Report to/Rapport au:
Transportation and Transit Committee/
Comité des transporttransports
et des services de transport en commun
and Council/et au Conseil
16 JulyXXXXXX
July 2003/XXX le
16 juillet 2003XXX juillet
Submitted by/Soumis
par: R.T. Leclair, General
Manager/Directrice générale
Contact/Personne-ressource: Michael J. Flainek, P. Eng.,
Director/Directeur
Traffic and Parking
Operations Branch/Circulation et Stationnement
|
Ref N°: ACS2003-TUP-TRF-0021 |
SUBJECT: Holland
Avenue Reconstruction: Tyndall Street to Carling Avenue – PROPOSED
ROADWAY MODIFICATIONS
OBJET: reconstruction de l'avenue holland: de la rue
tyndall à l’avenue carling – modifications proposées à la chaussée
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Transportation and Transit Committee recommend Council approve the proposed roadway modifications to Holland Avenue, between Tyndall Street and Carling Avenue as shown in Annexes 2A and 2B.
Holland Avenue is a major collector roadway
that operates as a two-lane road with full-time parking on each side. As part of the 2003 Integrated Road and
Sewer Program, Holland Avenue between Tyndall Street and Carling Avenue is scheduled
for full reconstruction over the next two years. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider modifications or
adjustments to the road to meet current standards, implement measures
identified in the programs included in the Transportation Master Plan, and to
address any other operational issues.
Holland
Avenue is identified as a transit priority corridor connecting Fisher Avenue
and Carling Avenue with the Tunney’s Pasture Transitway Station. This corridor is part of the transit
priority network that was defined in the 1997 Transportation Master Plan (TMP)
and is reconfirmed in the 2003 Draft TMP (Map 4). The Transit Priority Program focuses on the improvement of
transit travel times and reliability on the transit priority network.
Holland Avenue, from Tyndall Street to Carling
Avenue, is within the boundaries of the 1997 Parkdale Area Transportation
Study, a joint RMOC/City of Ottawa study. Specific recommendations included:
“Implement intersection narrowings at Sherwood
Drive, Kenilworth Street, Ruskin Street, and Inglewood Place to delineate
parking on Holland Avenue. This would
calm the traffic along Holland where speeding problems were noted. In addition,
it would create a shorter pedestrian crossing distance for those wishing to
cross Holland Avenue. The narrowings
would extend about three-quarters of the way across the curb lane thus allowing
space for cyclists.”
Regional Council rejected this recommendation
in February 1998 because of the Transit Priority Route designation in the Official
Plan. It was felt at the time that
intersection narrowings and transit priority were not compatible as the intent
was to have the buses travel in the parking lane during peak periods.
Since that time, the community association has asked the former Region and new City to consider other ways of achieving the goals of improving pedestrian safety and reducing traffic speeds.
Holland Avenue is a 13.5 metre wide,
two-lane road with parking permitted on both sides. Cyclists share the travel
lanes with other motor vehicles including buses. There are 1.65 metre sidewalks on both sides of the road to
accommodate pedestrians. The section
between Tyndall Street and Carling Avenue is primarily residential, with a
public school located near the Highway 417 overpass, and some medical-related
commercial sites near Carling Avenue.
The surrounding area is shown in Annex 1.
There are currently between 1,000 and 1,500
motor vehicles per peak hour, and between 30 and 70 bicycles per peak hour using
this section of Holland Avenue. Buses
on routes 55, 57, 86, and 176 pick up and drop off passengers at a number of
stops along this section of Holland Avenue. The total two-way bus volumes are
25 buses in the morning peak hour, and 22 buses in the afternoon peak hour. During the peak hours, transit modal share is between 35 %
and 40 % in the peak direction.
A sample of the operational issues
that were raised in the 1997 Parkdale Area Transportation Study and in comments
received in the intervening years include:
·
When
there are few or no vehicles parked on Holland Avenue, the parking lanes get
used by impatient drivers who pass slower vehicles on the right. These drivers are often exceeding the speed
limit;
·
Pedestrians
feel unsafe when walking along Holland Avenue because the sidewalk is narrow,
with no buffer between the sidewalk and the vehicles, particularly with
vehicles passing on the right as noted above;
·
As
traffic increases, buses will become more and more subject to the
unpredictability of mixed traffic flow. This will lead to uncertainty in bus
travel times, therefore requiring additional vehicles to provide the same level
of service;
·
Speeding
traffic, particularly in the off-peak; and,
·
Pedestrian
crossing is seen as difficult or dangerous, particularly for school
children.
DISCUSSION
Given that the road is to undergo a full
reconstruction starting in 2003, an opportunity exists to review the community
needs, pedestrian, cycling
and the transit priority needs as well as accommodating the needs of car and
truck traffic. A plan has been
developed that accommodates all of these needs. It includes a number of
benefits:
·
Shorter
pedestrian crossing distances for those wishing to cross Holland Avenue are
provided through intersection narrowings;
·
Wider
sidewalks are to be provided;
·
Cyclists
are provided for in a wider travel lane;
·
Transit
priority is ensured on the existing traveled lanes by signal modifications that
allow the buses to jump ahead of traffic at key locations. The transit priority measures along Holland
Avenue will focus on traffic management, signal priority measures, and bus stop
design rather than on the provision of exclusive bus lanes running the length
of Holland Avenue; and,
·
Intersection
narrowings will protect parking and will remove the opportunity to pass on the
right. The protected parking will also
provide for a separation of the travel lanes from the sidewalk.
These benefits are achieved through special
transit signals, and through
a number of intersection narrowings, and through changes in the parking regulations
as shown conceptually on
Annexes 2A and 2B. Intersection narrowings at Sherwood Drive, Kenilworth
Street, Ruskin Street, and Inglewood Place will: encourage motorists to drive
in an appropriate manner given the surrounding local environment; provide a
shortened pedestrian crossing distance; will prevent vehicles from passing on
the right; and, will provide bus stop locations following the principles of
transit priority.
Holland Avenue has a width that makes it
impossible to use current roadway design standards for all elements of the
roadway. A design that incorporated the best
balance of reduced widths was developed so that trees would not have to be
removed. The following table highlights the
desired width and the proposed width for each element:
Roadway Element |
Desired Width
|
Proposed Width
|
Sidewalk |
2.0m |
1.8m |
Parking
Lane |
2.8 |
2.5m |
Shared
Bicycle/Motor Vehicle Lane |
4.3 to 4.8m |
4.25m |
The
constricted width of Holland Avenue will require that sidewalks be built
without boulevards. They will be designed and built according to the City of
Ottawa standardHarmonized Sidewalk Technical Design Guideline (as
approved by City Council on 22 May 2002) for sidewalks built without
boulevards. This will which reduce the “roller-coaster” effect by providing
2.4m transition slopes at driveways (i.e. the sidewalk will slope gently down
to the driveways), and providing cross-falls that remain fairly constant along
the length of the sidewalk (i.e. varying between 2% and 2.8%).
The
transit priority measures planned for Holland Avenue will ensure that the
effects of vehicular congestion and signal delay on transit are minimized. This is important because every missed green
at major intersections is an approximate two-minute delay for all passengers on
board and all waiting passengers downstream plus the additional delay due to
missed transfers.
Most of the transit priority measures planned
for this section of the corridor will be implemented during this
reconstruction; however, a bus queue jump for northbound buses traveling along
Fisher Avenue/Holland Avenue at the approach to Carling Avenue will be
implemented as a separate project.
Without this queue jump, the Holland Avenue transit priority scheme is
not complete. The suggested transit priority
measures along Holland Avenue represent a relatively new approach to
implementing these measures because they will be done:
·
proactivelyProactively, before major interruptions to
transit service start to occur due to future traffic increase;
·
inIn conjunction with another municipal project
(sewer) to minimize costs and disruption; and,
·
inIn conjunction with other non-car related
improvements to achieve community objectives while contributing to the long termlong-term transportation
objective.
In
terms of vehicular level of service, defined as the volume to capacity (V/C)
ratio, there will not be any significant change because the V/C ratio of
critical intersections will not change.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The modifications will improve the efficiency of
transit service on Holland AvenueThe Official Plan notes in Section 2.4 that maintaining the
environmental integrity of the City is critical. The support of walking, cycling and transit has a pivotal role in
reducing the city’s
energy consumption, improving air quality, and minimizing the overall demand for land and other resources.
The modifications proposed
for Holland Avenue will:
·
Improve the pedestrian environment by creating wider sidewalks
and by better buffering them from motor vehicles;
·
Improve the cycling facilities by
providing a shared
travel lane; and,
·
Improve the efficiency of transit service
on Holland Avenue
with transit priority measures..*****
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
N/A
The process that generated the 1997
Parkdale Area Transportation Study included extensive public participation
including a Steering Committee (which included members of the public), two
rounds of Focus Group meetings and three Public Open Houses.
More
recently, there was a meeting with about 20 community representatives from
three area community associations on 10 April 2003 where attendees reviewed and
made comments on the plan. There was
general support for the overall concept at this meeting. As well, approximately eighty people
attended a Public Open House on 8 May 2003, where the proposed modifications
were presented. Many members of the
public were in favour of the plan, however, some felt that the narrowings would
delay traffic at intersections when vehicles were turning onto and off of
Holland Avenue. Specific comments and
staff responses can be found in Annex 3:
Summary of Public Comments.
This project conforms with Section
2.4.3 – Transit Priority – of the 1997 Transportation Master Plan. The specific section of Holland Avenue
undergoing reconstruction is shown on the Transit Priority Network as detailed
in Transportation Master Plan - Map 2.
This is reconfirmed in the 2003 Draft Transportation Master Plan – Map
4.
Section 2.5.6 – Design Guidelines – of the 1997 Transportation Master Plan discusses the benefits of traffic calming (or similar) measures as possible solutions to operational or safety problems stemming from excessive automobile speeds or poor driver behaviour. The implementation of a series of intersection narrowings as a traffic management measure is a benefit in this regard. The 2003 Draft Transportation Master Plan reinforces the use of traffic management measures such as intersection narrowings to preserve neighbourhood liveability.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funding for the
Holland Avenue Integrated Road, Sewer and Watermain Reconstruction Project,
estimated at $2,680,000, is available in City of Ottawa Account 901285. Construction is scheduled to commence in
2003 and will be completed in 2004.
Funding to modify the traffic control signals to accommodate the transit
priority signals, estimated at $85,000, is available in City of Ottawa Account
902134 – Arterial Transit Priority.
Internal
Order #902134 – Arterial Transit Priority
Budget
Authority $1,980,000
Actual/Committed
to Date $ 108,804
Balance
Available $1,871,196
This
Request $ 85,000
Remaining $1,786,196
ATTACHMENTS
Annex 1 Key Plan
Annex 2A Proposed
Roadway Modifications – Carling Avenue to Kenilworth Avenue
Annex 2B Proposed
Roadway Modifications – Kenilworth Avenue to Tyndall Street
The parking bylaw
will be modified through
delegated authority to
remove permitted parking in the afternoon peak period (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)hour on the west
side of Holland Avenue between Inglewood Place and Carling Avenue.
Annex 1
Key Plan
ANNEX 2A
ROADWAY MODIFICATIONS - CARLING AVENUE TO KENILWORTH
AVENUE
ANNEX 2B
Roadway Modifications –
Kenilworth Avenue to Tyndall Street
Roadway Modifications – Kenilworth Avenue to
Tyndall Street
ANNEX 3
SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS
The
City held a Public Open House on 8 May 2003 to present and discuss the proposed
changes to Holland Avenue. Of the
approximately eighty people that attended, thirty-seven completed comment
sheets. Many were in favour of the
plan, however, some felt that the narrowings would delay traffic at
intersections, when vehicles were turning onto and off of Holland Avenue. Specific comments and the action taken for
resolution, if
necessary, are:
·
Comments
in favour of the intersection narrowings (12 comments total):
o
Narrowings
will shorten distance for pedestrians crossing
o
They
will create a physical barrier to the “parking lane” being used as a driving
lane especially in evenings when only a few cars are parked on Holland Avenue.
Currently drivers consider Holland Avenue to be 4 lanes and therefore speeding
cars are a problem.
o Traffic speeds will be reduced by
the narrowings.
·
Comments
in opposition to the intersection narrowings (13 comments total):
o
Narrowings
are hazardous for cyclists that currently use “parking lane.” Staff Comment: Cyclists are
provided for in the shared cycle/vehicle lane.
o
They
create obstacles for snow ploughs so residents expect big piles of snow in the
winter blocking driveways. Staff Comment: The narrowings are designed to
facilitate winter ploughing.
o
Signs
placed on the narrowings create hazard for cyclists and pedestrians and clutter
the right-of-way. Staff Comment: This signage will be installed according to
standard practices that account for cyclists and pedestrians. Regarding
clutter, signage will be kept to the minimum requirements to ensure roadway
user safety.
o
Nearside
narrowings prevent vehicles behind a left-turning vehicle from overtaking on
inside, leading to idling engines and frustrated drivers. Staff Comment:
Near side narrowings are to be implemented only at intersections where opposing
through/left-turning traffic volumes are sufficiently low as to not
significantly reduce roadway capacity.
o Buses stopping at the elongated
narrowings will slow traffic and lead to either frustrated drivers or hazardous
overtaking. Staff Comment: The principles of transit priority are to give
transit vehicles preferential treatment over other motorized vehicles..
The other alternative, requiring buses to stops in bus bays formed by parked
cars, is clearly a benefit to cars at the expense of transit.
o
General
slowing of traffic due to buses and left turning vehicles will encourage some
drivers to use adjacent streets (especially north on Huron Avenue). Staff
Comment: Due to the relatively short
wait- time of buses at bus stops (2-3 passengers per stop), there will be
little incentive to divert to other streets.
There are 2 stops at platforms in each direction and all have low passenger
activity. The average delay for a
vehicle that happens to be behind a bus will be less than 30-45 seconds total
for both stops.
o
They
contribute to increased greenhouse gas production due to inefficient use of
vehicles (idling engines, longer travel times). Staff Comment: As noted above, the average delay for a vehicle, that which happens to be
behind a bus, will
be less than 30-45 seconds total for both stops. The negative effects
of the delay to a few cars is outweighed by the positive benefits of
encouraging transit use. . In addition, the other alternative of, providing bus
stops in bus baysys,
would create delays of 5 to 15 seconds to each bus as they merge into traffic.
o
They
are perceived to be the same as measures on Parkdale Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue
that have not been well received and currently under review with a view to
remove. Staff Comment: A review of the measures on Parkdale Avenue and
Kirkwood Avenue has shown that the measures are effective.
o
The
travel lanes are too narrow at the intersection narrowings to allow for
cyclists to share the lanes comfortably with other vehicles. Staff Comment:
The intersection narrowings have been reduced from 2.5m in width to 2.25m
thereby allowing for an additional 0.25m on the shared bicycle/motor vehicle
lane near the narrowings.
·
Comments
on Transit Priority:
o
Allowing
buses to take priority is generally a good idea.
o
Cyclists
traveling south to Carling Avenue will not know exactly where to position
themselves relative to the curb. Staff Comment: Cyclists will ride in the
shared cycle/motor vehicle lane. Visual queues for purpose of cues for bicycle
position within the roadway
will be taken from the intersection narrowings and/or if necessary, parked cars.
o
Southbound
cars wishing to turn right on Carling will want to use the transit priority
lane south of Inglewood. Staff Comment: It is intended that this lane
function as a right-turn-only lane for cars and as a through/right-turn lane
for transit vehicles.
·
Comments
on Widened Sidewalks:
o
The
wider sidewalks will be safer for pedestrians
o
The
sidewalks do not need to be widened, as there are so few pedestrians. Staff
Comment: Improved sidewalks will improve the walking environment for those who
use the sidewalks, and may encourage others to walk. They will be designed and
built according to the City’s Harmonized Sidewalk Technical Design Guideline as
approved by City Council on 22 May 2002.
·
Comments on Cconstruction:
o
Can we lift parking restrictions on adjacent streets to offset the loss of
parking on Holland Avenue? Staff Comment: The potential temporary loss of
parking will be reviewed when developing the construction staging plan.
o
Is
there anything that can be done to prevent adjacent streets (e.g. Harmer
Avenue) being used during the construction period? Staff Comment: The potential diversion of traffic during
construction will be reviewed when developing the construction staging plan.
Efforts will be made to ensure that lanes on Holland Avenue remain open during
construction.