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Home My WebLink AboutWD-68-97 THE CORPO IO OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE File# 70g ~ GE Date: October 20, 1997 Res.#(~_SqQ~ (~ By-Law # Report #: ~T File #: Subject: REQUEST FOR ADULT CROSSING GUARD, ON MEARNS AVENUE AT SOPER CREEK DRIVE, BOWMANVILLE Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report WD-68-97 be received; 2 THAT as a result of low study results, the request for an Adult Crossing Guard at Mearns Avenue and Soper Creek Drive be denied; 3 THAT the crossing location continue to be monitored by staff a minimum of twice each school year to record any increased traffic volumes or delay to children crossing; and 4 THAT a copy of Report WD-68-97 be forwarded to Warren Medd, Principal of Vincent Massey Public School and Diane Cary. REPORT 1.0 ATTACHMENTS No l: Key Map No 2: Correspondence dated July 31, 1997 from Diane Cary o.oE ~®° ~.=.E 1 i 3 4 J REPORT NO.: A1D-68-97 PAG$? Z a.o sACxaaovNn 2.1 At a meeting held on August 18, 1997, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington passed the following resolution:. "THAT the correspondence dated July 31,.1997 from Diane Cary requesting a crossing guard at the intersection of Mearna Avenue and Soper .Creek Drive, Bowmanville, be received; THAT the correspondence be referred to the Director of Public Works for review and preparation of a report to be submitted to the General Purpose. and Administration Committee; and THAT Diane Cary be advised of Council's decision." 3.0 REVD AND C02+IIdEN'P 3.1 lduaiciflelity of Clarinatoa-Crosaina Guard Policy: The request for an adult crossing guard is often a very. emotional issue with concerned parents expressing safety concerns. The standard method to determine the need for an adult crossing guard in an unbiased and. consistent method, developed by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, is used by many municipalities throughout North America. This technique involves the use of a stop watch to-determine the length and quantity of safe gaps between vehicles. The Municipality, when establishing it's policy in 1991, enhanced this criteria by req~irina only a 50~ delay ..(difficulty in crossing) in .place of the usual 70-80~ delay required using the standard method. 2t is important to note that crossing guards. are. required when students experience long delays while waiting for safe gaps in 1135 Si.. ' `. • RBFQRT NQ.: iPD-68-97 PAG$ 3 traffic. However, a guard is not required just :because students are unable to cross the street as soon. as they reach it. 3.2 8ackarouad Iafoxa~ation For Recueetad Location.:.. The letter from Diane Cary clearly states that. her child must cross Mearns Avenue to board a school bus. Thee Municipality ,is not in a position to hire guards for this situation, as the- school bus itself provides crossing protection, and all traffic must legally atop. Crossing guard studies were completed during September 1997 to determine. if the children who cross Mearns Avenue to, attend Vincent Massey. Public School on Church Street require crossing protection. In her letter, Diane Cary stated she had witnessed two accidenta'at this intersection this past year, but Motor Vehicle Collision records going back to 1995 indicate that there have been no reported accidents at the intersection. Public Works installed pedestrian. warning signs during 1995 on Mearns Avenue north and south of Soper Creek Drive to advisee motorists. of the crossing area. Durham Regional Police have been requested to provide speed enforcement in this area, particularly. during the crossing periods. Staff has poken with Diane. Cary on a number of occasions regarding this issue. 1136 DATE PERIOD ~ DELAY Sept 29/97 P.M. 34.1 Sept 22/97... P.M 37.9. Sept 16/97 P.M. 35.3 Sept 15/97 P.M. 35.5 As per Municipal Policy, a 50~ delay is required before an' Adult Crossing Guard is considered warranted. RBPORT.ti+O.: 4QD-68-97 PAG& 4 3.3 9t ' Rssu,ts 3.4 Alternatives i£ a Guard was ~Parraated Alternate Pialkiag Routes: .The children from east of Meares Avenue do not have to cross at this mid-block location to reach the school. 'Fhe children could be encouraged to use the sidewalk on the east side of Meares Avenue and cross Meares Avenue with the traffic light: at King Street. The new sidewalk on St. George Street, built in September 1997, provides access to the school and has eliminated the need to cross Church Street. 4.0 CONGLVSION3 4:1 From the shave it is concluded that, based on the` study results, an adult crossing guard is not required at this location. Respectfully submitted, Reviewed by Step eh n A: Vokes, P. Eng., Director bf Public works RDB*SAV*ce October 15, 1997 Attachments (2) W. H.'Stockwell, Chief Administrative Officer 1137 ~. _ ~~;. : ~, , ,_ REPORT NQ.: i~D-68-97 BAOB 5 pc: Duane Cary 40 SGrathmanor Drive iBowmanville, ON L1C 4L3 Warren Medd, Principal Vincent Massey Public School 10 Church Street Bowmanville, ON L1C 153 1138 Concession St. K m c _o ~i eachtre Cres. ~~ I a~ Q' y C (6 N REQUESTED GUARDS ~ VINCENT MASSEY SCHOOL _ ,_ -_ ALTERNATE WALKING ROUTE - - - - EXISTING WALKING ROUTE ~~ NEW SIDEWALK ON ST. GEORGE ST. DRAWN BY: J.R.M DATE: OCT. 1997 ." ----- ~~ ~ ~ w N .n ~-+ m U' .-: KEY MAP REPORT NO. wn-68-97 u' ' CODNCIL DIRECTION D - 1 Jour a,/97 40 Strathmanor Dr. Bowmanville, ON L1C 4L3 July 31, 1997 Dear Mayor Hamre & Members of Council, AGE~D~ I am writing this letter to request that a crossing guard be placed at Meams Ave. and Soper Creek Drive in Bowmanville. I have a 6 year old boy, Jake, who has to cross Meam Ave. to catch his bus, and a 4 year old girl who catches the bus near our house. Both of these buses come at the same time. I can't be in 2 places at onetime. Meares has become such a busy road and the cars aze going very fast. I have already talked to the school boazd and they have said that Jake doesn't have to cross the street, he can wait till the bus .stops and the driver motions for him to cross. I am fearful that some caz won't stop and my son will forget to wait for the bus driver to motion him and he will get hit. Jake. is only 6 and be may try and cross the street before the bus comes as all the. other children are on the east side. I think it is fair to say that this would be a lot of responsibility for a 6 year old. The school board is not willing to bring Jake's bus into our subdivision. Please seriously consider putting a crossing guard at tlris intersection. There are many children who cross Meatus Ave. at this intersection who walk to Vincent Massey School It is not just the children catching the bus that would be affected. Meares Ave. is very. busy with people- fuming onto Meares. I have witnessed 2 accidents at that comer this past year. One child was. almost hit. ' I know you aze having a special meeting in August. I want this item placed on the agenda as school starts Sept. 2. Please inform me when a traffic survey will. be taking place and the results. Can I attend the meeting when it is on theagenda? My phone number is 697-0801.' ' Thanks for your consideration into this matter. I hope we will have a crossing guard so our children will be safer. __ DiSTRIf3UT10N Sincerely ~' C,LERK _. ~_ ' i ACK. BY ~;1, _ I ORIGINAL TO-~ ~~_ ,~'.CfinP ~Ltti ~ COPIES T0: ~' T-- Diane Cary _ ATTACHMENT N0. 2 }~- ~-~___._i__ REPORT N0. WD-68-971 _..___ I_ - r~~