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Home My WebLink AboutDSD-2024-122 - Dumfries Avenue Formal Traffic Calming ReviewStaff Report r NJ :R Development Services Department www.kitchener.ca REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: April 22, 2024 SUBMITTED BY: Barry Cronkite, Director, Transportation Services 519-741-2200 ext. 7738 PREPARED BY: Connor Payne, Traffic Technologist, Transportation Services 519-741-2200 ext. 7374 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 10 DATE OF REPORT: April 4, 2024 REPORT NO.: DSD -2024-122 SUBJECT: Dumfries Ave Traffic Calming Review RECOMMENDATION: That staff be directed to implement the proposed traffic calming plan as outlined in Attachment A (Dumfries Avenue — Proposed Traffic Calming Plan) of report DSD - 2024 -122. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS: • The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval for the implementation of the proposed traffic calming plan for Dumfries Ave. This traffic calming review was approved for initiation in 2023, via staff report DSD -2023-287. • The key finding of this report is that the proposed traffic calming plan is supported by the majority of directly affected addresses (73%) that responded to the final survey. Directly affected addresses are addresses that require residents to use this street as their only means of access. The proposed traffic calming measures include five (5) speed humps on Dumfries Ave between Edna St and Stirling Ave N, which will help reduce automobile speeds and increase safety for street users. • The financial implications are approximately $30,000 which will be taken from the Transportation Services Traffic Calming capital account. Additional operational expenses are not anticipated from the recommended measures. • Community engagement included notification letters and surveys via mailouts, and a virtual Public Information Centre (PIC) held in February 2024. It also included an EngageWR project page to provide more information and project updates, and a single point of contact for residents. *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. • This report supports the delivery of the Strategic Plan action item "Building a Connected City Together" through implementing a "Localized Transportation Safety Improvement Program". BACKGROUND: Traffic volume and speeding are safety related issues frequently raised by residents of affected neighbourhoods in the City of Kitchener. In response to these issues Council reviewed, updated, and subsequently adopted the City's Traffic Calming Policy in 2014 and established an annual budget to address traffic management issues in residential neighbourhoods. The traffic calming policy outlines several evaluation criteria that provide a fair and consistent review of streets and communities, while defining and prioritizing the streets most in need of traffic calming from a traffic safety perspective. In October 2023, Council received report DSD -2023-287 - "Traffic Calming 2023 Initiation Approval", in which staff recommended that a traffic calming review be initiated for Dumfries Ave. Council approved the initiation of the traffic calming review for Dumfries Ave. Engagement with residents took place between November 2023 and April 2024. Engagement included mail outs, an EngageWR project page, resident surveys and a virtual Public Information Centre (PIC) that took place in February 2024. The PIC was centered around presenting the proposed traffic calming plan to residents and gathering their feedback. The final resident survey to indicate support for, or against, the proposed traffic calming plan was circulated in March 2024. Staff is presenting this report to Committee and Council for approval to construct traffic calming measures by Q4 2024. REPORT: Initiation In November 2023 Transportation Services conducted a resident survey for the initiation of a traffic calming review for Dumfries Ave. The initiation survey results are summarized in the table below: Initiation Survey Results — Dumfries Ave Total Study Area Number Percent In favor of initiating the traffic calming review 41 89.1 % Opposed to initiating the traffic calming review 5 10.9% Total responses received from 86 addresses surveyed 46 53.5% This survey response rate for addresses that are directly affected by the Dumfries Ave traffic calming review was 53.5%, which met the minimum required participation threshold (25%) for responses. This survey showed that 89.1% (41 of 46 responses) of directly affected addresses who answered the survey supported the initiation of the traffic calming review. Staff also incorporated resident feedback collected in this survey when designing the preferred traffic calming plan which was presented to the neighbourhood in February 2024. Review Process The Public Information Centre (PIC) was held in February 2024 over the Zoom platform. The intent of this PIC was to discuss the traffic calming review process, review resident feedback from the initiation survey and present a preferred traffic calming plan design to receive resident feedback. Staff also answered both written and audio questions from residents in attendance and noted resident feedback. The preliminary preferred design included five (5) speed humps. Staff reviewed resident feedback received afterthe Public Information Centre (PIC) and determined that no changes to the concept plan were required and finalized the preferred plan. Affected agencies were also notified throughout the review and asked to provide feedback on the preferred traffic calming plan. Kitchener Fire did not express concerns regarding the preferred traffic calming plan. Grand River Transit did not express concerns as Dumfries Ave is not a bus route. Final Survey On March 08, 2024, Transportation Services staff delivered a final survey notification letter to all directly affected addresses impacted by the review. The intent of the survey was to determine if there is sufficient support for the implementation of the preferred traffic calming plan. As per the City of Kitchener Traffic Calming policy, a minimum of 50% of directly affected addresses must respond to the survey and 60% of the respondents must support the recommended plan for staff to recommend installation of the proposed measures. The results of the final survey are as follows: Final Survey Results — Dumfries Ave Total Study Area Number Percent In favor of implementing the proposed traffic calming measures 22 73% Opposed to implementing the proposed traffic calming measures 8 27% Total responses received from 86 addresses surveyed 30 35% The final survey response rate of directly affected addresses was 35% which did not meet the minimum required participation threshold (50%) for responses; however, the final survey showed that 73% of directly affected respondents support the implementation of the traffic calming measures. Based on the rate of support, Transportation Services staff recommend installation of the proposed traffic calming plan. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT: This report supports People -friendly Transportation. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Capital Budget — The total estimated cost for implementing the traffic calming plan is approximately $30,000. The funds will be taken from the Transportation Services Traffic Calming capital budget account. Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the annual Operating Budget. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM — Directly affected addressed and the neighbourhood of the Dumfries Ave traffic calming review have received information regarding this review since October 2023. Notification of the Public Information Centre (PIC) was provided through mail out and via the EngageWR project page, and project boards installed on Dumfries Ave. Presentation materials were made available the EngageWR project page after the conclusion of the PIC. CONSULT — The Dumfries Ave traffic calming review began with an initiation survey in November 2023. A virtual PIC was held over the Zoom platform in February 2024 to answer resident questions and concerns about the traffic calming review process and the preferred traffic calming plan. Transportation Services staff mailed a final survey notification letter to all directly affected addresses to measure support for the preferred plan via a survey on the EngageWR project page. Residents were notified that hard copy surveys were available to those who preferred mail and paper format. PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES: DSD -2023-287 — Traffic Calming 2023 Initiation Approval APPROVED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services Department ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A — Dumfries Ave — Proposed Traffic Calming Plan Attachment A: Dumfries Avenue — Proposed Traffic Calming Plan Dumfries Avenue- Edna St to Stirling Ave N #4: Speed N IT #1: Speed Hum #S: Speed #�3: Speed Hum Hum 1. A Speed Hump located between Edna St and Chapel St 2. A Speed Hump located between Chapel St and Krug St (approximately 35 m from Chapel St) 3. A Speed Hump located between Chapel St and Krug St (approximately 125 m from Krug St) 4. A Speed Hump located between Krug St and Stirling Ave N (approximately 150 m from Krug St) 5. A Speed Hump located between Krug St and Stirling Ave N (approximately 150m from Stirling Ave)