HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-07-048 - Kingswood Drive - Traffic CalmingREPORT
Report To: Development & Technical Services Committee
Date of Meeting: May 7, 2007
Submitted By: John McBride, Director of Transportation Planning
Prepared By: Dennis Lopes, Traffic Technologist (741-2369)
Wards} Involved: Fairview -Gateway Ward (3)
Date of Report: April 20, 2007
Report No.: DTS 07-048
Subject: KINGSWOOD DRIVE -TRAFFIC CALMING
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That a raised pedestrian crosswalk with curb extensions be installed on Kingswood
Drive at Gracefield Crescent (east intersection}, and further;
That a raised pedestrian crosswalk with curb extensions be installed on Kingswood
Drive at Lucerne Drive, and further;
That a series of six (6} speed humps be strategically installed on Kingswood Drive from
Block Line Road to Strasburg Road, and further;
That an all-way stop control be installed at the intersection of Kingswood Drive and
Alpine Road, and further;
That a resident survey on the effectiveness of the speed humps be conducted 6 months
after their installation and a report be prepared for Council outlining the neighbourhood's
support for these new measures.
BACKGROUND:
Traffic volumes and speeding are significant safety related issues frequently raised by residents
of affected neighbourhoods in the City of Kitchener. In response to these issues, Kitchener City
Council adopted a Traffic Calming Policy in 2004 and established an annual budget to address
traffic management issues in residential neighbourhoods. In April 2005, a traffic calming study
was initiated on Kingswood Drive with the intent to reduce vehicle speeds, deter non residential
traffic from the area and reduce the incidence of collisions, thereby increasing safety for all
users within the right of way. Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd. was retained to conduct a
Class "B" Environmental Assessment for Kingswood Drive, as it was identified as one of three
streets with the highest priority on the traffic calming priority list. The priorities are defined by a
number of factors which include, but are not limited to volume, collisions and speed.
Kingswood Drive is considerably affected by its location near a significant commercial/industrial
area and the use of the Alpine Road/Kingswood Drive connection as an alternative to arterials
such as Homer Watson Boulevard and Strasburg Road to/from Ottawa Street and Block Line
Road. Over the years, Transportation Planning has received concerns from residents of
Kingswood Drive regarding the volume and speed of traffic on the street.
The study area of Kingswood Drive is bordered by Homer Watson Boulevard to the north, Block
Line Road to the east, Strasburg Road to the south and Ottawa Street to the west. The land use
is primarily single family residential with medium density townhouses and apartments located to
the north of Kingswood Drive.
As outlined in the City of Kitchener Municipal Plan, Kingswood Drive is designated as a minor
collector roadway. The function of Kingswood Drive is to collect and distribute traffic between
local streets and other collector roads and is not generally intended to carry through traffic
between neighbourhoods. The posted speed limit is 40 km/h, as outlined within the City of
Kitchener Uniform Traffic Control By-law 2000-159.
REPORT:
Public meetings were held on May 17, 2005 to introduce the project and traffic calming options
and on July 26, 2005 to present the preferred alternative. The resulting approved traffic calming
plan for Kingswood Drive originally included the following measures:
Two centre-island chicanes, one between Alpine Road & Gracefield Crescent and one at
the Hydro corridor.
Two offset chicanes, one near Appalachian Crescent and one near Roberts Crescent.
All-way Stop at the intersection of Kingswood Drive and Alpine Road
After confirming the preferred alternative with the residents of Kingswood Drive and receiving
Council approval ~DTS-05-193} in November 2005, the proposed measures were appealed to
the Ministry of Environment (MOE} for further review, as legislated in the Environmental
Assessment Act. This review by the MOE has not yet been completed. However, recent
legislation has been passed, amending the EA Act, thereby eliminating the requirement for an
Environment Assessment to be completed for proposed traffic calming measures. As a result,
the City of Kitchener can now proceed with the traffic calming measures for Kingswood Drive.
City's Experience with Chicanes (Temporary Traffic Calming Measures on Greenbrook
Drive):
Chicanes, similar in design to those recommended for Kingswood Drive, were installed on
Greenbrook Drive on a temporary basis in spring 2006. This provided an opportunity to review
the measures as they are a new concept within the City of Kitchener. The installation of
temporary measures also allowed for any outstanding concerns that arose from the installation
of these measures to be addressed.
These chicanes had the following impact on vehicle speeds and volumes:
Speeds reduced in area of traffic calming measures by 8 to 10 km/h.
Speeds returned to previous levels between measures.
Volume on Greenbrook Drive and adjacent roadways reduced by 9-17%
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However, the vast majority of residents of Greenbrook Drive and those from the greater
community did not support their permanent installation. As a result, the chicanes have been
removed from Greenbrook Drive.
As an alternative to chicanes and to satisfy concerns of Grand River Transit and Emergency
Services, several speed hump designs were tested by the City of Kitchener in conjunction with
GRT, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Services and Operations, to develop a design that can
be used on major collector roadways and transit routes as an alternative to sinusoidal humps,
and other alternative designs that have been employed within the City of Kitchener.
Council approved the installation of modified speed humps on Greenbrook Drive.
New Preferred Alternative for Traffic Calming Measures on Kingswood Drive:
Based on our experience with Greenbrook Drive, the Kingswood Drive Study Team developed
and evaluated a new option of speed humps and a raised pedestrian crosswalk with curb
extensions to address the primary issues. Using specific evaluation criteria, we rated this new
option on a scale of "0" (worst) to "5" best) and compared it to the previous evaluation. The new
traffic calming plan for Kingswood Drive includes the following measures:
Six Speed Humps evenly spaced on Kingswood Drive
Raised Crosswalk & Curb Extension at the easterly leg of Gracefield Crescent
Raised Crosswalk & Curb Extension at Lucerne Drive
All-way Stop at the intersection of Kingswood Drive and Alpine Road
These measures, while intended to reduce vehicle speeds and through traffic on Kingswood
Drive, thereby increasing traffic and pedestrian safety, are not intended to negatively affect
general traffic patterns in the surrounding community.
Speed Humps
Spacing of the measures is critical to reducing overall speeds along the entire roadway.
Typically, measures that are spaced approximately 125-150 metres apart will reduce speeds
along the roadway in its entirety. The installation of these speed humps should slow traffic to
appropriate speeds while addressing safety concerns. Additionally, the easterly intersection of
Kingswood Drive at Gracefield Crescent and Kingswood Drive at Lucerne Drive will have a
raised crosswalk and curb extensions, as it reduces the overall crossing distance for
pedestrians crossing the roadway. These two raised crosswalk locations were identified through
this review and are intended to address significant volumes of school children crossing at the
two locations, both controlled during school times by student safety patrols.
It should be noted that these measures will be reviewed in six (6} months to measure the
effectiveness that they have had on calming traffic. Additionally, at that time, a survey of the
Kingswood Drive residents will again be conducted to assess support of the new measures.
A public meeting with the area residents of Kingswood Drive was held on March 6, 2007 to
provide information to the residents regarding the Kingswood Drive Traffic Calming program.
City officials reviewed the outline and rationale for the development of the new traffic calming
plan and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this plan. The vast majority of
residents in attendance and comments received were in favor of the new preferred alternative
for traffic calming on Kingswood Drive.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The approximate cost for the installation of this series of modified speed humps and the raised
crosswalk and curb extensions is as follows:
CONSTRUCTION COST
Item Unit Cost
(approx.)
Quantit
Total
Raised Crosswalk & Curb
Extension
$ 15,000.00
2
$ 30,000.00
S eed hum $ 2,500.00 6 $ 15,000.00
Total $45,000.00
The traffic calming measures will be funded from the existing Traffic Calming budget.
COMMUNICATIONS:
This project has had extensive public involvement and communication. It has included three
public information centres, newspaper notices, a comment form and a survey, as well as the
use of web-based communication through the City's website.
CONCLUSIONS:
The new recommend plan, which includes the installation of an all-way stop at the intersection
of Alpine Road and Kingswood Drive, the implementation of six (6) speed humps located
strategically along Kingswood Drive and the implementation of two (2) raised pedestrian
crosswalks with curb extensions provides the best technical solutions to address the concerns
residents of Kingswood Drive have expressed over the years. Therefore, Transportation
Planning supports the installation of the recommended plan on Kingswood Drive.
John McBride, Director
Transportation Planning
Dennis Lopes, Traffic Technologist
Transportation Planning
DL
Attach.
Ken Carmichael, C.E.T.
Supervisor of Traffic & Parking
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