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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEGD-016-10Clarutgton Leading the Way REPORT ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: Monday May 3, 2010 Resolution #: C'~o'107-(0 Report #: EGD-016-10 File #: By-law Subject: RECONSTRUCTION OF LIBERTY ST. FROM BASELINE RD. TO KING ST. E. - BOWMANVILLE Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1 2. 3. 4. THAT Report EGD-016-10 be received; THAT Council endorse the recommendations within Report EGD-016-10; THAT the Region of Durham be requested to reprioritize their Capital Works projects to include the total reconstruction of Liberty Street rather than to proceed with interim surface condition improvements; THAT a copy of Report EGD-016-10 be forwarded to the Clarington Traffic Management Advisory Committee; and CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 REPORT NO.: EGD-016-10 PAGE2 5. THAT a copy of Report EGD-016-10 be forwarded to the Commissioner of Works, Region of Durham. Respectfully by, f S miffed by: A.S. Cannella Director of Engineering Services ~~~ ~~ Reviewed by: Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer ASC/jo/dv/jb April 27, 2010 REPORT NO.: EGD-016-10 PAGE 3 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 At its March 18, 2010 meeting, the Clarington Traffic Management Advisory Committee heard from the representative of the Regional Municipality of Durham that the reconstruction of Liberty Street from Baseline Road to King Street East has been delayed until the year 2017. This year the Region plans only to make improvements to the surface condition of the road and to relocate the intersection pedestrian signal to Parkway Crescent from its current location south of Parkway Crescent. 1.2 The Committee members were very concerned about the delay of this project and expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Region’s decision. In particular, they expressed concern for the congestion on Liberty Street as it pertains to the passage of emergency vehicles (fire, police, and EMS) especially given the location of Lakeridge Health – Bowmanville. 1.3 At the General Purpose and Administration Committee meeting of Monday, March 29, 2010, Council gave the following direction “THAT staff report back to the Committee on the Region of Durham’s delay of the Liberty Street reconstruction”. 2.0 STATUS REPORT ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LIBERTY STREET 2.1 Staff have researched previous files on this matter and have found correspondence dating back to 2001 about the congestion and safety of Liberty Street. In 2002, the Region completed a study in response to a petition they received “regarding traffic safety on Liberty Street (Regional Road No. 14) between Baseline Road and King Street in Bowmanville”, and the results of the study were presented to the Region at the June 5, 2002 Works Committee meeting. REPORT NO.: EGD-016-10 2.2 The report states that: PAGE 4 "Liberty Street is experiencing a significant number of safety and capacity constraints, predominantly due to inconsistently and poorly spaced intersections, lack of exclusive left-turn lanes, mixed land use, indiscriminate pedestrian crossings with limited gap opportunities, irregular pavement surface conditions [and] the absence of alternative routes and limi#ed road capacity. Most importantly, accumulating vehicular conflicts and pedestrian traffic at the Queen Street intersection is problematic and requires remedial measures to resolve sight- linedeficiencies and capacity concerns." 2.3 The report concludes that: "Liberty Street south of King Street to Baseline Road is experiencing above-average collisions associated with an increase in traffic volume, limited roadway capacity and safety deficiencies. Short term improvements (lane marking, signage, and surtace pavement repairs) will be undertaken in 2002. "Funding provisions for the installation of a pedestrian traffic signal at the Victoria Street/Jane Street intersection will be allocated in the 2003 Signal Installation Program. "Medium-term capital improvements, estimated at approximately $540,000 (exclusive of utility relocation and minor property acquisitions) are required to widen the roadway for a two-way common centre left-turn lane in order to accommodate increased traffic growth and safety operational improvements. This work is proposed in the 4-year Capital Road Program, subject to budget approval and prioritization of other competing projects." 2.4 The project has remained in the Region's 4-year budget forecast, but has consistently been delayed, more recently because of a substantial decrease in development charge receipts which are used to fund regional road expansion projects, including Liberty Street. We understand now that significant budget shortfalls being experienced by the Region which means careful prioritization of Regional expansion projects and a further delay of the Liberty Street works. REPORT NO.: EGD-016-10 PAGE 5 3.0 CONCLUSION 3.1 The Region has consistently included the reconstruction of Liberty Street from Baseline Road to King Street in their 4-year budget forecast in the past, but the Municipality has recently learned that the reconstruction of Liberty Street has been delayed until 2017. In the meantime the Region has agreed instead to make interim improvements to the surface condition which includes manhole repairs, replacement of portions of curb and gutter and resurfacing from Baseline Road to Queen Street. 3.2 Liberty Street is a Type 'B' arterial road with an 8.5 metre pavement width and an AADT of over 17,000. It experiences significant congestion in the a.m. and p.m. peaks which results from a number of operational difficulties. As stated earlier, "Liberty Street is experiencing a significant number of safety and capacity constraints, predominantly due to inconsistently and poorly spaced intersections, lack of exclusive left-turn lanes, mixed land use, indiscriminate pedestrian crossings with limited gap opportunities, irregular pavement surface conditions, the absence of alternative routes and limited road capacity". Interim surface condition works will do little to address these high priority constraints. 3.3 The Traffic Management Advisory Committee has requested that the Engineering Services Department send a letter to the Region's Public Works Department requesting that the project be advanced. We believe even more can be done than that. 3.4 The complete reconstruction of Liberty Street from Baseline Road to Highway #2 in Bowmanville is a project of significant status to the residents of Bowmanville and to Clarington Council. We would therefore respectfully recommend that the Region of Durham be requested to reprioritize their Capital Works projects to include the total reconstruction of Liberty Street than to proceed with interim surface condition improvements.