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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEGD-030-16 UarinA4,on Engineering Ser Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Municipal Clerk at 905-623-3379 ext. 2102. Report To: General Government Committee Date of Meeting: June 20, 2016 Report Number: EGD-030-16 Resolution: File Number: By-law Number: Report Subject: Trudeau Drive Walkway Recommendations: 1. That Report EGD-030-16 be received; and 2. That Municipal Staff continue to monitor the No Parking and No Stopping regulations on Trudeau Dr. in the vicinity of the walkway into the school site to ensure compliance with the Municipality's Traffic and Parking By-law. 3. That all interested parties listed in Report EGD-030-16 and any delegations be advised of Council's decision. Municipality of Clarington Report EGD-030-16 Page 2 Report Overview In response to on-going concerns from one resident on Trudeau Dr., staff were requested to re-review the practice of parents, and other caregivers, who chose to drop off their children (who attend Bowmanville High School and Duke of Cambridge Public School) on Trudeau Dr. This report will update Committee on measures that have been taken to mitigate nuisance to the nearby residents as a result of student drop-off and pick-up. This report will also update Committee on on-going monitoring of pedestrian and vehicular activity during those times. 1 . Background Staff first received complaints from some residents on Trudeau Dr. in late 2012. Issues raised pertained to students smoking in the vicinity of the walkway, loitering, nuisance and garbage. Engineering staff conducted a thorough investigation and formed the Trudeau Walkway Working Group made up of representatives from Clerk's/Municipal Law Enforcement, Operations, Emergency Services, Engineering Services, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Durham Region Police Services and Durham Region Traffic. In April, 2013 staff conducted an Open House to hear residents' comments/concerns regarding the walkway. Staff's findings as a result of the Working Group meeting and the Open House were summarized in Report EGD-020-13 (June 10, 2013) in which a number of improvements in the area were proposed to reduce the incidents of nuisance. Subsequent to that report, staff were directed to address specific concerns of three Trudeau Dr. residents. Those concerns were addressed in Report EGD-030-13 (Sept. 9, 2013), and a further commitment to implement improvements in the area was made by staff. 2. Need for the Walkway It continues to be staff's opinion that it is important for students living north of and in the vicinity of Trudeau Dr. to continue to use the Trudeau Walkway to access both Bowmanville High School and the Duke of Cambridge Public School. The Municipality's Engineering Services Department and the Region of Durham's Traffic Department continue to receive complaints about traffic congestion and delays to incoming and outgoing motorists at the entrances off Reg. Rd. 14 (Liberty St.) and from the general driving public who use Liberty St. around school start and end times. The Region has made improvements to Liberty St. (and continues to investigate road improvements for all users), but Liberty St. is still very busy when parents and students enter and exit at those times. Trudeau Walkway provides some important relief to the congestion on Liberty St. Municipality of Clarington Report EGD-030-16 Page 3 3. Improvements Shortly after the recommendations in the 2013 reports were approved by Council, staff implemented the following changes/improvements: • Staff assisted the School Board in setting up a smoking area for students away from the walkway. • Surveillance cameras have been set up on the walkway to deter any nefarious activities. • The assistance of the Durham Region Police Services was requested with respect to enforcing the Municipality's Nuisance By-law. • No Loitering signs were erected with specific reference to a "substantial fine". • The Operations Department installed a waste receptacle and committed to a higher level of maintenance in this area. • A curb cut was completed to assist those with strollers, walkers and bicycles to access the walkway. • A No Parking zone was established on the south side of Trudeau Dr. in front of five houses to the west of the walkway and in front of four houses to the east of the walkway from 8:00-9:00 a.m. and from 3:00-4:00 p.m. to discourage long term on- street parking (subsequently changed to No Stopping at Council's direction). • The Traffic and Parking By-law was amended to prohibit stopping within 1 m of a driveway. • By-law Enforcement has (and continues to) regularly monitor this area and enforce Municipal by-laws. 4. Miovision and Enforcement Engineering staff have installed the Miovision camera in the vicinity of the walkway to count the number of users and to monitor driver behaviour during morning drop-off (from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.) and afternoon pickup (from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.). The recording times span the start and end times for both schools in order to pick-up "early birds" as well as any who are late. The camera was installed to record activity on five days in January, February and May. Traffic counts of motorists who dropped off (in the morning) or picked up (in the afternoon) their child(ren) were fairly consistent: • 70-76 in the morning in January and February • 57-69 in the morning in May (lower number due to milder weather) Municipality of clarington Report EGD-030-16 Page 4 • 19-24 in the afternoon in January and February • 16-17 in the afternoon in May (lower number due to milder weather) These vehicles would otherwise be accessing the school site off Liberty St. Drivers stopped to discharge their children in the morning very briefly. No visible conflicts were observed. Drivers picking up their children in the afternoon represented a much lower number than morning drop-off, and some stayed longer waiting for their child. Some driveway blockage was observed, but not at any time that a resident needed to access their home. Many drivers ignored the No Stopping restriction, no doubt because of the brevity of their stop. Those who did observe the No Stopping zone simply stopped further down the street. Parking Enforcement staff have attended the area numerous times. Several warnings have been issued and recently tickets were also issued. 5. Discussion Staff will continue to monitor the area with the Miovision camera and personal site visits; however, it is staff's opinion, and that of the Working Group, that allowing stopping on this street is beneficial to the travelling public (both pedestrians and motorists) and that the residents are not inconvenienced by very brief stopping for a brief time in the day. The act of enforcing No Stopping actually exacerbates the congestion on the street as cars are detained as tickets are processed. It is staff's view that it is more beneficial to allow stopping. The Miovision records and staff's observations are that the stopping is brief in, virtually, all cases as students exit the vehicle. Staff recommend that stopping be permitted on Trudeau Dr., and that the No Parking Zone be re-established. Municipal Law Enforcement will continue to enforce parking prohibitions/regulations, No Stopping within 1 m of a driveway and the Municipality's Nuisance By-law. 6. Conclusion It is staff's opinion that: • The benefits to motorists and pedestrians of morning/afternoon drop-off/pick-up on Trudeau Dr. outweigh the disadvantages. • The stop time on Trudeau Dr. is minimal and for a brief time in the day. • Staff have responded fully to all other neighbour concerns. • No Parking in the vicinity of the walkway is appropriate. Municipality of Clarington Report ECD-030-16 Page 5 7. Concurrence This report has been reviewed by the Municipal Clerk who concurs with the recommendations. 8. Strategic Plan Application Not applicable. Submitted by: Reviewed by: Anthony S. Cannella, C.E.T. ranklin Wu, Director of Engineering Services Chief Administrative Officer Staff Contact: Leslie J. Benson, Manager, Development Engineering and Traffic, 905-623- 3379 ext. 2340 or Ibenson@clarington.net Attachments: N/A The following is a list of the interested parties to be notified of Council's decision: Nikolas Papanikolas Tom Woods ASC/LJB/nl/jb