Item - 2015.TE10.115

Tracking Status

TE10.115 - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted
Wards:
14 - Parkdale-High Park, 18 - Davenport, 19 - Trinity-Spadina, 20 - Trinity-Spadina, 27 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale, 28 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale

City Council Decision

City Council on September 30, October 1 and 2, 2015, adopted the following:

 

1.  City Council enact the traffic and parking by-law amendments as set out in Appendix B.

 

2.  City Council authorize and direct the appropriate City officials to take the necessary action to give effect to Council's decision, including the introduction in Council of any and all bills that may be required.

 

3.  City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Service and the Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to monitor the results of the planned peak hour extensions on Queen Street, Dundas Street, and College/Carlton Streets in select segments between Roncesvalles Avenue and Parliament Street, and should the new data indicate, after the implementation of these changes and adjustments to traffic and transit operations, that there is a further opportunity to improve segment travel times through a similar extension of "No Stopping" hours on other sections of the streetcar network, the General Manager, Transportation Services be requested to report by March 2016 with a plan to complete the detailed analysis on the remaining mixed-traffic streetcar routes throughout the Toronto and East York District.

Background Information (Community Council)

(August 27, 2015) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83174.pdf
Appendix A - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83175.pdf
Appendix B - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83176.pdf
(August 24, 2015) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations - Notice of Pending Report
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83102.pdf

Communications (Community Council)

(September 8, 2015) Submission from Hamish Wilson (TE.Supp.TE10.115.1)

Communications (City Council)

(September 29, 2015) E-mail from Sharon Yetman (CC.New.TE10.115.2)

Motions (City Council)

Motion to Adopt Item (Carried)

TE10.115 - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Amended
Wards:
14 - Parkdale-High Park, 18 - Davenport, 19 - Trinity-Spadina, 20 - Trinity-Spadina, 27 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale, 28 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Community Council Recommendations

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

 

1.  City Council enact the traffic and parking by-law amendments as set out in Appendix B.

 

2.  City Council authorize and direct the appropriate City officials to take the necessary action to give effect to Council's decision, including the introduction in Council of any and all bills that may be required.

 

3.  City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Service and Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to monitor the results of the planned peak hour extensions on Queen Street, Dundas Street, and College/Carlton Streets in select segments between Roncesvalles Avenue and Parliament Street, and should the new data indicate, after the implementation of these changes and adjustments to traffic and transit operations, that there is a further opportunity to improve segment travel times through a similar extension of "No Stopping" hours on other sections of the streetcar network, the General Manager be requested to report by March 2016 with a plan to complete the detailed analysis on the remaining mixed-traffic streetcar routes throughout the Toronto and East York District.

Decision Advice and Other Information

The Toronto and East York Community Council requested Transportation Services staff to report back to Toronto and East York Community Council in early Spring 2016 on the implementation of and impacts related to the traffic regulations recommended in Recommendations 1 and 2 of the report (August 27, 2015) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, headed "Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations", and on:

 

a.  the impacts of the no-left turn prohibition at Beverley Street on the local community, including complaints received by the public and ability to access the area by local residents; and

 

b.  options to exempt cyclists from this regulation or to implement a two-stage left turn or other options for cyclists on Dundas Street seeking to access the Beverley Street bike lane.

Origin

(August 27, 2015) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services

Summary

As part of the Congestion Management Plan and continuing efforts by the City and the TTC to reduce traffic congestion and improve the operations of surface transit, City staff have been analyzing the TTC Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data to determine where it may be feasible, and supportive of vehicular movement, to change the current 'No Stopping' regulation times.
 
The proposed changes, which consist primarily of extensions of peak-hour restrictions in several locations, reductions in others, and very limited new left-turn restrictions, are intended to improve streetcar operations and service reliability and to assist vehicular traffic and cyclist flow on these three streets. They also include minor changes to parking and loading restrictions along Ossington Avenue near Dundas Street and near College Street.
 
The study area included Queen Street, Dundas Street, and College/Carlton Streets, from Roncesvalles Avenue in the west to Parliament Street in the east. The proposed changes arising from this study are based on two major observations supported by the travel time data:
 
1.  High traffic volumes (and associated congestion) extend beyond the currently signed peak hours in many locations; and

2.  Peak hour regulations vary widely throughout the downtown; where possible, given the available data, the hours should be made more consistent to improve clarity to motorists.

Background Information

(August 27, 2015) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83174.pdf
Appendix A - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83175.pdf
Appendix B - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83176.pdf
(August 24, 2015) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services - Downtown Streetcar Routes - Extended Peak Period Regulations - Notice of Pending Report
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-83102.pdf

Communications

(September 8, 2015) Submission from Hamish Wilson (TE.Supp.TE10.115.1)

Speakers

Hamish Wilson

Motions

1 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon (Carried)

That the Toronto and East York Community Council adopt the recommendation in the report, subject to adding new Recommendation 3:

 

"3.  City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Service and Chief Executive Office of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to monitor the results of the planned peak hour extensions on Queen Street, Dundas Street, and College/Carlton Streets in select segments between Roncesvalles Avenue and Parliament Street, and should the new data indicate, after the implementation of these changes and adjustments to traffic and transit operations, that there is a further opportunity to improve segment travel times through a similar extension of "No Stopping" hours on other sections of the streetcar network, the General Manager be requested to report by March 2016 with a plan to complete the detailed analysis on the remaining mixed-traffic streetcar routes throughout the Toronto and East York District."


2 - Motion to Amend Item (Additional) moved by Councillor Joe Cressy (Carried)

That Transportation Services staff report back to Toronto and East York Community Council in early Spring 2016 on the implementation of and impacts related to the traffic regulations recommended in Recommendations 1 and 2, and on:

 

a. The impacts of the no-left turn prohibition at Beverley Street on the local community, including complaints received by the public and ability to access the area by local residents; and

 

b. Options to exempt cyclists from this regulation or to implement a two-stage left turn or other options for cyclists on Dundas Street seeking to access the Beverley Street bike lane.

Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council