2. MICHELE HEIGHTS AREA TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STUDY

Étude de gestion de la circulation dans le secteur de michele heights

Committee Recommendations as amended

That Council approve:

1. That traffic calming measures (i.e., 2 speed humps) be installed on Penny Drive in the vicinity of the Michele Heights Community House, within the budget envelope established by the Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study; and,

2. That the implementation of these measures be subject to funding approval as part of future Capital Budget considerations and prioritization against other approved area traffic management measures, in accordance with the process set out in the Area Traffic Management Guidelines.

Recommandations modifiées du comité

Que le Conseil approuve :

1. que des dispositifs de ralentissement de la circulation (2 dos d’âne) soient mis en place sur Penny Drive près du centre d’activités communautaire Michele Heights, en respectant l’enveloppe budgétaire établie dans l’étude de gestion de la circulation du secteur Michele Heights;

2. que la mise en œuvre desdites mesures soit soumise à l’approbation du financement dans le cadre de l’examen à venir du budget d’immobilisations et de l’établissement des priorités par rapport à d’autres mesures de gestion de la circulation locale, conformément au processus établi dans les Lignes directrices relativement à la gestion de la circulation locale.

Documentation

1. Deputy City Manager's report (Public Works and Services) dated 25 July 2008 (ACS2008-PWS-TRF-0024).

2. Extract of Draft Minute, 20 August 2008.

Report to/Rapport au :

Transportation Committee

Comité des transports

and Council / et au conseil

25 July 2008/le 25 juillet 2008

Submitted by/Soumis par : R.G. Hewitt,

Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint

Public Works and Services/Services et Travaux publics

Contact Person/Personne ressource : Michael J. Flainek, M.Eng., P.Eng,

Director / Directeur, Traffic and Parking Operations/Directeur, Circulation et Stationnement

613-580-2424, ext./poste 26882, Michael.Flainek@ottawa.ca

Ward 7 - Bay

Ref N°: ACS2008-PWS-TRF-0024

SUBJECT:	MICHELE HEIGHTS AREA TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT STUDY

OBJET :	Étude de gestion de la circulation dans le secteur de michele heights

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

That Transportation Committee recommend that Council approve:

1. The recommendations of the Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study, of intersection narrowings along the south side of Michele Drive at Penny Drive; and,

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil d’approuver :

1. les recommandations présentées dans l’Étude sur la gestion de circulation dans le secteur de Michele Heights, nommément le rétrécissement de l’intersection des promenades Michele et Penny, du côté sud de la promenade Michele; et,

BACKGROUND

The Michele Heights Community made a verbal presentation to Transportation Committee on 4 May 2005, requesting the installation of speed humps on Penny Drive and Michele Drive (see Document 2). Following this presentation, Transportation Committee approved the following directions to staff:

1. That staff be directed to add the Michele Heights Traffic Calming (i.e. speed bumps) to the Area Traffic Management Workplan;

2. That a three-way stop sign be installed at Michele Heights and Penny Drive; and,

3. That staff be directed to provide for the 2006 Budget process a Capital Budget proposal to improve the 25-year waiting list for outstanding Area Traffic Management projects within 5 years.

This report deals specifically with Direction 1, as noted above (Directions 2 and 3 have been dealt with previously).

As a result of Direction 1, staff have undertaken a Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study following the process suggested in the Study Stage section of the Area Traffic Management Guidelines, as approved by Council on 10 November 2004. The recommendations of this Study include intersection narrowings along Michele Drive at Penny Drive, but did not include the speed humps as initially requested by the Michele Heights Community, as speed surveys have determined that minimum thresholds for addressing traffic speeds (as per the Area Traffic Management Guidelines) had not been achieved.

The approval of the Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study recommendations initially proceeded under the Delegated Authority Process, however, the Ward Councillor has indicated that he does not concur with the recommendations being proposed and therefore wishes to see this matter dealt with at Transportation Committee.

DISCUSSION

The Michele Heights Community is located southwest of the Pinecrest Road and Carling Avenue intersection, within the Bay Ward. The study area consisted of Michele Drive, Penny Drive, and Roseview Avenue, with the majority of community concerns being focused on Michele Drive and Penny Drive (see also Document 1).

Details of the Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study and the resulting recommendations are provided in Roadway Modification Approval Under Delegated Authority Report that was initially prepared, which is attached as Document 3. The recommendations of the Study included two intersection narrowings along the south side of Michele Drive at Penny Drive (see Document 4). These were primarily recommended to reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians crossing Michele Drive at this All-way Stop controlled intersection, to access the Community Centre on the north side of the intersection. In addition, school-aged pedestrians would also be afforded a larger off-road waiting area for waiting for school bus pick-up and drop-off, near the intersection.

The Ward Councillor provided the following comments when questioned regarding concurrence of proceeding with approval under the Delegated Authority of the Director of the Traffic and Parking Operations Branch:

“While I support improving the operation of the 3-way stop at Penny Drive and Michele Drive through road modifications as proposed by staff, the higher priority issue that needs to be addressed is the problem of speeding and the threat to pedestrian safety, particularly in the vicinity of the Michele Heights Community House on Penny Drive (near where Penny Drive curves). Residents in the Michele Heights community have made clear that the extent of speeding on Penny Drive (particularly late afternoon and early evening) threatens the safety of residents crossing Penny Drive to visit friends and neighbours or attend programs at the Community House (ESL, home-work clubs, etc.), and so for them this is their priority issue to address. I support their position and understand that the funds for the proposed road modifications at Penny Drive and Michele Drive are sufficient to provide a speed hump on Penny Drive in the vicinity of the Community House. Therefore this matter (the Area Traffic Management Study for Michele Heights) should be dealt with at Transportation Committee.”

In response to the concerns expressed over speeding on Penny Drive and the corresponding request for speed humps, staff undertook two speed surveys along Penny Drive. The surveys were performed in May 2004 and October 2007. The results indicated an average speed of 34 km/h and an 85^th percentile speed of 39 km/h in the higher of the two surveys. The speed limit for Penny Drive is 50 km/h. Based on these results, speed humps were not recommended.

Installing humps along Penny Drive is unlikely to have significant negative implications for this street, and may well produce positive outcomes in reducing the travel speeds and behaviour of the most aggressive motorists using this street. However, average travel speeds and 85^th percentile travel speeds are unlikely to be changed significantly. Recommending speed humps along Penny Drive would not have been in keeping with several of the overall Principles of the Council-approved Area Traffic Management Guidelines, including: Defining and Following a Consistent Process; Confirming Problems Objectively; Using the Right Tools for the Job; and Prioritizing Problems and Solutions. It would also have been inconsistent with the overall intent of the Area Traffic Management study process of identifying and addressing the most serious problems and addressing these efficiently.

Of note, due to recent amendments to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process (approved in 2007), traffic calming measures such as speed humps are now considered as pre-approved undertakings (i.e. Schedule A) in terms of Provincial Environmental Assessment requirements, as opposed to a Schedule B, as previously the case. These speed humps could therefore proceed without the completion of an Environmental Assessment Study.

Should Council support the Michele Heights Community request for speed humps, it is noted that unless otherwise directed by Council, the implementation of these approved humps would still be subject to prioritization against other approved area traffic management measures, and require funding approval as part of future Capital Budget considerations.

TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

The proposed roadway modifications comply with Section 9.6.2 of the Transportation Master Plan.

CONSULTATION

Consultations for this Area Traffic Management study included the following:

· 19 September 2006 - Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting:

Attendance included City staff, the Study consultant, the Michele Heights Community House Coordinator, and approximately 7 members of the Michele Heights Community Association. This was an informal meeting between staff and the community representatives in order to outline the study in general terms. This meeting was arranged between City staff and contacts provided by the Ward Councillor’s office, and took place at the Michele Heights Community House.

· 11 October 2006 – Public Open House (POH) #1:

A series of boards were prepared which conveyed the traffic data that had been gathered to-date. This information included historic traffic volumes, traffic speeds, heavy vehicle volumes, and collision statistics. The meeting was intended to introduce interested residents to the Area Traffic Management study process, and to generate feedback on their concerns related to traffic issues within the Michele Heights study area. This meeting was advertised in the Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, and EMC West (a community newspaper). Public attendance at this meeting was zero, and no comments were received as a result of this meeting.

· 14 January 2008 – Public Open House (POH) #2:

Attendance included approximately 15 area residents and the Ward Councillor. In addition to display boards, the Study consultant delivered a PowerPoint Presentation that included background data, the analysis that had been undertaken, as well as the Study recommendations. Five comment sheets were received at the meeting, and two further comments were received via e-mail following the meeting. Four of the five comment sheets expressed a need for speed humps on Penny Drive between Michele Drive and Roseview Avenue. This was consistent with the verbal comments received during the course of the meeting. This meeting was advertised in the Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, and the EMC West newspapers. In addition, flyers were distributed to each individual household within the Study area.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Funding for Area Traffic Management initiatives is subject to annual budget deliberation as to how much funding is available for Strategic Initiatives and what initiatives are funded in any given year. Currently the estimated list of ATM measures on the waiting list is range of $7.0 M.

The narrowing measures proposed for Michele Heights will be placed on that waiting list. Council’s consideration for implementation will be subject to its ranking against other projects on the list in accordance with the process set out in the Area Traffic Management Guidelines and available funding in a future Capital Budget submission.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Document 1 Location Plan – Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study

Document 2 Excerpt of Transportation Committee Minutes of Verbal Presentation by Michele Heights Community – 4 May 2005

Document 3 Roadway Modification Approval (RMA) Under Delegated Authority Report - Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study

Document 4 Proposed Roadway Modifications

DISPOSITION

The implementation of these approved area traffic management measures will be subject to prioritization against all other approved area traffic management measures, and require funding approval as part of future Capital Budget considerations.

DOCUMENT 1

Location Plan – Michele Heights Area Traffic

Management Study

DOCUMENT 2

EXCERPT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VERBAL PRESENTATION BY MICHELE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY - 4 MAY 2005

PRESENTATION

1. VERBAL PRESENTATION BY THE MICHELE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY REGARDING TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUES IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD - REQUEST FOR SPEED HUMPS

ExposÉ de la communautÉ Michele Heights sur les questions de sécuritÉ routiÈre dans le quartier – Demande de ralentisseurs de type dos d’Âne allongÉ

Appearing before Committee to answer questions on the matter were Public Works and Services staff members Michael Flainek, Director, Traffic and Parking Operations, and Rob Orchin, Manager, Mobility and Area Traffic Management.

Representing the Michele Heights Community were delegations Tammy Corner, Chelsey Wynne, Pam Hepinstall, and Kiffanie Dunne, who appeared before Committee to request that speed humps be installed in their community to control problems with traffic and speeding. The comments and background information related to their request is contained in the Brief that was prepared and distributed with the Agenda for this meeting. A copy of the Brief is held on file with the City Clerk, along with material from the group that was distributed just prior to their presentation.

Catherine Dextras, a resident of the Michele Heights Community reported that it is very dangerous for children to cross the street on Michele, and she described a few of the serious accidents and close calls that have occurred on Michele Drive since she has lived there, including the death of one child.

In answer to questions from Committee members, staff provided the following responses:

· The Traffic and Parking Operations division has received 5 or 6 different requests from the community since 1999, asking staff to examine the occurrence of speeding on Michele and Penny Drives. Staff has undertaken those reviews and has reported their findings to the residents of the area.

· There is currently no review of the area pending in the Area Traffic Management Review program.

· Committee has the authority to direct staff to install a three-way stop sign at the area of Penny and Michele Drives, should they so choose.

· There are two ways that speed humps get installed today:

o Through the Area Traffic Management Guidelines, an analysis of speeds, cut-through traffic, and etcetera would be carried out to determine if speed humps would be the appropriate measure, and, if considered a priority, they would be installed through the use of the capital budget;

o Recommendations that have been inherited from traffic calming and area traffic management studies conducted by former municipalities are still being carried out through the Area Traffic Management Guidelines Review, and staff look for opportunities, such as road reconstructions, in which they can implement some of those recommended measures.

· Approximately 10-15% of the budget for Traffic and Parking Operations is put towards reviewing the adequacy of the various traffic calming devices that have been put in place. Staff has yet to complete that review but do expect to report back to Committee on it within the year.

· Michele Drive is a public street and staff is under the impression that Penny Drive has both a public and a private section, which would affect the decisions on this request, and which staff is currently investigating.

· Staff will perform an on-site investigation and report back on any accidents that have occurred in the area, including in their data the police reports and discussions with residents of the community.

· During the debate on Area Traffic Management Guidelines, it was decided that all area traffic studies will be examined on an equal basis and may not be funded through alternate means such as local improvement charges, but it is possible, however, that the implementation of measures that come out of such a study could be funded in that way.

· The Environmental Assessment Act clearly states that traffic calming measures and vertical measures like speed humps, including removable ones, are subject to the EA process, and the EA process would cost much more than the actual measure would.

· Staff has a long list of commitments right now, but they extended an invitation to the community to get in touch with staff to set up speed boards and an accompanying educational program about driver speed and behaviour, which they anticipate could be conducted within the next 2-3 months. Such programs have been carried out for other communities in the past by staff, in partnership with the Ottawa Police.

Moved by Councillor Cullen:

1. That staff be directed to add the Michele Heights Traffic Calming (i.e. speed bumps) to the Area Traffic Management Workplan;

2. That a three-way stop sign be installed at Michele Heights and Penny Drive; and,

3. That staff be directed to provide for the 2006 budget process a capital budget proposal to improve the 25-year waiting list for outstanding Area Traffic Management projects within 5 years.

CARRIED

As per Committee’s direction, staff will report back, via memorandum, prior to the next Transportation Committee meeting (May 18^th) on a date that the three-way stop sign could be installed.

The Committee received the presentation from the Michele Heights Community that was included with this Agenda and approved the aforementioned directions to staff.

DOCUMENT 3

Roadway Modification Approval (RMA) Under Delegated Authority Report - Michele Heights Area Traffic Management Study

TRAFFIC AND PARKING OPERATIONS BRANCH

ROADWAY MODIFICATION

APPROVAL UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY

DATE: 16 May 2008

RMA-2008-MATM-027

SUBJECT

Approval of Roadway Modifications Recommended Through the Area Traffic Management Study for Michele Heights

LOCATION

Michele Drive and Penny Drive

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Area Traffic Management Study for Michele Heights is to address the concerns raised by area residents with regards to speeding and aggressive driving practices, and to improve the safety for all road users.

BACKGROUND

The measures recommended in this report were developed through the process described in the Area Traffic Management Guidelines as approved by Council on 10 November 2004. In order to facilitate the completion of this study, the transportation-consulting firm of Giffels Associates Limited was hired to assist with the required technical analysis and public consultation for this traffic study.
The Michele Heights Community is a small neighbourhood in the City’s Bay Ward. While the community consists of Michele Drive, Penny Drive, and Roseview Avenue, the majority of the community concerns and therefore the study effort focused on the first two streets. Although vehicle volumes are not considered high on these local roads, there have been long-standing concerns with the community regarding aggressive drivers and the corresponding concerns for pedestrians/neighbourhood children, resulting in a situation they deem to be detrimental to the quality of the local environment that they expect within the community.
The study process included an initial meeting with a group of community representatives and two (2) Public Open House meetings, both of which were advertised in the community (local) and the daily newspapers. In order to provide additional notice to the study area residents, flyers were hand delivered to all of the properties within the study area.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Roadway Cross-Section

Michele Drive and Penny Drive

(a) Two lane, two-way local road (parking on one side)

(b) Urban cross-section

Traffic Control

Michele Drive

(a) Stop controls at Roseview Avenue, and at Grenon Avenue

(b) Multi way stop controls at Penny Drive

Penny Drive

(a) Stop controls at Roseview Avenue

Speed Limits

(a) Unposted 50 km/h on both roads

Michele Drive (between Roseview Avenue and Penny Drive)

(a) 85^th percentile speeds were 50 km/h (April 2004)

Penny Drive (between Michele Drive and Roseview Avenue)

(a) 85^th percentile speeds were 38 km/h, and 39km/h (May 2004, October 2007 respectively)

Pedestrians

The majority of the residential component of the study area is located to the south of Michele Drive requiring pedestrians to cross the street to access the Community Centre and adjacent park. This intersection is controlled by a multi-way stop configuration. Based on qualitative observations, it appears that the majority of the pedestrian activity is locally generated from the adjacent residential properties fronting Penny Drive. There is also considerable pedestrian activity on Penny Drive, including mid-block crossing activity particularly during the summer months. In eight hours, 238 pedestrians crossed Michele Drive at Penny Drive, and during that same period 51 pedestrians crossed Penny Drive immediately south of Michele Drive. In addition, the intersection of Michele Drive and Penny Drive is a pick-up and drop-off point for school busses. Penny Drive is serviced by sidewalks on both sides of the street along the north section, and one sidewalk on the west side most of the way towards Roseview Avenue.

Bicycle Volume:

(a) Shared use traffic lanes on all study area streets.

(b) Counts recorded on a weekday in June 2005 identified a total of 44 bicyclists traveling through the intersection of Michele Drive and Penny Drive during an eight-hour period.

· Transit:

There is currently no transit route on any of the study area roads.

Heavy Vehicles:

None of the study area roads are identified as part of the City’s Urban Truck Route network.

Peak Hour Traffic Volumes:

(a) The AM and PM peak hour link (two-way) volumes on Michele Drive immediately west Penny Drive were 83 and 79 respectively.

(c) The AM and PM peak hour link volumes on Penny Drive immediately south of Michele Drive were 27 and 35 respectively. These volumes are based on a count completed on 3 June 2005. Additional counts conducted in 2006 and 2007 confirm that these figures remain relatively consistent. These volumes are within acceptable limits for local roads in the City of Ottawa.

Collision History:

There have been 6 reported collisions during the five-year period from 1 January 2003 to 1 January 2008 within the study area (2 reported collisions within the most recent three-year period):

(a) 2003/07/29 – Michele Drive between Penny Drive and Roseview Avenue (a single vehicle collided with a second parked vehicle).

(b) 2003/07/09 - Michele Drive between Penny Drive and Roseview Avenue (a single vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver collided with a parked vehicle).

(d) 2004/10/28 – Michele Drive between Penny Drive and Roseview Avenue (a single vehicle collided with a parked vehicle).

(e) 2005/07/06 – Penny Drive between Michele Drive and Roseview Avenue (a single vehicle collided with a second parked vehicle).

(f) 2005/08/18 – Michele Drive at Penny Drive (a single northbound vehicle lost control while making a right hand turn).

It should be noted that none of the above-listed collisions involved either pedestrians or bicyclists.

PROPOSED ROADWAY MODIFICATIONS

It must be emphasized that the following roadway modifications that are shown in the attachment and described in this report, are conceptual and are intended only to illustrate the proposed function and approximate location.

It is recommended that two intersection narrowings be constructed at the Michele Drive and Penny Drive intersection. These traffic-calming measures will be accompanied by the appropriate warning signage and pavement markings consistent with other installations within the City of Ottawa. The widths of Michele Drive and Penny Drive, immediately adjacent to the intersection will be reduced from approximately 8.5 meters to 7 meters over the length of the narrowing.

Note: In response to the concerns expressed over speeding on Penny Drive, and the corresponding request for speed humps, staff undertook two speed surveys. The surveys were performed on October 2007 and May 2004. The results indicated an average speed of 34 km/h, and an 85^th percentile speed of 39 km/h in the higher of the two surveys. The speed limit for Penny Drive is 50 km/h, and based on these results speed humps are not being recommended through this Area Traffic Management Study

MODIFICATION OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS

· Pedestrians:

Pedestrians will benefit from an overall reduction in the crossing distances at this intersection. They may also benefit from lower approach speeds. Pedestrians will be afforded a larger off-road area for waiting for school bus pick-up and drop-off.

· Cyclists:

These measures will likely have a negligible effect on bicyclists.

Adjacent Residents:

N/A

· Transit:

There are currently no transit routes operating on study area roadways.

Automobiles:

The proposed measures will convey a message to drivers via the physical narrowing of the road that additional care must be exercised when approaching the intersection of Michele Drive and Penny Drive. The narrowings are intended to emphasize the residential nature of the neighborhood, and therefore encourage driver behaviour that is more consistent with the local function of the roadway.

PROJECTED START AND COMPLETION DATES

For implementation, these measures will be subject to prioritization against other approved traffic management measures. Implementation timing is unknown at this time.

TOTAL ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS

· Construction, Engineering and Contingencies – approximately $16,000.00.

FINANCIAL COMMENTS

The implementation of these measures will require funding approval as part of future Capital Budget considerations.

COMPLIANCE WITH TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

The proposed roadway modifications comply with Section 9.6.2 of the Transportation Master Plan.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultations for this study included the following:

19 September 2006 - Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting:

Attendance included City staff, the study consultant, the Michele Heights Community House Coordinator, and approximately 7 members of the Michele Heights Tenants Association. This was an informal meeting between staff and the community representatives in order to outline the study in general terms. This meeting was arranged between City staff and contacts provided by the Ward Councillor’s office, and took place at the Michele Heights Community House.

11 October 2006 – Public Open House (POH) #1:

A series of boards were prepared which conveyed the traffic data that had been gathered to date. This information included historic traffic volumes, traffic speeds, heavy vehicle volumes, and collision statistics. The meeting was intended to introduce interested residents to the Area Traffic Management study process, and to generate feedback on their concerns related to traffic issues within the Michele Heights study area. This meeting was advertised in the Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, and EMC West (a community newspaper). Public attendance at this meeting was zero, and no comments were received as a result of this meeting.

14 January 2008 – Public Open House (POH) #2:

Attendance included approximately 15 area residents, and the Ward Councillor. In addition to display boards, the study consultant delivered a Power Point Presentation that included background data, the analysis that had been undertaken, as well as the study recommendations. Five comment sheets were received at the meeting and 2 further comments were received via e-mail following the meeting. Four of the five comment sheets expressed a need for speed humps on Penny Drive in the vicinity of the Michele Heights Community House. This is consistent with the verbal comments received during the course of the meeting. This meeting was advertised in the Ottawa Citizen, Le Droit, and the EMC West newspapers, in addition flyers were distributed to each individual household within the study area.

CURRENT STATUS

The Ward Councillor was requested to provide written concurrence with the Director of Traffic and Parking Operations having delegated authority to approve the proposed intersection modifications, and has indicated he wishes to see this matter dealt with at Transportation Committee.

document 4

PROPOSED ROADWAY MODIFICATIONS