum Pressure
8.2.4.4.1 Non -Fire Scenarios
The minimum pressure under any non -fire demand scenarios shall not be less than 275 kPa
(40 psi).
Pressures recorded at hydrants on Glasgow are shown on the following table.
Glasgow
St Pressures (Knell to Westmount Road)
Hydrant Number
Approx. Address
2013 Static Pressure
2012 Static Pressure
3317
697 Glas ow St
47 psi
46 psi
3318
680 Glasgow St
51 psi
50 psi
1009
641 Glasgow St
49 psi
48 psi
514
519 Glasgow St
40 psi
40 psi
513
491 Glasgow St
46 psi
46 psi
The pressure guidelines are for the watermain, not for the internal pressures within the homes.
The Region of Waterloo Water Supply and Distribution Operations Master Plan (WSDOMP)
identified projects throughout the Region. The Glasgow St pressures were not less than 40 psi
and as such, the Glasgow St area was not targeted for any pressure improvements as part of
the WSDOMP.
The guideline also speaks to topography as being a factor where pressures in this range may
occur, which is the case for Glasgow St. Based on 2012 hydrant static readings, approximately
40% of the distribution system operates between 50 -70 psi.
A resident indicated that there is insufficient flow to do the dishes when the toilet flushed. This
is indicative of a flow restriction issue, not necessarily a pressure issue. The water services will
be increased in diameter on the City portion as part of the reconstruction project, which should
help with the flow issue. Further improvement could be experienced by the homeowner
replacing the private side service.
There is no infrastructure (e.g. valves) that could be considered as part of the reconstruction to
improve water pressures.
In areas of the City where pressures are in excess of 80 psi, owners are responsible to
install /maintain pressure reducing valves in the building to drop the pressures coming into the
building. A similar argument could be made for lower pressures: if owners are not satisfied with
the pressures, they can choose to install private booster pumps (and backflow prevention
devices).
East Bound Left Turn
Currently, the Eastbound left turn lane on Glasgow Street consists of 30m in storage length and
an additional 30m taper. The existing storage length accommodates approximately 4 -5 average
sized vehicles within a queue, while the taper is required to provide safe access to and
delineate the left turn lane accordingly. The left turn lane proposed through reconstruction
provides essentially the same length of storage and taper as currently present, and therefore
there are no significant modifications required to accommodate the left turn lane.
It should be noted that the length of the proposed left turn lane was compared to MTO
geometric design guidelines (the standard by which left turn lane warrants are determined)
MTO geometric design guidelines indicate that in order to address 95th percentile queuing,
(which is the recommended practice), approximately 45m of storage length is required.
However, in order to minimize impacts, Engineering Services, in consultation with
Transportation Services, determined that reinstating the existing lane lengths will sufficiently
address left turns from Glasgow Street, without compromising safety or capacity.
Staff recommend that no change be made to the currently proposed turning lane geometry.
Lane Width and Alignment — Impact to Boulevard Tees
The direction of council to remove the sidewalk from the scope of the reconstruction project
provides an opportunity to review the current alignment and configuration of the roadway within
the road allowance. Through council's direction, staff has reviewed the vehicle lane widths and
the road alignment. As the two aspects can work in combination, the analysis is better done
combining the two with an effort to determine which combination provides the greatest benefit.
A primary concern of both the residents and Council is the impact to trees along the roadway.
As a result much of the analysis focuses on the benefits to the boulevard trees, specifically the
10 trees on the south side that are in conflict with the proposed curb (of which 5 are Ash trees).
It should be noted that any construction activities may still have a negative effect on the health
of trees, particularly in the boulevard. The survivability of any tree is partly dependent on its
overall health, the location of major roots, and the proximity of excavations around the tree.
Therefore there is still some uncertainty as to the viability of trees in close proximity to
construction.
In order to have a chance of preserving any trees on the south side it has been determined that
the south curb line would need to be relocated at least 1.5m to the north of the location that is
currently proposed.
General Impacts to Changing Lane Widths
The width of vehicle lanes are determined through TAC (Transportation Association of Canada)
guidelines, road use, and existing constraints. The proposed vehicular lane width between
Knell Drive and Westmount Road is 3.3m based on these criteria. A reduction in lane width to
3.Om would result in lanes that are considered a less than ideal for the designation and volume
of the roadway. It is noted that narrower lanes generally reduce capacity and can decrease
safety for all users including cyclists. The primary concern of staff that would result from
narrowed lanes is the safety of any potential of pedestrians walking along the roadway due to
the lack of sidewalk.
The reduction of lane widths will result in relocation of curb lines and consequently changes to
the grading requiring a redesign. Infrastructure in the curb line (storm sewers and watermains)
would require some modifications triggering some redesign.
Staff recommend that vehicle lanes on this section of Glasgow be kept at 3.3m.
General Impacts to Changing Road Alignment
Changes to the road alignment will result in complete review of the road corridor design. With
the movement of the curb lines, the corresponding underground infrastructure may need to be
moved as well.
Underground infrastructure is located in accordance with legislation, design guidelines,
installation considerations and future maintenance considerations, to name a few guiding
principles. Shifting one or more of the underground services would require adjustment of other
services.
Redesigning the underground infrastructure may trigger the need for a resubmission to the
Ministry of the Environment for approval which has already been received resulting in a delay in
starting the work. As a full construction season is required for the work there is a risk that the
project will not be completed on time.
Changes to the road alignment also have the potential to cause significant grading impacts to
private features within the right -of -way. The current design blends the new road into the
existing areas to minimize impacts beyond the roadway. A new road alignment would require
review and rework of this transition.
Scenarios for Road Width and Alignment
Two main scenarios have been identified as follows;
Scenario A (Recommended)
Construct Glasgow with the currently proposed alignment and lane widths (3.3m)
With this scenario, the proposed sidewalk on the north side of the roadway can be simply
deleted from the contract. There would be no re- design required and construction could occur
as planned in 2014.
The addition of bike lanes and a minor shifting of the roadway to the south to accommodate the
(now deleted) sidewalk on the north side of the road have resulted in a conflict between some
existing trees on the existing (south) boulevard and the proposed new curb. As shown in the
attached figures, these trees are in close proximity to the edge of the roadway. In order to
install the new curb, these trees will need to be removed.
There are ten (10) trees in the south side boulevard that are identified to be removed. Of these,
five (5) are Ash species. It has been estimated by staff that 80% of Ash trees will be deceased
due to the Emerald Ash Borer within 5 years. This fact mitigates the impact of the tree removal
as these will likely succumb to the insect despite efforts to preserve them.
Scenario B
Construct Glasgow with current (proposed) lane widths and shift roadway to the north by 1.5
meters.
This scenario would result in the majority of the roadway being 1.5m further to the north than the
current proposed alignment. It should be noted that this modified alignment could not occur at
the intersection of Westmount as the cross - section is already established by the need to match
into the existing intersection. The resulting road would have a gradual transition from the
intersection to the "offset" portion of the roadway. The offset of 1.5 m would be made up over a
distance of about 40 meters resulting in moderate visual noticeability.
This scenario would provide a good chance of preserving trees in the south boulevard — except
for the three (3) Norway Maple trees in the south boulevard between Glasgow lane and
Westmount road. This is primarily due to the need to match into the existing intersection and
the addition of the bike lane. As a result the curb line must be moved to the south of where it is
currently.
It should be noted that in general the resulting roadway on the north side would be closer to the
north property line than what is currently in -place (existing edge -of- pavement line varies).
The location of all underground infrastructure would need to be shifted to the north accordingly
triggering a redesign. The detailed grading plans for the entire roadway would need to be re-
done. Total redesign costs is estimated at $35,000. This redesign would not be completed in
time to complete construction as planned in 2014.
The tender has closed and the low bidder's price is within budget. Staff has observed favorable
construction pricing for this project and other 2014 projects that have already been tendered.
Construction pricing can vary significantly from year to year. With the prospect of the Region's
LRT work beginning in 2014, this could have a potentially inflationary effect on 2015 pricing
which would result in the City paying more for this work in 2015. Construction pricing may be
higher in late 2014/2015. Variations of 10 % -15% from year to year have been observed in the
past.
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:
There are no financial implications associated with the recommended option.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
The proposed reconstruction of Glasgow Street has undergone public involvement by way of
public information centres and ongoing communication through mail, e-mail and telephone
conversations.
The last Public Information Centre (PIC) was conducted on October 10, 2013 at which time the
design was presented to the public. Subsequent to that meeting, council has directed staff to
delete the proposed sidewalk from the contract and further changes may arise from the January
27th meeting of Council.
Another PIC is planned for early March 2014. Any major changes to the plans made between
the October 10th meeting and the next PIC should be highlighted at the early March meeting.
CONCLUSION:
The direction of council to remove the sidewalk from the scope of the reconstruction project
provides opportunities to review the current alignment and configuration of the roadway within
the road allowance. Through council's direction, staff has reviewed the vehicle lane widths and
the road alignment with a focus on preserving the existing trees in the south boulevard.
As a result of the review, staff have determined that deleting the sidewalk from the contract and
leaving the proposed configuration of the roadway unchanged is the most desirable option when
taking into account schedule, cost and meeting design criteria.
Any modifications to the alignment or cross sections will result in a re -work of the underground
infrastructure and of the detailed grading plan at a cost of about $35,000. This re- design would
not be able to be completed before construction's planned start of late March 2014. As the
project is anticipated to take at least 7 months to complete, a delay in the start date introduces a
risk that the project will not be completed in time before the start of winter weather.
The construction work has been tendered and Ministry of the Environment approvals are in
place. The low bid is approximately $2.59M and within the City's budget. Staff has seen
favorable construction pricing to -date. Retendering the project in 2014 or early 2015 could
result in higher cost since construction costs vary from year to year. The commencement of the
LRT project could have an inflationary impact on construction pricing in 2014.
While maintaining the proposed design will result in the loss of about 10 trees, it is important to
note that 5 of them are Ash species and will likely succumb to the Emerald Ash Borer within 5
years. Furthermore, due to the addition of bike lanes and constraints at the Westmount
intersection, 3 of the remaining trees will need to be removed under both scenarios presented.
It is conceivable that shifting the roadway as described in Scenario B will only preserve two (2)
trees (2 English Oaks in front of #443) in the long term.
Staff are recommending that no further changes be made to the current design due to the
additional expense and delay outweighing the benefits of the limited tree preservation with
shifting the roadway.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services
3 Black Ash Trees near #539 Glasgow
2 English Oak Trees Near #443 Glasgow
2 White Ash Trees near #421 Glasgow
3 Norway Maples near #405 Glasgow