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Home My WebLink AboutINS-16-062 - School Traffic Safety Changes for the 2016-17 School Year REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 8, 2016 SUBMITTED BY: Ken Carmichael, Interim Director of Transportation Services, 519-741-2200, ext. 7372 PREPARED BY: Ronald Schirm, Supervisor of Crossing Guards 519-741-2200, ext. 7372 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 5, 7, 9 & 10 DATE OF REPORT: July 15, 2016 REPORT NO.: INS-16-062 SUBJECT:School Traffic Safety Changes for the 2016-17 School Year ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Adult Crossing Guard assisted School Crossings on Frederick Street at East Avenue be relocated to Frederick Street & Lancaster Street; and further, That the Adult Crossing Guard assisted School Crossing on Victoria Street South at Oprington Drive be relocated to Ottawa Street South and Wilderness Drive; and further, That a School Bus Loading Zone be established on Hoffman Street from a point 21 metres north of Southdale Drive to a point 13 metres north thereof; and further, That the Uniform Traffic Bylaw be amended accordingly; and further, BACKGROUND: Transportation Services is in receipt of a request from the School Transportation Services of Waterloo Region to review the applicability of an adult crossing guard location on Ottawa Street South and Wilderness Drive which is located in Ward 5. Transportation Services is also in receipt of a request for an adult crossing guard at the intersection of Frederick Street and Lancaster Street in Ward 10. This request has been made by both staff and parents of Suddaby Public School and comes as the result of a collision involving a student of Suddaby School in May 2016. Transportation Services has also been requested to install a School Bus Loading Zone to accommodate one full size school bus on Hoffman Street to serve Queen Elizabeth Public School. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 1 REPORT: 1. Frederick Street & Lancaster Street Frederick Street is an arterial roadway in Ward 10. Lancaster Street is a major collector from th Victoria Street North to Krug Street. This intersection includes a 5 leg: Ellen Street. This intersection is unique in many aspects: 1. It is a five legged intersection 0 2. Intersection geometry is skewed so that the major road crossing is great than 90 3. Lane configurations vary considerablybetween legs. 4. Mix of residential, commercial and institutional buildings adjacent to the intersection There are significant different conditions for pedestrians depending on which leg of this intersection they cross. It is with this in mind that Transportation Services has always recommended students who originate from northwest of the intersection cross the north leg only and continue down Lancaster Street to cross with the Adult Crossing Guard at Chapel Street. The north leg of the intersection is the shortest leg for pedestrians to cross and also does not have a dedicated right turn lane. By having a lane designated for through and right turning traffic the number of right turns on red becomes very limited. Right turns on red are the most critical conflict for crossing pedestrians. Further, the east leg also does not have a dedicated right turn lane. Therefore crossing pedestrians would encounter relatively few right turns on red when crossing the north leg. Frederick Street & Lancaster Street Pedestrian Crossing Distance Lane Designations Street and Leg Lane designations Distance Frederick Street (north) 1 through/right, 1 left, 1 receiving 18 metres Frederick Street (south) 1 through, 1 left, 1 right, 2 receiving 34 metres Lancaster Street (east) 1 through/right, 1 left, 1 receiving with merge 24 metres Lancaster/Ellen Streets (west) 1 lane in each direction 26 metres Staff at Suddaby Public School have indicated that changes in the school over the past several years has necessitated students accessing the school property from Frederick Street when approaching the school. This has necessitated students cross the east leg as well as the north leg. Crossing distance is further for pedestrians and crossing pedestrians are far more likely to encounter right turning vehicles as the south leg features a dedicated right turn lane. Turning Movement Counts from March 2015 show that traffic volumes for both through and turning traffic is typical for roadways of this classification. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 2 Frederick Street & Lancaster Street Turning Movement Count Peak School Pedestrian Hours & Estimated Daily Total March 5, 2015 Time Period Northbound SouthboundWestbound Eastbound LT Thru RT LT Thru RT LT Thru RT LT Thru RT 8:15-9:15 AM 48 195 42 42 521 18 88 156 44 24 112 78 3:00-4:00 PM 50 274 27 47 292 28 46 131 48 45 120 32 Estimated Daily 792 3948 407 597 4501 374 680 1684 555 661 1636 564 School Pedestrian counts indicate the intersection is used significantly by students attending Suddaby Public School. Frederick Street & Lancaster Street School Pedestrian Activity June 14, 2016 Time Period South Leg North Leg East Leg West Leg Ellen St. Leg Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child Adult Child 8:00-9:00 AM 19 20 17 17 42 12 37 34 13 3 3:00-4:00 PM 32 22 21 30 47 38 29 23 14 4 Total51 42 48 47 89 50 66 57 27 7 N.B. the pedestrian numbers for Ellen Street are those who only crossed the Ellen Street portion of the intersection. Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region has provided Transportation Services with approximate student enrolment from the three quadrants adjacent to the intersection in question. The 80 students from northwest quadrant are those who need to cross at this intersection with no other option. The 113 students from the northeast quadrant may also cross with the Crossing Guard at Chapel Street and Lancaster Street. The 56 originating from the southwest quadrant may also cross Frederick Street at Otto Street in front of the school. A relatively new Adult Crossing Guard warrant is presently being used by several Ontario Municipalities, including Cambridge, in order to more accurately assess the need for Adult Crossing Guards at signalized intersections. The warrant factors the number of school pedestrians with conflicting turning movements in order to assess applicability. Specifically, if the product of multiplying the sum of all turns into the path of crossing students with the number of students for the peak hour exceeds 5500 an adult crossing guard is warranted. This warrant system is at present being vetted by the Ontario Traffic Council for applicability Province wide. While the City at present does not use this warrant a comparison in this case is useful. When combining the number of school pedestrians crossing the west and east leg and assuming they will all cross the east leg as recommended with the proposed Adult Crossing Guard, the peak hour (3-4 pm) number of crossing pedestrians is 61. The total number left turns, right turns and possible right turns on red that potentially conflict with them is 122. The product of the two numbers is 7442. The threshold for a warrant is 5500. While 100% compliance by school pedestrians in crossing with the crossing guard is unrealistic, historically compliance by school pedestrians in crossing with the guards at signalized intersections is very high. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 3 Signalized Intersection Crossing Guard Exposure Warrant Frederick Street & Lancaster Street Peak Hour 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM East Leg Movement RT RT on red LT Total vehicles Total Students Totals 27 48 47 122 61 122 Vehicles X 61 Students = 7,442 Minimum requirement = 5,500 The proposed Adult Crossing Guard at the intersection would cross students across the north and east leg. This has the school pedestrians cross the safest legs of the intersection and allows students to access the school more directly. Suddaby Public School Bell Times Crossing Guard Duty Times Frederick Street & Lancaster Street School Bell Time Crossing Guard Duty Times 8:55 A.M. 8:15 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. 3:20 P.M. 3:20 P.M. – 3:50 P.M. Transportation Services is confident that the installation of an Adult Crossing Guard at this location will improve pedestrian safety and encourage more students to walk to school. 2. East Avenue & Frederick Street An Adult Crossing Guard was established at this location in September 2010 to serve the students living west of Frederick Street attending St. Anne Separate School on East Avenue. Since the installation of this facility a pedestrian refuge island has been constructed at the location greatly enhancing pedestrian crossing safety. Pedestrians are only required to cross one direction of traffic at a time and the distance to the pedestrian refuge island is less than 5 metres from both directions. Usage of this facility has been very low throughout the 2015-16 School Year. There were only 2- 4 students who crossed regularly and many days when no one utilized the facility. There are only 6 students attending St. Anne’s Separate School who would potentially cross at this location. Therefore it is recommended that this facility be relocated to the intersection of Frederick Street and Lancaster Street. If demand increases significantly Transportation Services will recommend reinstatement of the service. 3. Oprington Drive & Victoria Street South In 1999 both Sandhills Public School and St. Dominic Separate School opened on Victoria Street South in Ward 7. At that time Crossing Guard locations were established on Victoria Street South at Oprington Drive, Eastforest Trail and Westforest Trail. The Crossing Guard facility on Oprington Drive was established as there were no sidewalks on the east side of Victoria Street from Oprington Drive to Eastforest Trail. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 4 The Region of Waterloo has completed construction of a 3 metre multi-use path on the east side which will allow students from the Oprington Drive area to walk along the east side of Victoria Street South and access cross with the Adult Crossing Guard at the signalized intersection at Eastforest Trail. This has made the Adult Crossing Guard facility at Oprington Drive redundant. 4. Ottawa Street South & Wilderness Drive/International Place Ottawa Street South is an arterial roadway. Wilderness Drive is a minor collector roadway that connects to International Place in Ward 5. At this time there are 28 students living west of Ottawa Street South near attending John Sweeney Separate School, located on Activa Avenue, west of Ottawa Street near International Place who are eligible to walk. Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region has requested a review of the location in order to assist these students. The speed limit on Ottawa Street South in this area is 60 km/h. The intersection is signalized and very large. There are centre medians on all legs. Ottawa Street South & Wilderness Drive Pedestrian Crossing Distance Lane Designations Street and Leg Lane designations Distance Ottawa Street (north) 2 through, 1 right, 1 left, 2 receiving 33 metres Ottawa Street (south) 1 through, 1 through/right, 1 left, 2 receiving 34 metres Wildnerness Drive (east) 1 through, 1 right, 1 left, 1 receiving 27 metres International Place (west) 1 through, 1 right, 1 left, 1 receiving 32 metres Sidewalks are present on all approaches. The traffic control signal has pedestrian activation buttons. The size of the intersection, road classification as well as the 60 km/h speed limit all indicate that an Adult Crossing Guard is warranted at this location. As the crossing location is about 800 metres the location will be monitored for usage. Throughout the first School Year and if not utilized will be eliminated. John Sweeney Separate School Bell Times Crossing Guard Duty Times Ottawa Street South & Wilderness Drive School Bell Time Crossing Guard Duty Times 8:50 A.M. 8:10 A.M. - 8:55 A.M. 3:20 P.M. 3:20 P.M. – 3:50 P.M. Therefore it is recommended that the Adult Crossing Guard facility presently located on Victoria Street South at Oprington Drive be relocated to Ottawa Street South at Wilderness Drive. 5. Hoffman Street School Bus Loading Zone . Queen Elizabeth School is located at the intersection of on Hoffman Street, which is a local roadway and Highland Road East, a major collector roadway in Ward 9. There are 3 short school busses and one full size school bus that serve the school. This service not expected to change in the foreseeable future. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 5 At present there is a School Bus Loading Zone on the north side of Highland Road in the cul de sac portion adjacent to the school. This facility operates well for the 3 small school busses that serve the school. However, the full size bus cannot turn in the cul de sac without backing, which is not permitted for safety reasons. It Therefore needs to load and unload students on Hoffman Street. There is an Adult Crossing Guard facility at Highland Road & Hoffman Street as well as a Student Safety Patrol location on Hoffman Street at Southdale Avenue. There is also a GRT transit stop at the intersection of Hoffman Street & Highland Road as well as at Hoffman Street and Kehl Street. It is Therefore prudent to locate school bus activities as far from the intersection at Highland Road as possible. A suitable location has been determined as per the recommendation. This will allow for safe movement of vehicles in the area, minimize safety impacts for school pedestrians and impact GRT as minimally as possible. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: There are no additional costs in regard to the relocation of the Adult Crossing Guard facilities. The two new locations are located at traffic control signals where the installation of school crossing signs are prohibited by the Ontario Traffic Manual. The Region of Waterloo will be advised to remove the existing school crossing signs on Frederick Street at East Avenue and Victoria Street at Oprington Drive as these roadways fall under Regional jurisdiction. The approximate cost for the installation of two School Bus Loading Zone signs is $400 and will be taken from the existing sign maintenance budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the city’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting. The constituents were made aware of the proposed changes to prohibit on-street parking in this section of St Leger Street. Parents of the 6 families affected by the removal of the Adult Crossing Guard service on Frederick Street at East Avenue will be notified by Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region prior to the first day of school. Parents in the Oprington Drive area will be notified prior to the start of school in regards to the new walking route removal of the Adult Crossing Guard on Victoria Street South at Oprington Drive. Parents of the families affected by the installation of the Adult Crossing Guard service on Ottawa Street South at Wilderness Drive will be notified by Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region prior to the first day of school. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 6 CONSULT – Staff met with staff from Suddaby Public School and also attended a Parent Council Meeting. School staff will circulate information regarding the new Adult Crossing Guard facility including expectations of students using the facility prior to the first day of school. Staff has consulted with all of its partners at School Transportation Services of Waterloo Region, the Waterloo District School Board and The Region of Waterloo throughout this process. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, Interim Executive Director Infrastructure Services Department *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 7 Appendix A Suddaby Public School Crossing Guard Locations A C G DULTROSSINGUARD LOCATIONTOBEREMOVED R A ECOMMENDEDDULT C G ROSSINGUARDLOCATION S UDDABY E A XISTINGDULT P UBLIC C G ROSSINGUARDLOCATION S CHOOL *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 8 Appendix B Frederick Street & Lancaster Street Adult Crossing Guard Location R L ECOMMENDEDEGS A C G THEDULTROSSINGUARD WILLPROVIDEASSISTANCEFOR *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 9 Appendix C Victoria Street South Crossing Guard Locations Multi Use Pathway Installation A C G DULTROSSINGUARD LOCATIONTOBEREMOVED R ECENTLYINSTALLED 3 METRE M ULTIUSEPATHWAY E A XISTINGDULT C G ROSSINGUARDLOCATION *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 10 Appendix D Ottawa Street South at Wildnerness Crossing Guard Location R A ECOMMENDEDDULT C G ROSSINGUARDLOCATION J OHN S WEENEY S CHOOL *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 11 Appendix E Queen Elizabeth Public School Hoffman Street School Bus Loading Zone E XISTING S S P TUDENTAFETYATROL P ROPOSED S B L Z CHOOLUSOADINGONE E A XISTINGDULT C G ROSSINGUARDLOCATION *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 14 - 12