HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-07-045 - Accelerated Traffic Calming ProgramREPORT
Report To: Chair C. Weylie and Members of the Development and
Technical Services Committee
Date of Meeting: 2007 April 2
Submitted By: John McBride, Director Transportation Planning
Prepared By: John McBride X741-2374}
Ward(s~ Involved: All
Date of Report: 2007 March 16
Report No.: DTS 07-045
Subject: ACCELERATED TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION:
That an accelerated traffic calming program not be pursued at this time.
BACKGROUND:
The Development and Technical Services DTS} Committee, at their meeting on January 29,
2007, directed staff to prepare a report for the Feb 12, 2007 DTS meeting to determine what
would be required to complete more traffic calming reviews each year.
There are currently approximately 60 streets where traffic calming reviews have been
requested or identified by the public, Council or staff. Of these, about 30 are felt to be
reasonable for review at this time and the others will be monitored for changes to volumes,
speeds or collisions that might change their ranking within the priority list.
Given existing staff resources, we can complete approximately 4 reviews per year, which
would equate to an 8 year time frame to address the existing 30 outstanding locations. There
is currently $100,000 included in the Capital Budget on an annual basis for the
implementation of traffic calming measures.
Three potential options were identified to address the backlog, including:
1. Contract out the manual and automatic traffic counting program at a cost of $70,000.
This would allow for the completion of 1 or 2 additional traffic calming reviews each
year by existing staff. There would also be the cost of $30,000 to $60,000 per year to
implement the measures of additional reviews.
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2. Contract out the traffic calming reviews to consultants at a cost of $60,000 per year.
This would allow for the completion of 4 additional traffic calming reviews. Manual and
automatic counting programs would still have to be contracted out at a cost of $70,000
per year. There would also be the cost of $100,000 per year to implement the
measures of additional reviews.
3. Hire a staff person on a three (3) year contract at a cost of $80,000. This would allow
for the completion of 6-8 additional traffic calming reviews each year. There would
also be the cost of $150,000 to $200,000 per year to implement the measures of
additional reviews.
It was Staffs' position, that should Council wish to increase the number of traffic calming
reviews to be completed each year, that the most cost effective and productive approach
would be to hire a temporary three ~3} year contract position.
DTS Committee directed that the additional spending on staff and the resulting additional
capital costs be reviewed with the Corporate Management Team and that this issue be
referred to the budget process.
REPORT:
The accelerated traffic calming program was presented to the Corporate Management Team
on March 13/07. While there was general agreement and acknowledgement of the benefits
that traffic calming can bring to a residential neighbourhood, there were concerns about the
timing and financial impact of accelerating the program at this time. Specifically, the issues
are:
While temporary traffic calming measures have been installed, (chicanes on
Greenbrook Dr}, the first permanent measures will not be installed until the summer of
2007. The modified speed hump design, which replaced the chicanes, is expected to
address many of the concerns with vertical deflections, and be acceptable to the
neighbourhood as well as from a technical perspective. It was felt that it would be
prudent to gain experience with the permanent installation of measures before the
program was expanded.
Most of the streets on the current traffic calming priority list have been inexistence for
30 or more years. That's not to say that they wouldn't benefit from traffic calming, but
that there aren't any truly critical issues that couldn't wait a few years to be addressed.
There has been no funding included in either the 2007 operating or capital budget to
accommodate this accelerated program. Either cuts would have to be made to other
programs or a tax rate increase would be required to fund this initiative.
The existing priority rating of potential streets for traffic calming is based on factors
such as volumes, speeds, collisions, through traffic, lack of sidewalks, pedestrian
generators, etc. This allows for the potentially most problematic streets to be
reviewed first and those with less serious problems to wait for resources to complete
the review.
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Compared to many other municipalities in southern Ontario, the City of Kitchener
already has a reasonably aggressive traffic calming program in place that is capable
of completing approximately 4 reviews per year.
CONCLUSION:
Staff are currently completing approximately 4 to 5 traffic calming reviews annually with a
capital budget of $100,000 to implement any measures that are approved by Council. It was
the view of CMT that the existing resources and funding are adequate and that an
accelerated traffic calming program should not be pursued at this time.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Currently 4 to 5 traffic calming reviews are being completed annually using existing staff
resources. Annual capital funding in the amount of $100,000 is in place to implement the
approved measures.
If Council chooses to accelerate the traffic calming program, it is recommended that a 3 year
contract person be hired at an annual cost of $80,000 plus an additional $200,000 be added
on an annual basis for three years to the capital budget for implementation of the approved
measures.
John McBride, Director
Transportation Planning
Dave Mansell, P. Eng
Director of Engineering