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Home My WebLink AboutINS-17-012 - Traffic Calming Follow Up Review-Highview Dr/Yellow Birch Dr/Golden Meadow Dr REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: February 13, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Ken Carmichael, Interim Director of Transportation Services, 519-741-2200, ext. 7372 PREPARED BY: Steven Ryder, Traffic Technologist, 519-741-2200, ext. 7152 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 7 DATE OF REPORT: January 9, 2017 REPORT NO.: INS-17-012 SUBJECT:Highview – Yellow Birch – Golden Meadow Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Follow Up Review ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATIONS: That the two (2) speed cushions on Highview Drive between Driftwood Drive and Ira Needles Boulevard be maintained permanently, and further; That the raised crosswalk on Highview Drive at the hydro corridor between Bent Willow Drive and Sugar Maple Street be maintained permanently, and further; That the raised crosswalk on Yellow Birch Drive at the hydro corridor between Hoddle Crescent and Cedar Crest Street be maintained permanently, and further; That the intersection narrowing on Highview Drive at Hickory Hollow Crescent be maintained permanently, and further; That the two (2) speed cushions on Yellow Birch Drive between Driftwood Drive and Ira Needles Boulevard be removed, and further; That any further traffic calming review for Yellow Birch Drive not be considered for a minimum of ten (10) years. BACKGROUND: Transportation Services had received requests from residents of Highview Drive on numerous occasions in the past to review the existing traffic conditions along Highview Drive. The primary concern was vehicle speeds and overall road user safety. In May 2011, Council approved the report INS 11-013, which approved three (3) locations in Kitchener that were to be surveyed for traffic calming measures, including Highview Drive. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 1 The first public information centre was held in early November 2011, and many residents from neighbouring streets of Highview Drive were at the meeting to represent their respective streets. The main concern echoed by neighbouring residents was the potential impact that traffic calming measures would have on these neighbouring streets and requested that the study area be expanded. Accordingly, Transportation Services expanded the study area to include Yellow Birch Drive and Golden Meadow Drive. Two (2) more public information centres were held in February 2012 and October 2012 that discussed current traffic conditions, alternative design options and the advantages and disadvantages associated with each. Finally, the preferred design alternative was presented to residents. In February 2013, a survey was given out to neighbourhood residents to determine if the community as a whole supported the preferred design alternative. The community feedback met the minimum response rate with the majority of the respondents in favour of implementing the preferred design alternative. The preferred alternative was presented to and received approval from the Community and Infrastructure Services Committee through report INS-13-063 on August 12, 2013. On August 26, 2013, a delegate addressed Council in opposition to the proposed traffic calming measures for Highview Drive. Concerns were raised with regards to the proposed speed humps posing an impediment to emergency services vehicles and negatively affecting response times. Council voted to approve an amended recommendation that would have staff consider alternative designs for speed humps that would reduce the impediment for emergency services vehicle response times. Traffic Calming measures were subsequently installed in 2013/2014, with the use of speed cushions as the alternative measure to the original recommendation for speed humps. Speed cushions allow Emergency Services vehicles to traverse the measures with minimal disruption, unlike the presence of speed humps. In addition, ‘No Parking’ areas were established on isolated areas of both Highview Drive and Yellow Birch Drive to address sightline concerns at intersections. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 2 REPORT: In May 2016, updated traffic data was collected on Highview Drive, Yellow Birch Drive and Golden Meadow Drive in order to determine the effectiveness of the traffic calming measures installed. The results are as follows: Table 1: Highview Drive - Volumes and Speeds VolumesSpeeds (km/h) Count Station Location DateNBSBTotalChangeAvg. 85th Change May 201124092522493155 Btwn Ira Needles Blvd. +8.5%-21.8% and Golden Meadow Dr. May 2016264127075348 43 May 201119671967393458 Btwn Bent Willow Dr. +8.2%-24.2% and Sugar Maple Drive May 2016212921264255 44 May 201117801740352056 Btwn Hickory Hollow +26.9%-21.4% Cres. and Highview Pl. May 2016268717784465 44 ΫБЎƷŷƦĻƩĭĻƓƷźƌĻƭƦĻĻķźƭƷŷĻƭƦĻĻķğƷǞŷźĭŷБЎіƚŅƷƩğŅŅźĭźƭƷƩğǝĻƌƌźƓŭğƷƚƩĬĻƌƚǞ͵ Since the implementation of traffic calming measures on Highview Drive, there has been a significant decrease in speeds along the roadway. All three (3) locations where th data was collected along Highview Drive have shown a decrease in 85 percentile speed of more than 20%. It should be noted that while the traffic volumes have increased along Highview Drive, the daily average is still within an acceptable threshold for a minor collector roadway. The data comparison for Yellow Birch Drive is found in Table 2 below: Table 2: Yellow Birch Drive - Volumes and Speeds VolumesSpeeds (km/h) Count Station LocationDateNBSBTotalChangeAvg. 85th Change May 2011839727156648 Btwn Driftwood Dr. and -12.5%-12.5% Cedar Crest St. May 20167825881370 42 May 20118551013186855 Btwn Golden Meadow -2.3%-7.3% Dr. and Hoddle Cres. June 201610327931825 51 ΫБЎƷŷƦĻƩĭĻƓƷźƌĻƭƦĻĻķźƭƷŷĻƭƦĻĻķğƷǞŷźĭŷБЎіƚŅƷƩğŅŅźĭźƭƷƩğǝĻƌƌźƓŭğƷƚƩĬĻƌƚǞ͵ Since the implementation of traffic calming measures, Yellow Birch Drive has experienced a reduction in both speeds and volume. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 3 In the three (3) years prior to the implementation of the traffic calming measures (2009- 2011), there were a total of seventeen (17) motor vehicle collisions along the three (3) subject roadways, as follows: Highview Drive – 11 collisions, resulting in a rate of 3.7 collisions per year Yellow Birch Drive – 3 collisions, resulting in a rate of 1.0 collision per year Golden Meadow Drive – 3 collisions, resulting in a rate of 1.0 collision per year. In the eighteen (18) months since the implementation of the traffic calming measures (July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016) there has been one (1) motor vehicle collision on the three (3) subject roadways, as follows: Highview Drive – 1 collision, resulting in a rate of 0.7 collisions per year Yellow Birch Drive – 0 collisions, resulting in a rate of 0.0 collisions per year Golden Meadow Drive – 0 collisions, resulting in a rate of 0.0 collisions per year. This demonstrates a reduction in the collision rate for Highview Drive of approximately 3.0 collisions per year, and reductions for Yellow Birch Drive and Golden Meadow Drive of approximately 1.0 collision per year. Overall, this represents a combined reduction for the three subject roadways of approximately 5.0 collisions per year (from a combined rate of 5.7 pre-traffic calming, to a combined rate of 0.7 post-traffic calming). In August 2016, Transportation Services conducted a survey of the affected residents in the neighbourhood in order to gauge community support for the traffic calming measures. The survey included the results of the traffic studies conducted before and after traffic calming installation, as discussed in this report. The results are as follows: ResponsesfromHighviewDrive(incl.cornerlots)residents: LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƷğźƓźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹЊАΛЏЎіΜ LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƒƚǝźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹВΛЌЎіΜ ResponsesfromYellowBirchDrive(incl.cornerlots)residents: LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƷğźƓźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹЊЎΛЌЌіΜ LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƒƚǝźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹЌЉΛЏАіΜ Responsesfromindirectlyaffectedresidents: LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƷğźƓźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹАБΛЏЉіΜ LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƒƚǝźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹЎЊΗΛЍЉіΜ TotalResponses: LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƷğźƓźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹЊЊЉΛЎЎіΜ LƓŅğǝƚǒƩƚŅƩĻƒƚǝźƓŭƷƩğŅŅźĭĭğƌƒźƓŭƒĻğƭǒƩĻƭʹВЉΛЍЎіΜ TOTAL:200outof795(25.2%responded) *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 4 Based on the results above, there is general neighbourhood support to maintain the existing traffic calming measures that were implemented on Highview Drive. There is, however, strong community opposition regarding the traffic calming measures that were implemented on Yellow Birch Drive. 67% (30 of 45) of resident responses from Yellow Birch Drive voiced their opposition to the traffic calming plan, with concerns raised regarding the two (2) speed cushions in particular. After reviewing all resident feedback, Transportation Services has determined that retaining the on-street parking restrictions serves to enhance traffic safety within the neighbourhood. Additionally, retaining the road narrowing on Highview Drive serves as a low impact measure that promotes speed reduction. Finally, the two (2) raised crosswalks serve to enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity to the existing trail network that crosses both Highview Drive and Yellow Birch Drive. Accordingly, these measures are recommended to be maintained permanently. Transportation Services recommends that the existing traffic calming measures be retained on a permanent basis with the exception of the two (2) speed cushions located on Yellow Birch Drive. Transportation Services recommends the removal of the two (2) speed cushions located on Yellow Birch Drive, and in addition, that there be no review of formal Traffic Calming on Yellow Birch Drive for a minimum of ten (10) years. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: Strategic Priority: 3: Safe and Thriving Neighbourhoods. Strategy: 3.2: Create safer streets in our neighbourhoods through new traffic calming approaches. Strategic Action: NB39: Traffic Calming FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Removal of the two (2) traffic cushions on Yellow Birch Drive will cost $5,000 each, for a total cost of $10,000. There are no annual maintenance costs to be considered as a result of this removal. This cost will be taken from the existing Traffic Calming capital budget account. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – Residents of Highview Drive, Yellow Birch Drive, Golden Meadow Drive and surrounding neighbourhood streets have been involved in this traffic calming review throughout the entire process. This includes; confirmation to the residents to initiate review, and two (2) public meetings with the residents to gain input on the issues at hand. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 5 CONSULT - Residents were notified regarding this report to recommend the permanent maintenance of the traffic calming measures. ACKNOWLEDGED BY:Justin Readman, Interim Executive Director Infrastructure Services Department Attached: Appendix A – Traffic Calming Plan *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 6 TrafficCalmingPlanΑFollowUpReview HighviewDrive,YellowBirchDriveandGoldenMeadowDrive *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 5 - 7