Report to/Rapport
au :
Transportation
and Transit Committee
Comité des transports et des services de transport en commun
and Council / et au Conseil
23 September 2003 / le 23
septembre 2003
Submitted by/Soumis par : R.T. Leclair, General
Manager/Directrice générale,
Transportation, Utilities and Public Works/Transport, services et travaux
publics
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Michael J. Flainek,
P.Eng., Director/Directeur
Traffic & Parking Operations/Circulation et stationnement
(613) 580-2424 x 26882, Michael.Flainek@ottawa.ca
REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Transportation and Transit Committee recommend
Council approve the construction of a northbound left-turn lane on Lancaster
Road approximately 80m north of Walkley Road to accommodate the commercial
plaza at 2780-2810 Lancaster Road provided that the proponent, Kamlo-Holdings
Limited:
1. Fund the
total cost for the roadway modifications plus any associated utility
relocations and existing intersection adjustments; and,
2. Enter
into legal agreements with the City of Ottawa with respect to the above.
RECOMMENDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que
le Comité des transports et des services de transport en commun recommande au
Conseil municipal d’approuver la construction d’une voie de virage à gauche en
direction nord sur le chemin Lancaster, environ 80 m au nord du chemin Walkley,
afin de faciliter l’accès au centre commercial situé au 2780-2810, chemin
Lancaster, à condition que le promoteur, Kamlo-Holdings Limited, :
1. défraie tous les coûts liés aux modifications de la chaussée ainsi que les coûts liés au déménagement de services publics et au rajustement des intersections actuelles;
2. conclue
des accords juridiques avec la Ville d’Ottawa en ce qui a trait au point
précité.
BACKGROUND
The initial phase of
construction consisting of a Tim Hortons Restaurant and drive-through has
recently been completed on part of a development site of 1.1 hectares in size,
located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Lancaster Road and
Walkley Road. The developer is
currently proceeding with the development of the remainder of the site, which
consists of a fast-food restaurant in combination with commercial and light
industrial uses. The site is shown in
an area context in Annex A.
The accesses to this
development site were the subject of a report considered at the 5 February 2003
Transportation and Transit Committee meeting (Agenda 39, Item 3) that
recommended approval for a waiver to Sections 13 (a) and 13 (j) of the former
City of Ottawa Private Approach By-law.
These recommendations were approved by City Council at its meeting on 12
February 2003 (Transportation and Transit Committee Report 38, Item 2).
As a temporary measure to
initially accommodate the traffic generated by Tim Hortons, pre-fabricated
curbs were installed on Lancaster Road to extend the existing median in order
to prevent left-turn manoeuvres at the site's south driveway.
To ensure that site accesses
on Lancaster Road are able to service traffic coming from Walkley Road, a
permanent median extension and a northbound left-turn lane at the site's centre
access are proposed. These
modifications are discussed in the following paragraphs.
DISCUSSION
Existing Conditions:
Lancaster Road is an 11m
wide urban, two-lane, undivided, collector roadway that serves as a primary
access to the industrial lands in this area.
It intersects the north side of Walkley Road to form a "T"
intersection. Walkley Road is an urban, four-lane, median-divided arterial
roadway. Both roadways have existing
streetlighting.
Annex B1 illustrates the
geometry of Lancaster Road across the frontage of the site prior to the
installation of the interim modifications in December 2002. The current geometry (post December 2002) on
Lancaster Road is shown in Annex B2.
Pedestrians:
There are 1.5m wide concrete
sidewalks on both sides of Lancaster Road and Walkley Road in the vicinity of
this development.
According to the most recent
traffic volume survey carried out at the intersection of Lancaster Road and
Walkley Road on Friday, 25 May 2001, pedestrian traffic is very light. Over the eight-hour study period, 3
pedestrians were counted travelling along the east side of Lancaster Road and
15 travelling on the north side of Walkley Road. No pedestrians were counted traveling along the south side of the
Walkley Road, nor were any observed walking along the west side of Lancaster
Road.
Bicycles:
Lancaster Road has 1.5m wide
bicycle lanes on each side of the roadway.
The Transportation Master
Plan identifies Walkley Road in this area as an on-road cycling facility. In support of this, Walkley Road has 4.5m
wide shared-use curb lanes.
Cycling activity in this
area is very light. Over the eight-hour
count period, 13 cyclists were observed on Lancaster Road. None were observed on Walkley Road.
Transit:
Transit service is provided
along Lancaster Road during the peak periods by OC Transpo Route #192
travelling northbound during the A.M. and southbound during the P.M., on
20-minute headways.
Automobiles:
The traffic survey indicated
that 2,000 southbound motorists and 2,200 northbound motorists travelled on
this section of Lancaster Road during the eight-hour study period. Over a 24-hour period, it is estimated that
approximately 6,100 vehicles travel on this roadway.
On Walkley Road,
approximately 13,000 eastbound and 12,000 westbound motorists traveled through
the intersection at Lancaster Road during the 8-hour count period. It is estimated that over 36,000 motorists
travel on Walkley Road over a 24-hour period.
Heavy vehicles (trucks)
comprise approximately 9% of the vehicle volume using the intersection of
Lancaster Road/Walkley Road
During the three-year period
ending 31 December 2002, there were six automobile collisions reported on the
400m section of Lancaster Road immediately north of Walkley Road. Of these collisions, two were associated
with the private approaches to Lancaster Road.
The speed limit on Lancaster
Road is 50km/h. On Walkley Road in the
vicinity of Lancaster Road, the speed limit is 80km/h.
Forecast Growth:
It is anticipated that, at
full development in the horizon year of 2007, the site will generate
approximately 530 trips in the A.M. peak hour, comprised of 300 vehicles that
enter the site, and 230 vehicles that exit the site. It is forecast that 75% of the vehicles entering the site will be
northbound motorists turning left at the site's centre access.
The projected traffic volume
for the P.M. peak hour is estimated at 250 trips comprised of 110 vehicles and
140 vehicles entering and exiting the site respectively.
DESIGN PROPOSAL:
Design Constraint:
Left-turn movements into and
out of the site's south driveway would be very hazardous manoeuvres. The distance between this access and the
adjacent intersection to the south at Walkley Road is too short to accommodate
an orderly weaving of the forecast volume of vehicles comprised of westbound
right-turning vehicles and eastbound left-turning vehicles from Walkley Road,
which are expected to turn into the site.
Likewise the distance is too short to provide drivers who wish to
execute a left turn out of this site access with adequate time to recognize and
depart through gaps between vehicles arriving from Walkely Road. This situation would increase the cognitive
demands placed on the motorists at this location and could result in a
corresponding increase in the probability of collisions.
Proposed Modifications:
To accommodate the
northbound left-turning vehicle movements into the development's centre access
and to ensure that the south access operates only as a right-in, right-out
driveway, the following modifications are required on Lancaster Road along the
frontage of the site:
A permanent 40m extension to
the north end of the existing median located immediately
north of Walkley Road.
The construction of a
northbound left-turn lane at the site's centre access.
Annex C illustrates the
proposed modifications.
Pedestrians:
The existing sidewalks will
be maintained across the frontage of the development site. Pedestrians will experience increased
exposure to turning vehicles along this portion of Lancaster Road at the site's
three proposed driveways.
Bicycles:
The existing cycling lanes
on Lancaster Road will be maintained.
As with the pedestrians, cyclists will experience increased exposure to
turning vehicles at the site's three driveways.
Transit:
The proposed modifications
will not alter existing transit service along this section of Lancaster Road.
Automobiles:
The extension of the median
on Lancaster Road and the construction of a northbound left-turn at the site's
central access will separate the through and left-turning movements, which will
reduce vehicular conflict while maintaining orderly traffic flow.
CONSULTATION
A notice regarding the
proposed modifications was placed in Le Droit and the Ottawa Citizen for two
consecutive weeks. The local Councillor
has been advised of the modifications.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The initial cost estimate
based on the conceptual design details is $45,000.00
Should City Council approve
the proposed roadway modifications identified for Lancaster Road, the proponent
will be responsible for 100% of the roadway modification costs.
The estimated increase in
annual cost to maintain the additional section of the roadway is $800 that will
be identified in the 2004 Operating Budget.
The City of Ottawa will, as per the legal agreement, retain financial
securities until such time as the work is completed to the satisfaction of the
City.
TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN
The existing facilities that
accommodate pedestrian and cycling activities on this portion of Lancaster Road
adhere to the guiding principles from the Transportation Master Plan (TMP)
which is the responsible management of the City's growth through the
encouragement of walking and cycling, with a strong emphasis on an expanded
role for public transportation. These
facilities will be maintained with the proposed modifications.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Annex A - Key Plan
Annex B1 - Existing Conditions (prior to December
2002)
Annex B2 - Existing Conditions (post December 2002)
Annex C - Proposed Road Widening
DISPOSITION
Subject to Council approval
of the recommendations contained in this report, it is anticipated that
construction will commence in the Fall of 2003.
ANNEX
A
KEY PLAN
ANNEX B1
EXISTING CONDITIONS (PRIOR TO DECEMBER 2002)
ANNEX B2
EXISTING CONDITIONS (POST DECEMBER 2002)
ANNEX C
PROPOSED ROAD WIDENING
