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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-17-065 - Groh Public School - Speed Zone and Parking Regulations REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: August 21, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Ken Carmichael, Interim Director,Transportation Services 519-741-2200 ext. 7372 PREPARED BY: Dean McMillan, Supervisor, Crossing Guards 519-741-2200 ext. 7232 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 4 DATE OF REPORT: August 1, 2017 REPORT NO.: INS-17-065 SUBJECT: Groh Public School 40 km/h School Speed Zone and Parking Regulations ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATIONS:That a 40 km/h School Zone Speed Limit be established on: Thomas Slee Drive from Blair Creek Drive to Mistywood Street and on Blair Creek Drive from Thomas Slee Drive to Mistywood Street; and further, That stopping be prohibited anytime on the south side (odd-numbered) of Thomas Slee Drive from Mistywood Street to a point 365m west thereof; and further, Thatstopping be prohibited from 8:00 am 9:30 am and 2:30 pm 4:00 pm from Monday to Friday between September 1 and June 30 on the north side (even- numbered) of Thomas Slee Drive from Mistywood Street to a point 365m west thereof; and further, Thata School Bus Loading Zone be established on the south side (odd- numbered) of Thomas Slee Drive 112m west of Mistywood Street to a point 86m west thereof; and further That the Uniform Traffic By-law be amended accordingly. BACKGROUND: Groh Public School (P.S.) is a newly built school within the Doon area that will be opening in September, 2017 and will be set-up to provide educational requirements for Junior Kindergarten (JK) to Grade 8 students. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 11 - 1 Groh P.S. has plans to serve approximately 650 students (as indicated on their website). School frontage is primarily along Thomas Slee Drive, however, a section of school frontage can also be found along Blair Creek Drive. -16-051) outlined the benefits of installing a 40 km/h speed limit associated with School Zones within the City. Based on this report, staff recommends installing a 40km/h School Zone along Thomas Slee Drive and Blair Creek Drive for Groh P.S. Further, staff is altopping at Anytime parking regulation along Thomas Slee to preclude motorists from dropping-off and picking-up elementary school students fronting the school property and along a curve which includes park frontage. REPORT: Based on the previously mentioned report (INS-16-051) regarding 40 km/h speed zones within school areas, City staff, in collaboration with school administrators, and Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region, was in agreement that Groh P.S. would be an ideal school location for the implementation of a 40km/h speed limit. The proposed 40km/h speed zone within the school area will provide consistency regarding driver expectancy and an overall safer environment for road users. During the development process, City staff indicated the desire to install pedestrian refuge islands within the area of the school as part of the School Travel Planning process. As a result, pedestrian refuge islands have been installed at the following locations: - Thomas Slee Drive at Tall Grass Crescent - Thomas Slee Drive at Groh Trail (adjacent to the school) - Blair Creek Drive at Groh Trail (adjacent to the school) The islands also serve as a form of traffic calming to provide a narrowing of the roadway for drivers along Thomas Slee Drive and Blair Creek Drive and to highlight that there are pedestrians within the school area or utilizing the trails within the neighbourhood. To determine where pedestrian activity may be in the area, Transportation Services staff will be conducting pedestrian observations on-site in September or October,2017; this will help to determine whether a Crossing Guard will be required to facilitate the walk to and from school for elementary school students. At the time of writing this report, it should be noted that, due to development, some of the sidewalk connections within the neighbhourhood area have yet to be completed. Further sidewalk work is expected to be completed during the summer months. To prevent congestion of school related traffic within the School Zone, staff is Stopping at Anytime parking regulation for the school and park frontage (odd-numbered side of the street). 11 - 2 Restricting motorists from stopping/parking within the school zone area enhances sightlines for motorists (being able to see pedestrians) and reduces congestion to prevent students from crossitopping at Anytime signs will be installed in addition to the typical school warning signs that are installed for school areas. frontage, as opposed to a typical parking restriction, to deter school related traffic from stopping within the park area to pick-up and drop-off students and to prevent motorists from stopping on the inside of the curved portion of the roadway. Staff is S numbered opposite side of the school)from 8:00 am 9:30 am and 2:30 pm 4:00 pm from Monday to Friday between September 1 and June 30. This regulation will be consistent with other school areas and provides a less restrictive regulation for future residences along Thomas Slee Drive (see Appendix A area diagram, for further information pertaining to Groh P.S.). ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendations of this report support the achievement of the C vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Funds for the signs in relation to Groh P.S. will be taken from the existing sign maintenance budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Groh P.S. will be advised of the recommended speed limit changes and the proposed parking regulations. Waterloo Regional Police Service will be advised of the new speed limit and can enforce based on their resources available. Additionally, Transportation Services staff has been working closely with the school travel planning staff, as well as members of the Active and Safe Routes to School, in providing a clear and consistent message of expectations of motorists within the area regarding vehicle speeds. PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER: 40 km/h speed limits for school zones was previously reviewed by Committee in report INS-16- ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, Interim Executive Director Infrastructure Services Department Appendix A Area Diagram 11 - 3 Area Diagram Map Legend No Stopping at Anytime No Stopping 8:00 am 9:30 am and 2:30 pm 4:00 pm from Monday to Friday between September1 and June 30 School Bus Loading Zone 11 - 4