2. AJAX TODAY: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS

Transcription

1 2. AJAX TODAY: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS 2.1 Socio-Economic Profile The 2011 Census of Canada reported a population of approximately 110,000 people in the Town of Ajax, which represents an increase of almost 22% since The 22% increase is more than double the 8% increase in population over the same period of time in Durham Region. The Town of Ajax s population has been steadily rising; it has almost doubled in the twenty year period between 1991 and 2011, as shown in Table 1. Table 1: Town of Ajax and Region of Durham Population Data, Years Source: Census of Canada Year Town of Ajax Region of Durham Population Population , , , , , , , , , ,135 Over 90% of Ajax s population is under the age of 65 (Table 2) and as a result has a young median age of 36. The median age for Durham Region and the Province of Ontario are 39 and 40 years respectively. The Town of Ajax has a young population with a median age of 36 years compared to 39 years for Durham Region and 40 years for the Province of Ontario. Over 90% of Ajax s population is under the age of 65, as reported in Table 2. Table 2: Town of Ajax, Region of Durham and Province of Ontario Population by Age Group (2011) Age Group (years) Proportion of Population Town of Ajax Region of Durham Province of Ontario Percentage of Population Proportion of Population Percentage of Population Proportion of Population Percentage of Population ,635 20% 113,030 19% 2,180,770 17% ,365 15% 86,840 14% 1,716,545 13% ,020 56% 334,655 55% 7,076,190 55% 65+ 9,580 9% 73,610 12% 1,878,325 15% Total 109, % 608, % 12,851, % Source: Census of Canada The average household size in the Town of Ajax is 3 persons. The median household income in Ajax is over $82,000, which is well above the Ontario and Canada-wide medians, as shown in Table 3. Table 3: Household Income (2006) Area Population Median Household Income ($) Town of Ajax 90,167 82,613 Ontario 12,160,282 60,455 Canada 31,612,897 53,634 Source: Census of Canada 4

2 2.2 Town of Ajax Travel Characteristics The Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS) data was analyzed to determine travel characteristics in the Town. The TTS is a survey that collects information on how members of a household use the transportation system. The TTS has been collected for urban travel in southern Ontario every five years, beginning in At the time of the preparation of this report, the 2006 data were the most recent data available. Based on the TTS data, more than 75% of the trips originating in Ajax use the car as their mode of travel in the AM peak period. This percentage has been relatively constant when reviewing the 1996, 2001 and 2006 data. Transit usage, be it Durham Region Transit, GO Transit or a combination of the two, has held constant around 11-12%. The same can be said for walking or cycling, which has held constant at 10%. The TTS data for trips originating from Ajax in the AM peak period and the 24 hour period are shown in Table 4. Table 4: Transportation Mode Trips Originating from Ajax Time Period 6 9 AM 24 hour Year Auto Driver Auto Passenger Local Transit GO Train Joint Trip (GO/Local Transit) Walk or Cycle Other % 14% 4% 4% 3% 10% 3% % 13% 4% 5% 3% 10% 4% % 12% 5% 3% 4% 10% 3% % 9% 9% 4% 3% 12% 3% % 17% 3% 1% 1% 7% 2% % 17% 2% 2% 1% 7% 2% % 17% 3% 1% 1% 7% 2% % 16% 5% 1% 1% 9% 5% Source: 1986, 1996, 2001, & 2006 Transportation Tomorrow Survey Data for trips destined to Ajax also were analyzed and are reported in Table 5 for the AM peak period and the 24 hour period. Similar to the trips originating in Ajax, trips destined to Ajax primarily are by car. There is a lower percentage of trips by GO Transit. This represents the prevalent commute of trip originating in Ajax and destined to downtown Toronto with few trips destined to Ajax. Walking and cycling comprise about 15% of the trips destined to Ajax. Table 5: Transportation Mode Trips Destined to Ajax Time Period 6 9 AM 24 hour Year Auto Driver Auto Passenger Local Transit GO Train Joint Trip (GO/Local Transit) Walk or Cycle Other % 16% 4% 0% 0% 14% 4% % 15% 4% 0% 0% 15% 6% % 15% 6% 0% 0% 14% 4% % 12% 8% 0% 1% 14% 13% % 17% 3% 1% 1% 7% 2% % 17% 2% 2% 1% 7% 2% % 16% 3% 1% 1% 7% 2% % 16% 5% 1% 1% 9% 5% Source: 1986, 1996, 2001, & 2006 Transportation Tomorrow Survey 5

3 The TTS data also revealed that the majority of morning peak period trips are internal to the Town. The City of Toronto and other municipalities in Durham Region are the major attractors and generators of trips originating from and destined to Ajax. The origin and destination of trips to and from Ajax are shown in Figure 4. Figure 4: Trips From and To Ajax, Morning Peak Period Trips from Ajax Trips to Ajax 2.3 Transportation Initiatives Implemented since the 2007 Plan The 2007 TMP included the following components of the recommended transportation strategy: Land use and sustainable design; Transit; Roads; Goods movement; Walking and cycling; and Travel Demand Management (TDM). An overview of the Town s progress on each of these components is provided in the subsections below. 6

4 2.3.1 Land Use and Sustainable Design The 2007 TMP recommended intensification along the Kingston Road corridor and measures to attract jobs to the Town provide residents with shorter commutes and non-auto commutes. To these ends, the Town has undertaken an intensification study for the Uptown and Downtown neighbourhoods to plan for and to encourage intensification of land uses into these two key areas. The Town Council s approval of the Medallion Developments (Bayly Square) Limited new mixed use development in the southwest corner of Bayly Street and Harwood Avenue directly supports the land use and sustainable design component. The scale of the proposed development and the sustainability features incorporated into the design meets the objective of a more compact urban form, higher intensity and mixed-use nodes and linkages for pedestrians, cyclists and transit. Current measures that focus on land use and sustainable design include: The New Downtown Ajax, a program focused on revitalizing and intensifying land uses in the downtown core in order to make the district more livable through pedestrian, cyclist and transit amenities, a broad mix of land uses, a high quality public realm and eco-friendly design of buildings and facilities; and Sustainable Ajax, an umbrella program that includes multiple initiatives and actions to support sustainability, such as initiatives to prepare an integrated community sustainability plan, promote energy-efficient buildings, sponsor eco-friendly events, convert the Town s vehicle fleet to more environmentally-friendly vehicles and a host of other partnerships, programs and events Transit Transit services in the Town are provided by Durham Region Transit and GO Transit. The identification of transit spines and the land use policies that support intensification along these spines shows a continued support for transit. The Town is also planning for a greater transit focus as part of the Downtown and Uptown Ajax plans. The Town can continue to be an advocate for transit for its residents by continuing to liaise with Durham Region Transit and GO Transit with respect to needs, opportunities and connections Roads New road links have been constructed and existing roads have been widened since the 2007 TMP. These include: Commercial Avenue extended between Hunt Street and Bayly Street; Harwood Avenue widened to four lanes between Woodcock Avenue and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School; Kerrison Drive extended between Harwood Avenue and Carruthers Creek; Salem Road widened to four lanes between Rossland Road and Taunton Road; Taunton Road widened to four lanes across the Town of Ajax; Williamson Drive extended between Salem Road and Carruthers Creek; and Williamson Drive extended between Ravenscroft Road and Bellinger Drive. 7

5 2.3.4 Goods Movement The Town supports goods movement by working with the Region to promote designated truck routes and goods movement corridors. The Town also is a stakeholder in plans for Highway 7 widening, the Highway 407 East Extension and in the environmental assessments that the Ministry of Transportation is undertaking regarding widening Highway 401. The Highway 401 EA and Preliminary Design Study between Salem Road and Brock Street (Whitby) is almost complete and the Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) is pending release. Its purpose is to review the capacity, operational and safety requirements of this section while integrating the Highway 407 West Durham Link connection to Highway 401 and a new Lake Ridge Road interchange. The Highway 401 EA and Preliminary Design Study from Brock Road (Pickering) to Courtice Road was just initiated by MTO, and will determine the long-term rehabilitation and operational needs of the corridor (incorporating the recommendations from the Salem Road to Brock Street study), recommend safety improvements and plan for contract staging and sequencing for future construction contracts. All of these highways are major goods movement routes Walking and Cycling The major achievement for the Town has been the preparation of the Town s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan in This plan outlines the blueprint for network expansion for trails, sidewalks and bikeways in the Town. The Town presently is engaged in a public awareness road safety campaign, entitled Ajax Moves Three Ways to focus on the interaction between motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. Between 2007 and the present, the Town constructed over 20 kilometres of trails and now has almost 90 kilometres of trails as part of its trails systems. The Town has almost 11 kilometres of designated bike lanes and almost 16 kilometres of shared on-road cycling facilities (sharrows), the majority of which has been constructed since Transportation Demand Management Transportation Demand Management (TDM) can be defined as A multi-modal approach to managing transportation demand by supporting cycling, walking, transit, and carpooling as viable alternatives. TDM looks to introducing incentives and disincentives to reduce reliance on the single-occupant vehicle (Geoff Noxon, Noxon Associates). One initiative the Town of Ajax uses in support of TDM is through its membership in the Smart Commute program. The Smart Commute program, developed by Metrolinx, works with employers and commuters to explore different commuting choices such as carpooling, cycling and transit. The goal is to ease gridlock, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making individuals commutes less expensive and more enjoyable. The 2007 TMP recommended preparation of a Transportation Demand Management Plan. Preparation of a TDM plan would bring together the commitment, planning, services and promotion necessary to successfully implement TDM measures. The recommendation to prepare a TDM plan is carried forward in this TMP Update and is discussed in Section Roadway Network The roadway network within the Town of Ajax is shown in Figure 5. The jurisdiction and classification of the roads in the Town of Ajax are listed in Table 6. A brief description of each classification can be found in Table 7. The regional roadway network is shown in Figure 7. 8

6 Table 6: Jurisdiction and Classification of the Roads in the Town of Ajax Jurisdiction Roadway Classification Ministry of Transportation Region of Durham Town of Ajax Highway 401 Bayly Street (RR 22) Lake Ridge Road (RR 23) (northern Town limits to Bayly Street) Taunton Road (RR 4) Church Street (RR 24) (Kingston Road to Bayly Street) 1 Kingston Road (Highway 2) Salem Road (RR 41) (Chambers Drive to Bayly Street) Westney Road (RR 31) All remaining Roads Freeway Type A Arterial Type A Arterial Type A Arterial Type B Arterial Type B Arterial Type B Arterial Type B and C Arterial Types B and C Arterials, Collector Roads and Local Roads Note: 1. Church Street (Regional Road 24) from Highway 401 northerly to Kingston Road (Regional Highway 2) is to be transferred to the Town of Ajax upon approval from the federal and provincial governments (related to use of ISF funding used for road reconstruction). Salem Road from Chambers Drive northerly to Taunton Road is to be transferred to the Region upon completion of property transfers. Note 2. Harwood Avenue from Kingston Road to Lake Ontario was transferred from the Region to the Town in Table 7: Road Classification Descriptions Classification Role / Function Characteristics Type A Arterial - Traffic movement a primary consideration - Connects with freeways and arterials - Inter-regional and inter-municipal trips > 10,000 AADT km/h 36-45m right-of-way Type B Arterial Type C Arterial Collector Local - Traffic movement a primary consideration - Connects with freeways, arterials and collectors - Inter and intra-municipal trips - Traffic movement slightly more important than land access - Connects with arterials, collectors and limited local road access - Intra-municipal trips - Collecting and distributing traffic from local roads to other collectors and/or Type C Arterials - Provide access to individual abutting properties. Roads are designed to carry low traffic volumes 5,000-40,000 AADT km/h 30-36m right-of-way 4,000 20,000 AADT km/h 26-30m right-of-way 1,000 5,000 AADT 50 km/h 20-26m right-of-way 0 1,000 AADT km/h 17-23m right-of-way 9

7 Figure 5: Existing Road Network Town of Ajax Official Plan 10

8 Figure 6: Existing Road Network Durham Region Official Plan 11

9 2.4.1 Major Travel Flows Roads The Region of Durham s travel demand model was used to identify year 2006 major travel flows on roads. The year 2006 was used as the base year as that is the year of the most recent TTS data, which was determined to be the most comprehensive data available for use at the time of the preparation of this TMP Update, as reported in Section 2.2. The 2006 model was validated to observed travel demand and traffic conditions using the 2006 TTS and 2006 Cordon Count data. The model validation report is provided in Appendix A. The year 2006 travel flows are illustrated in Figure 7. Figure 7: Travel Flows (2006 PM Peak Hour) Green: volume <500 Yellow: 500< volume <1000 Ochre: 1000< volume <2000 Red: volume >2000 As would be expected, Highway 401 exhibits the highest travel flows. Westney Road and Salem Road, which provide highway access, exhibit high flows, especially on links near Highway 401. Major alternative east-west links also exhibit high travel flows. Examples of these are Kingston Road, Bayly Street and Taunton Road. High vehicle traffic volumes are causing some road links to approach capacity. These road links are indicated in red on the volume to capacity ratio plot provided in Figure 8. Road segments that are approaching capacity are indicated in yellow. Green road links represent roads that have adequate capacity for existing (2006) traffic volumes and spare capacity to accommodate additional vehicles. 12

10 Figure 8: Volume to Capacity Ratios (2006 PM Peak Hour) Volume to Capacity (V/C) Ratio Free flow: V/C =<0.8 Approach capacity: 0.8> V/ C <0.9 Stop and go: V/C >=0.9 As shown in Figure 8, major east west routes, such as Highway 401 and portions of Bayly Street, Kingston Road, Rossland Road and Taunton Road, are approaching capacity, with volume to capacity ratios of 0.90 or higher. Major north south routes such as Westney Road and Salem Road are also approaching capacity, especially in segments near the access points to Highway 401. The travel trends reported in the 2006 analysis are very similar to the trends observed during the preparation of this report. The commuter pattern of heavy westbound flows in the morning peak period and heavy eastbound flows in the evening peak period remain, especially on major east-west thoroughfares such as Highway 401, Kingston Road and Bayly Street. These road segments were observed to be approaching capacity through the Uptown and Downtown neighbourhoods. 13

11 2.4.2 Major Travel Flows Transit Local and regional transit service in Ajax is provided by Durham Region Transit (DRT) and GO Transit. Transit Ridership on Durham Region Transit Services Transit ridership data from Durham Region Transit (DRT) for the years 2007 through 2011 were reviewed to determine major transit travel flows in the Town of Ajax. A review of the ridership data revealed that the annual transit ridership has increased from 1,085,257 million trips to 1,169,532 million trips from 2007 to 2011, as shown in Table 8. The overall increase in ridership from 2007 to 2011 is approximately 8%. Table 8: Town of Ajax Annual Ridership on Durham Region Transit, Regular Service Passenger Trips Number of Trips Year There are 18 DRT routes that have served the Town of Ajax from 2007 to During this time period, some have been discontinued or combined into other routes (220 Westney, 223 Nottingham, 235 Puckrin/Elm and 240 Applecroft) and new numbered routes have been started (219 Ravenscroft and 221 Delaney). DRT routes within the Town are illustrated in Figure 9. DRT routes serving Ajax and their annual boardings are shown in Table 9. 14

12 Figure 9: Durham Region Transit Routes Serving the Town of Ajax 15

13 Table 9: Annual Boardings on Durham Region Transit Routes Serving the Town of Ajax Year Route # Route Name Beach 86,245 88,345 86,178 89,412 94, Ravenscroft 88, , Westney 125, , ,094 33, Delaney 30,652 50, Audley South 47,891 67,911 67,578 60,945 74, Nottingham 32, Harwood 97, , , , , Audley North 18,896 23,480 24,098 63, , Duffins 77,167 50,065 48,332 40,326 52, Village 77,561 97,300 85,213 65,986 70, Puckrin / Elm 59,967 64,528 57,930 19, Applecroft 106, ,546 98,094 32,124 Ajax School Specials 232, , , , , Flag Bus 1 32,206 27,867 31,368 39,423 33, Flag Bus 2 34,315 28,700 31,800 35,547 37, Route ,020 21,046 20,346 21,075 24, Route ,877 13,495 14,378 13,226 17, Route ,900 17,231 17,255 14,381 17, Route ,113 13,149 14,382 12,167 13,326 Total 1,085,257 1,080,726 1,039,841 1,034,327 1,169,532 In 2011, there were seven routes that accounted for 5% or more of the total ridership. There are three routes that individually comprise of over 10% of the system s ridership, 219 Ravenscroft, 225 Audley North and Ajax School Special. Six out of the seven most traveled routes service the Ajax GO Station. The top seven routes, in terms of ridership, are shown in Table 10. Table 10: Transit Routes Accounting for 5% or More of Transit Trips in 2011 Route # Route Name Total Trips % of Total 219 Ravenscroft 154, % 225 Audley North 127, % 224 Harwood 104,318 9% 218 Beach 94,807 8% 222 Audley South 74,380 6% 232 Village 70,721 6% Ajax School Specials 296,247 25% All other routes 247,071 22% Total 1,169, % Major increases in ridership from 2010 to 2011 occurred on the 219 Ravenscroft route (88, ,767 boardings) and 222 Audley North route (63, , 221 boardings). In 2011, DRT no longer serviced the 220 Westney route, the 235 Puckrin/ Elm route and the 240 Applecroft route. Transit riders who regularly used those routes were forced to use alternate routes, which may have contributed to the increases in ridership on select routes. A significant proportion (25%) of the transit ridership on DRT is contributed by students on dedicated school routes. These services are student-specific and only allow students to use these services. Students also are eligible and do use the other routes in Ajax operated by DRT. 16

14 In 2010, a portion of Fairall Street (located at the intersection of Westney Road at the Ajax GO Station) was closed. Since all Ajax routes were affected by the road closure, the transit routes had to be restructured. The 220 Westney and 240 Applecroft were renamed to correspond with the revised routing. The new 219 Ravenscroft route includes part of the 220 Westney and 240 Applecroft and the revised 225 Audley North now incorporates the 235 Puckrin/Elm routes. The route restructuring resulted in the large jump in ridership on these routes. Transit Ridership on GO Transit Services GO Transit provides rail and bus services through Ajax. Rail service is provided at the Ajax GO Train Station via the Lakeshore East rail service with connecting GO Bus service. Rail service is provided seven days a week. GO Bus service is provided via three routes that connect Ajax to Oshawa in the east and destinations in Toronto in the west. GO Bus service also is provided seven days a week for most routes. The GO Bus services operate along Kingston Road and Highway 401. GO Transit routes that service Ajax are summarized in Table 11. Table 11: GO Train and Bus Routes Serving the Town of Ajax Route # Type of Service Route Name Westbound Destination Eastbound Destination Train Lakeshore East Union Station (Toronto) Oshawa 94 Bus Oshawa / Yorkdale Yorkdale (Toronto) Oshawa 95 Bus Oshawa / Finch Finch (Toronto) Oshawa 96 Bus Oshawa / Finch Express Finch (Toronto) Oshawa GO Transit average weekday and weekend ridership data for train and bus services is presented in Table 12. Table 12: GO Transit Ridership Data, Year Year GO Train Ridership (Ajax GO Station) Average Weekday Ridership Average Weekend Ridership Total Annual Ridership GO Bus Ridership (Stops within the Town of Ajax) Average Average Total Annual Weekday Weekend Ridership Ridership Ridership ,618 1,492 2,334,698 3, , ,116 1,405 2,190,575 3,361 1, , ,850 1,532 2,388,680 3,610 1,217 1,042, ,327 1,615 2,509,763 3,354 1, ,890 GO Train ridership has been steadily increasing in the last four years. In the spring of 2011, the Ajax GO station was the fourth busiest GO station besides Union Station in the entire GO rail network. GO Train experienced a ridership more than double the number of riders experienced by DRT services in Ajax in GO Train and Bus services combined to accommodate 75% of the transit ridership in Ajax in the year In 2011, DRT and GO Transit serviced over 4.6 million customers in Ajax. 17

15 2.5 Existing Intersection Levels of Service An intersection capacity analysis provides an indication of traffic operations based on calculations of volume to capacity (v/c) and delays for individual movements at an intersection. Level of Service (LOS) denoted by letters A through D, represent satisfactory traffic operations. LOS denoted by the letters E and F represent congested traffic operations. Existing turning movement counts were collected from the Town of Ajax and the Region of Durham for select intersections in the Uptown and Downtown neighbourhoods and along Church Street. Existing signal timing plans and phasing plans were collected from the Region of Durham for all of the signalized intersections that were studied. The intersections studied for their existing level of service are shown in Table 13. Table 13: Intersections Studied for Existing Level of Service Uptown Downtown Church Street Ritchie/Chapman at Kingston Best Buy at Kingston Harwood at Kingston Durham Centre at Kingston Costco at Kingston Salem at Kingston Harwood at Gardiner / Mandrake Station / Achilles at Harwood Kings Crescent at Harwood Hunt at Harwood Bayly at Harwood Falby at Harwood Emperor at Harwood Clements at Harwood Westney / Dreyer at Harwood Clover Ridge at Harwood Bayly at Finley Bayly at MacKenzie Bayly at Monarch Bayly at Kitney / Commercial Bayly at Burcher Bayly at Shoal Point Road Church at Kingston Church at Lincoln Church at Delaney The Region of Durham provided a Synchro file with the signal timing plans and phasing plans for the intersections studied. The turning movement counts were input into the Region s Synchro file in order to identify operational performance of intersections in the morning (AM) and evening (PM) rush hour periods and to identify opportunities for modifications that could be made to improve the functionality of the intersections. The initial results from the traffic analysis revealed some intersections with reported volume to capacity ratios greater than 1.0. In these instances, further refinements were made in Synchro in order to achieve more realistic results (i.e. volume to capacity ratios less than 1.0, or in the worst case scenario, less than 1.10). Refinements made included setting peak hour factors and the lane utilization factors to 1.0 and optimizing signal timing and phasing. The existing performance of the intersections is reported for each of the three neighbourhoods studied in the Town: Uptown, Downtown and Church Street. For the Town of Ajax, a level of service of D or better is considered to represent satisfactory operations conditions. Critical movements are defined as those with a volume to capacity ratio of 0.85 or higher. 18

16 2.5.1 Uptown Intersections Existing Levels of Service The Uptown neighbourhood is centred at the intersection of Harwood Avenue and Kingston Road. For the purposes of this analysis, the intersections Harwood Avenue and Gardiner Drive / Mandrake Street in the south, Salem Road and Kingston Road in the east and Ritchie Avenue / Chapman Drive and Kingston Road in the west bound the area studied. The Uptown neighbourhood is the centre of commercial retail activity in the Town. Kingston Road is a major conduit of Town traffic as well as regional through traffic. Multiple site visits were conducted between May and August of 2012 to observe existing traffic volumes and traffic behavior at the intersections in the Uptown neighbourhood. While focused on the automobile, this area has transit service provided by GO Transit and Durham Region Transit. In addition, Bus Rapid Transit is planned along Kingston Road. Intersections within the Uptown were analyzed to assess the level of service and to identify critical movements. The analysis of morning (AM) and evening (PM) weekday peak hour conditions is summarized in Table 14 and displayed graphically in Figure 10. Detailed Synchro output sheets for each intersection in the AM and PM peak hours are provided in Appendix B. Table 14: Uptown Intersections Existing Levels of Service Intersection Ritchie/Chapman at Kingston Best Buy at Kingston Harwood at Kingston AM Weekday Peak Hour PM Weekday Peak Hour Level of Service Critical Movements Level of Service Critical Movements B (10) -- B (14) -- B (12) -- B (11) -- C (21) -- D (44) EB-T (1.01) WB-L (1.06) NB-L (1.09) NB-T (0.99) Durham Centre at Kingston A (3) -- B (8) -- Costco at Kingston A (3) -- B (12) -- Salem at Kingston E (48) Harwood at Gardiner / Mandrake WB-L (1.**) SB-T (1.01) F (93) EB-T (1.**) WB-L (1.**) NB-T (0.89) NB-R (1.**) B (11) EB-L (0.86) A (10) -- ** = Synchro reports a volume to capacity ratio greater than 1.10 for this movement, even after detailed refinement of the parameters used in the software. It is recognized that this intersection approaches capacity in the peak traffic periods. 19

17 Figure 10: Uptown Intersections Existing Levels of Service Traffic volumes and intersection performance in the Uptown area clearly indicate a commuting pattern to and from Highway 401 during the AM and PM peak hours, respectively. As Salem Road provides one of the two connections to Highway 401 in Ajax, it is not surprising to see the analysis illustrating what was observed in site visits, heavy traffic volumes, poor levels of service, long delays, long queues, high volume to capacity ratios and multiple critical movements in both the AM and PM peak hours. Harwood at Kingston, the centre of the Uptown district, also exhibits similar intersection performance. It should be noted that the construction of the Highway 407 West Durham Link and the Lake Ridge/Highway 401 interchange is expected to provide some level of relief for the congested movements that are related to the commuting patterns to and from Highway 401. The analysis of existing conditions clearly shows the need for alternative solutions to address the prevailing commuting problem of towards Toronto in the AM peak and away from Toronto in the PM peak. From a transportation perspective, alternatives to the automobile, such as bus rapid transit on Kingston Road, are part of the solution. Economic development initiatives that provide more jobs closer to Ajax could result in changes to travel patterns that could result in better intersection performance. 20

18 2.5.2 Downtown Intersections Existing Levels of Service Harwood Avenue is the spine of the Downtown neighbourhood. For the purposes of this analysis, the Downtown area studied was defined as Harwood Avenue between Station Street / Achilles Road in the north and Clements Road in the south, Burcher Road at Bayly Street in the east and Finley Avenue at Bayly Street in the west. The downtown is home to civic buildings such as Town Hall, community centre, schools and libraries. It also includes significant residential, commercial retail and employment lands. The performance of Downtown intersections during the AM and PM weekday peak hours is shown in Table 15 and illustrated in Figure 11. Detailed Synchro output sheets for each intersection are provided in Appendix C. Table 15: Downtown Intersections Existing Levels of Service Intersection AM Weekday Peak Hour PM Weekday Peak Hour Level of Service Critical Movements Level of Service Critical Movements Station / Achilles at Harwood B (15) -- C (22) -- Kings Crescent at Harwood A (6) -- A (8) -- Hunt at Harwood A (9) -- B (16) -- Bayly at Harwood C (25) -- C (24) EB-T (0.86) Falby at Harwood A (8) -- A (4) -- Emperor at Harwood A (7) -- A (10) -- Clements at Harwood A (8) -- B (18) -- Westney / Dreyer at Harwood B (15) -- C (20) -- Clover Ridge at Harwood A (8) -- A (5) -- Bayly at Finley A (9) -- C (20) Bayly at MacKenzie A (1) -- A (3) -- Bayly at Monarch B (16) NB-L (0.89) B (12) -- Bayly at Kitney / Commercial A (5) -- B (18) -- Bayly at Burcher B (12) -- A (6) -- Bayly at Shoal Point Road C (22) NB-L (0.92) C (21) EB-T (0.92) Intersections within the downtown district generally operate at acceptable levels of service with adequate capacity. Select intersections have individual movements that are approaching capacity. Critical movements at intersections along Bayly Street during the PM peak hour are primarily due to the heavy eastbound traffic flow and long queue, as observed in site visits, which is impacting both through and turning movements across Bayly Street. 21

19 Figure 11: Downtown Intersections Existing Levels of Service 22

20 2.5.3 Shoal Point Road and Bayly Street Intersection Existing Levels of Service Consideration has been given to realigning the intersection of Bayly Street and Shoal Point Road in order to address traffic operations challenges and to align with a possible extension of Shoal Point Road north to Achilles Road. This intersection was analyzed in Synchro to determine any operational deficiencies. As reported in Table 16, with Synchro output sheets provided in Appendix D, the northbound left is a critical movement during the AM peak hour, while the eastbound through movement is a critical movement during the PM peak hour. Both of these critical movements reflect the heavy commuter travel pattern of westbound during the AM peak and eastbound during the PM peak. The eastbound PM peak hour capacity concern is exacerbated by the fact that immediately east of the Bayly Street / Shoal Point Road intersection Bayly Street narrows from two eastbound through lanes to one eastbound through lane. Site observations revealed that traffic queued in the leftmost eastbound through lane in anticipation of the upcoming merge in traffic. Table 16: Shoal Point Road / Bayly Street Intersection Existing Levels of Service Intersection Bayly at Shoal Point Road AM Weekday Peak Hour PM Weekday Peak Hour Level of Service Critical Movements Level of Service Critical Movements C (22) NB-L (0.92) C (21) EB-T (0.92) Realignment was considered to accommodate eastbound right turning traffic during the PM peak hour. The bridge along Bayly Street over Carruthers Creek just west of the intersection with Shoal Point Road makes it difficult to widen Bayly Street to provide a dedicated eastbound right turning lane. Reviewing the traffic volumes, it is evident that the eastbound through traffic volume (approximately 1,800 vehicles) is the cause of the high volume to capacity ratio and that the eastbound right turning traffic (approximately 250 vehicles) is contributing little to the congestion at this intersection. Bayly Street west of the intersection with Shoal Point Road is scheduled for widening from one lane to two lanes. Adjustments to the signal timing and phasing were tested in Synchro and found to be sufficient to reduce volume to capacity ratios. Combined with the planned widening of Bayly Street, realignment is not justified from a traffic operations perspective to accommodate existing traffic conditions. Analysis of future conditions regarding this intersection is reported in Section

21 2.5.4 Church Street Intersections Existing Levels of Service Church Street was studied to assess the impacts of the recent implementation of bicycle lanes north of Mill Street. The stretch of Church Street north of Mill Street was reconfigured from a four lane cross section to a three lane cross section with bicycle lanes. There is now one through lane and bicycle lane in both directions with a centre two-way left turn lane. Concerns have been raised about traffic infiltration onto residential streets south of Kingston Road. Three intersections were assessed as part of this study, the intersection of Church Street at Kingston Road and one intersection along Church Street north and south of this location. The location of these three intersections and the AM and PM levels of service are shown in Figure 12. The existing performance of the three signalized intersections on Church Street during the AM and PM weekday peak hours is shown in Table 17. Detailed Synchro output sheets for each intersection during the AM and PM peak hours are provided in Appendix E. Figure 12: Church Street Intersections Existing Levels of Service 24

22 Table 17: Church Street Intersections Existing Levels of Service Intersection Church at Kingston AM Weekday Peak Hour PM Weekday Peak Hour Level of Service Critical Movements Level of Service Critical Movements EB-L (0.88) C (28) -- D (38) EB-T (0.87) NB-T (0.94) Church at Lincoln B (9) -- B (14) -- Church at Delaney B (16) -- B (13) -- The two intersections studied on Church Street north (Delaney) and south (Lincoln Street) of Kingston Road are shown to exhibit an adequate level of service with no critical movements. The intersection of Church at Kingston exhibits adequate level of service but has critical movements during the PM peak hour. Site observations revealed that movements around the Church Street and Kingston Road intersection are approaching capacity due to traffic flow along Kingston Road. During the PM peak hour, traffic along Kingston Road was observed to back up from Westney through the Church Street intersection. The severe traffic conditions along Kingston Road are not only resulting in critical movements along this road but are also affecting the north and southbound movements. During the PM peak hour, northbound traffic along Church Street was observed to queue to south of Lincoln Street. Northbound right turning traffic had difficulty accessing Kingston Road due to the congestion. If eastbound traffic along Kingston Road queued in the intersection with Church Street, northbound and southbound through traffic also was affected. Vehicles travelling north along Church Street and desiring to travel east along Kingston Road could infiltrate through the neighbourhood on Mill Street or Lincoln Street and access Kingston Road at Mill Street or Rotherglen Road. However, when vehicles reached Kingston Road at either of these locations, they were likely to find Kingston Road at capacity, perhaps blocked by eastbound traffic. The analysis of this neighbourhood concludes that the bicycle lanes are not causing disproportionate vehicle delay and congestion and that the bike lanes should remain. Recommendations for improvements to this neighbourhood include: Identify ways to increase capacity / reduce demand on Kingston Road and / or identify alternatives to Kingston Road for east-west vehicle travel; Monitor travel demands in the two-way left turning lane on Church Street north of Kingston (adjacent to Pickering High School); Consider removing the two-way left turn lane and extending the bicycle lanes to bridge this gap in the network; and Consider expanding the network of bicycle lanes beyond Church Street to connect to other destinations. 25

23 2.6 Existing Parking Utilization in the Downtown and Uptown A parking utilization study was undertaken for the Downtown area on Thursday, August 16th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at one hour intervals. The parking supply in the Downtown area was counted at commercial plazas and other lots open to the general public. Parking was not counted at institutions, private residences or schools. The parking supply in the Downtown was divided into seven zones, as shown in Figure 13. Based on the utilization survey, there is ample parking supply within the Downtown, with an observed average utilization of 43%. Table 18 shows the peak demand for the various zones in the Downtown area. Table 18: Downtown Peak Parking (Thursday, 1:00pm 2:00pm) Demand by Zone Zone Parking Supply Parking Demand Utilization % % % % % * 86% % *Estimated Utilization, entry to parking lots was controlled by gates The downtown area contains a mix of land uses with commercial retail, businesses, institutional, recreational and residential land uses. Site observations revealed ample parking supply and in some cases, complete sections of parking without any demand, although it is acknowledged that this was only a one-day survey. A parking utilization study also was undertaken for the Uptown area on Saturday, August 18, 2012, from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm at 1 hour intervals. The parking supply was divided into ten zones, as shown in Figure 14. Based on the utilization survey, there is ample supply in the Uptown study area. Although the demand varies by zone, the average utilization observed in the Uptown area was 41%. The peak demand for the zones in the Uptown area is shown in Table 19. Table 19: Uptown Peak Parking (Saturday, 12:30pm 1:30pm) Demand by Zone Zone Parking Supply Parking Demand Utilization % % % % % % % % % % The parking lots studied all serve commercial developments. On the day of the survey, some sections of the lots were completely vacant. 26

24 Figure 13: Downtown Parking Supply and Demand 27

25 Figure 14: Uptown Parking Supply and Demand 28

26 2.7 Existing Active Transportation Network The Town s existing active transportation network consists of pedestrian sidewalks, multi-use trails including recreational trails, boulevard trails, bicycle lanes and marked shared lanes. Ajax has many multi-use trails with corridors along Duffins Creek, Millers Creek, Carruthers Creek and the Lake Ontario waterfront. Ajax is seen as a leader in Durham Region both in the quantity and quality of active transportation facilities provided. The Town s current practice for new road construction includes a sidewalk on one side of the street and a multi-use trail on the other side. Presently, the Town maintains a trails system that totals almost 90 kilometres. The Town has almost 11 kilometres of designated bike lanes and almost 16 kilometres of shared on-road cycling facilities (sharrows). The existing active transportation network, highlighting the paved trails, unpaved trails, bike lanes and shared roadways is shown in Figure 15. Continued expansion of the active transportation network, connecting missing links and connecting to active transportation facilities to major destinations is important to continue to encourage the shift away from single occupancy vehicle travel to more sustainable modes of transportation. 29

27 Figure 15: Existing Active Transportation Network 30