Corporate. Report COUNCIL DATE: May 25, 1998 NO: R1500 REGULAR COUNCIL. TO: Mayor & Council DATE: April 27, 1998

Transcription

1 R1500 : Traffic Safety at 25 Avenue and 128 Street Intersection Corporate NO: R1500 Report COUNCIL DATE: May 25, 1998 REGULAR COUNCIL TO: Mayor & Council DATE: April 27, 1998 FROM: General Manager, Engineering FILE: SUBJECT: Traffic Safety at 25 Avenue and 128 Street Intersection RECOMMENDATIONS 1. That Council receive the report on the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street as information. 2. That Council authorize staff to forward a copy of this report to all persons who attended the Engineering Department meetings which were held in relation to this intersection and to all persons who have written to the City with their comments about the subject intersection. 3. That Council direct staff to review the traffic volumes and accident statistics at the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street in two years' time and to apprise Council should any changes be necessary at that time. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to apprise Council of safety concerns that have been brought to the attention of Engineering Department staff related to the operation of the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street, and to advise Council of actions which are considered reasonable to address these concerns. BACKGROUND Over the past several years, the Engineering Department has received a number of letters and telephone calls concerning safety of pedestrians and motorists at the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street. The attached Figure 1 illustrates the intersection as it currently exists. The following list documents the major concerns which have been raised: Vehicles parked on the west side of 128 Street north of 25 Avenue cause sight line problems for eastbound motorists on 25 Avenue who are attempting to turn left at 128 Street.

2 Motorists on 25 Avenue have difficulty in entering 128 Street due to the volume and speed of traffic on 128 Street. Right-angle (90 degree) parking on the north side of 25 Avenue, immediately west of 128 Street, results in motorists backing out into 25 Avenue traffic and into the subject intersection. The bulb on the north-west corner of the intersection is perceived to create a narrow opening for motorists making the left turn movement from northbound on 128 Street to westbound on 25 Avenue. Northbound motorists on 128 Street pass left turning vehicles at 25 Avenue on the right. This is not permitted where there is crosswalk at the intersection and is especially unsafe when pedestrians are present in the crosswalk across 128 Street on the north side of 25 Avenue. The construction of the new 25 Avenue cul-de-sac on the east side of 128 Street is offset from the west leg of 25 Avenue at the intersection and complicates the intersection. Motorists on 128 Street exceed the speed limit through the school zone for Crescent Elementary School which is located to the south of the 25 Avenue intersection. The relocation of the bus stop on the east side of 128 Street from south of 25 Avenue to immediately north of 25 Avenue is considered to be undesirable since the new location is less convenient for some of the patrons of the transit system who live in the area. School children from the residential development in the vicinity of 24A Avenue on the west side of 128 Street are required to walk north to 25 Avenue then east along 25 Avenue to 128 Street then south along 128 Street to the signalized intersection at 24 Avenue to use the crosswalk at that location to access the Crescent Elementary School. There is currently no sidewalk along the south side of 25 Avenue to the west of 128 Street. There is a crossing guard at the 24 Avenue intersection to assist school children to cross the street. The Engineering Department undertook a review of the intersection about one year ago, in conjunction with the local residents and the conclusion at that time was that of all the options presented and discussed, no option received the support of a majority of residents. While some residents were of the opinion that a rearrangement of parking in the vicinity of the intersection would improve the safety of the intersection, other residents stated that it would not enhance safety but negatively affect the business operation of the grocery store at the corner. Based on the feedback of all concerned, it was decided at that time that no changes would be made to the intersection. The existing configuration of the intersection is shown on Figure 1. Despite the above review and conclusion, the Engineering Department continued to receive letters and phone calls regarding the intersection. In an attempt to work toward a constructive resolution to the concerns, the Engineering Department held an Open House on October 2, 1997, at Crescent Park Elementary School to seek input from the residents. Invitations to the public Open House were delivered to all residents within a two block radius of this intersection. Residents who chose to attend were able to view plans of the intersection and dialogue with Engineering Department representatives who were in attendance. Those attending the Open House were also requested to fill out comment sheets regarding their suggestions with respect to possible improvements to the intersection. A summary of the comments received at the Open House are attached as Appendix A. In response to the input received at the Open House, Engineering Department staff undertook a detailed traffic

3 and pedestrian count at the intersection, traced pedestrian patterns through the intersection, reviewed the accident history for the intersection and prepared a list of possible intersection modifications which were considered to be reasonable. The Engineering Department then arranged a second public meeting which was held at Camp Alexandra at Crescent Beach to which residents within a two block radius of the intersection were invited. The meeting was held at 7:00 p.m. on January 21, 1998, and was attended by approximately 25 to 30 residents. Engineering Department staff made a presentation on: the results of the Open House; the actions taken by the Engineering Department since the Open House; and the modifications which were considered reasonable to make to the intersection to address the concerns of the area residents. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period during which the residents expressed their opinions and concerns with respect to the proposed modifications to the intersection. The general consensus amongst the residents was that the proposed measures were helpful but did not go far enough to alleviate their perceived safety concerns. They felt that the intersection should have either a 4-way stop, a traffic signal, or a pedestrian signal. DISCUSSION The following is a review of various concerns which have been raised in letters to the Engineering Department, in conversations between residents of the area and Engineering Department staff or at meetings arranged by the Engineering Department. Accident Rate The accident history at this intersection indicates that motor vehicle accidents are much lower at this intersection than City-wide averages. Over the past four years, there was approximately one accident per year at this intersection, or an accident rate of 0.4 accidents per million vehicles entering the intersection. This accident rate is considered low. The intersection is not in the top 200 high accident locations in Surrey. It is possible that the intersection operates safely because the level of safety perceived by motorists using the intersection is giving rise to greater caution when driving through the intersection. Sight Lines The sight line distance for eastbound left turning motorists on 25 Avenue at 128 Street is just sufficient to meet the minimum requirement given the speed limit for traffic on 128 Street (65 m based on a 50 km/h speed limit). However, should southbound vehicles on 128 Street exceed the posted speed limit of 50 km/h (outside of the School Zone hours), eastbound left turning vehicles would not have sufficient sight distance to properly judge a safe gap in the 128 Street traffic. An improvement to the sight lines at this intersection would be desirable. The removal of the parallel parking space on 128 Street north of and closest to the intersection of 25 Avenue would be sufficient to improve sight lines for eastbound traffic Parking

4 Approximately 50% of the residents attending the first Open House expressed concern about the on-street public parking around the grocery store. Suggested improvements included: (a) making 25 Avenue parallel parking only' on the north side in place of the current right-angle (90 degree) parking; (b) removing parking on 25 Avenue altogether; and (c) moving the parallel parking on the west side of 128 Street to the north away from the intersection to provide better sight lines. The grocery store in the northwest corner of the intersection has an existing 10 stall parking lot immediately to the west of the store with a driveway off 25 Avenue. This parking lot is not typically used by the patrons of the store. This appears to be due to the layout and location of the parking lot relative to the entrance to the store. The store entrance is at the east end of the store building. Customers to the grocery store generally park in front of the store on 128 Street, on 25 Avenue, and occasionally, on the east side of 128 Street across from the store. Delivery vehicles typically park on 25 Avenue parallel to the curb contrary to other vehicles which are parked at 90 degrees. The owner of the grocery store is not in favour of any change to the on-street parking in the vicinity of the store. Right-angle parking on urban streets is no longer considered to be good design practice relative to motorist safety considerations. It would be possible to reconfigure the on-street parking on the north side of 25 Avenue from right-angle parking to parallel parking only. This parking bay can be extended further west such that the five existing right-angle parking spaces would be converted to 5 parallel parking spaces. This parking layout is shown in Figure 3. Following the public meeting held on January 21, 1998, the Engineering Department received 37 form letters from customers of the grocery store and a follow-up petition including 44 signatures asking that no changes be made to the on-street parking arrangement in the vicinity of the store. Despite the fact that the current parking on-street parking arrangement on 25 Avenue adjacent to the store is not considered desirable, the accident history at this location does not indicate that it is causing a safety problem. Given the fact that there appears to be relatively strong public sentiment to leave the 25 Avenue parking in its current configuration, the Engineering Department is not intending to make any changes to the 25 Avenue parking layout at this time. As mentioned in previous section, a parallel parking space on the east side of 128 Street immediately north of the 25 Avenue intersection should be removed to improve the sight lines at the intersection. Offset Intersection A new cul-de-sac was constructed during the summer of 1997 as the east leg of the intersection. This cul-desac is constructed to half-road standards similar to many others in the City. As a result of the offset, the westbound and eastbound lanes on 25 Avenue on either side of 128 Street are slightly offset from each other. This slight offset is not considered to be a significant problem at the intersection since the volume of traffic using the cul-de-sac will be very small. It is expected that once the cul-de-sac is fully developed it will generate approximately 100 vehicle trips a day or about 10 trips in the p.m. peak hour (i.e., one vehicle every 6

5 minutes during the peak hour). Crosswalk Location A suggestion was made by the residents to relocate the existing crosswalk from the north side of the intersection to the south side or possibly consider installing crosswalks on both sides of the intersection. A traffic count at this intersection indicates 92 pedestrians crossing 128 Street during the afternoon peak period between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. A trace of these pedestrian movements indicate that 80 out of the 92 pedestrians crossed on the north side of the intersection at the existing crosswalk. Based on the pedestrian surveys at this site, the existing crosswalk on the north side should be retained but it would also be reasonable to install a second crosswalk on the south side of the intersection. Motorists on Northbound 128 Street Passing on the Right Some residents have indicated a concern about northbound motorists on 128 Street passing on the right of left turning vehicles at the intersection. Although this is normally permitted, it is illegal while there are pedestrians present or waiting to cross at the crosswalk at the intersection. To discourage motorists passing on the right at the intersection, the existing concrete curb on the east side of 128 Street which stops at a point approximately 10 metres south of the intersection should be extended to the north so that there is insufficient pavement width at the intersection for northbound motorists to pass on the right. Bus Stops The area in the vicinity of the subject intersection is serviced by three bus routes (#351, 352, and #355) all of which run north and south on 128 Street. There are existing bus stops that are very closely spaced on 128 Street. These are located at 24 Avenue, just north of 24 Avenue, and at 26 Avenue. The typical spacing of bus stops on arterial streets is about 400 m or every two blocks. When the 25 Avenue cul-de-sac was constructed on the east side of 128 Street during the summer of 1997, B.C. Transit requested that a new bus bay be constructed on the northeast corner of this intersection. This was intended to provide for the relocation of the bus stop from a point approximately 75 metres south of 25 Avenue on 128 Street to a more standard location at 25 Avenue. There is a seniors housing complex located on approximately 128A Street and 25 Avenue to the east of the subject intersection. The relocated bus stop is considered by some of the seniors who live in this complex to be more inconvenient than the original location. The typical pedestrian pattern for the seniors to the original bus stop location was to walk south from the complex to the tennis court parking lot and then west through the parking lot to 128 Street. With the relocation of the bus stop to 25 Avenue, there is a more direct access between the seniors complex and the bus stop by means of the new 25 Avenue cul-de-sac. This new route requires the construction of a private walkway on the property on which the seniors complex is located. Engineering Department staff have discussed this with the building manager for the complex. Sidewalks Some residents have indicated a concern for the safety of school children as a result of there not being a

6 sidewalk on the south side of 25 Avenue to the west of 128 Street. Sidewalks in the City of Surrey are installed on a priority system based on estimates of the numbers of pedestrians that may be expected to use any particular sidewalk. Although the point system does not indicate additional sidewalks are required in the vicinity of the subject intersection at this time, the Engineering Department surveys indicate that pedestrian movements are relatively high and users would benefit from an additional sidewalk on the south side of 25 Avenue between 127A Street and 128 Street. The Engineering Department is planning on installing this sidewalk under the City's sidewalk program during the 1998 construction season. The property located in the northwest corner of the intersection of 24 Avenue and 128 Street is proposed for redevelopment. As and when such a redevelopment occurs which will likely occur in the next few years, a pedestrian walkway will be secured such that pedestrians from 24A Avenue west of 128 Street can access the intersection of 24 Avenue and 128 Street directly without having to travel north to 25 Avenue and then back south to 24 Avenue. 4-Way Stop Some residents suggested that a 4-way stop be installed at the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street. Fourway stops are typically installed at intersections where there are (a) similar traffic volumes on all legs, (b) high accident rates, and (c) the intersecting roads are of the same classification. At this intersection, 128 Street is an arterial road while 25 Avenue is a local road. The accident history indicates the intersection has a low accident rate (an average of less than 1 accident per year). The traffic volumes are more than five times higher on 128 Street than 25 Avenue. Given this information, a 4-way stop is not recommended at this location. If a four-way stop were to be installed, long queues (up to 8 vehicles in one direction) would result on 128 Street. The Engineering Department's experience indicates that when long queues form on one street at a 4-way stop intersection without queues on the crossing street, motorists will not perceive a need to stop, and may begin to ignore the stop sign. Such a situation is considered to be hazardous. Traffic Signal Some of the residents in the area have suggested that the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection would improve the safety of the intersection and would act to slow traffic down on 128 Street through the school zone. The installation of traffic signals in the City is based on a recognized warrant calculation. The calculation is based on traffic volumes and the accident history at the intersection. A signal is warranted when a score of 100 points is reached. Based on current traffic volumes and accident rates, the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street achieves a score of 72 points. The signal warrant analysis indicates that a traffic signal or pedestrian signal is not warranted at the subject intersection at this time. Given the existing growth patterns in the area, it is unlikely that this intersection would warrant a signal in the next several years. There are many unsignalized intersections in the City which achieve a higher score and should be considered for signalization ahead of the subject intersection. Traffic Signing It was suggested by some residents that the school zones signs on 128 Street should be moved further away from the school to allow drivers more time to slow to 30 km/h before reaching the school. The Engineering Department agrees with this change. The school zone signs have been moved as requested. In addition to the above, new school zone signs have also been installed on 25 Avenue approaching the subject intersection.

7 STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS Crescent Park Market Engineering staff have spoken with Mr. Philip Chung, owner of the Crescent Park Market. He is opposed to any changes in the on-street parking layout around his store. He is concerned that vehicles unable to access the on-street parking would not likely use the off-street parking in the back which will result in a loss of business. Crescent Housing Society (Kiwanis Village) Engineering staff have spoken with the manager of the Kiwanis Village, the seniors housing complex. The housing manager has advised that the old bus stop location on the east side of 128 Street between 24 and 25 Avenues is preferred but that the extra walking distance is not a major concern. Public Meeting The results of the public meetings related to the subject intersection are covered under the Background Section of this report. PROPOSED ACTIONS Based on a review of the safety of this intersection and in consideration of the comments received, the following actions will be undertaken by the Engineering Department: 1. One parallel parking space on the west side of 128 Street closest to the corner of 25 Avenue will be removed to improve sight lines for eastbound left turning traffic. 2. An asphalt sidewalk will be constructed on the south side of 25 Avenue between 127A Street and 128 Street. 3. Pedestrian crosswalks will be painted on both the north and south sides of the 25 Avenue and 128 Street intersection. 4. The school zone signs on 128 Street will be relocated farther to the north to give motorists more advance notice regarding the need to reduce their speed on 128 Street at the elementary school. 5. New school zone signs will be installed on 25 Avenue approaching the 128 Street intersection. 6. The curb on the east side of 128 Street south of 25 Avenue be extended northwards to 25 Avenue to prevent northbound vehicles from passing on the right. 7. Pursue a long-term pedestrian linkage that would allow pedestrians from the 24A Avenue area directly to access the signalized intersection at 24 Avenue and 128 Street, and avoid the need to use the 25 Avenue and 128 Street intersection (please see Figure 4).

8 Figure 2 showing these proposed works is attached. The Engineering Department will continue to monitor the accident statistics for the intersection and will review the traffic volumes in two years' time. CONCLUSIONS The Engineering Department's studies do not indicate a particular safety problem at the intersection of 25 Avenue and 128 Street. Despite this result, in view of the concerns which have been expressed by the area residents, it is considered reasonable to implement some changes to the intersection. Although the proposed actions may not satisfy all of the stakeholders, they are viewed to be a reasonable compromise between the interests of the residents, the motorists, the pedestrians, and the owner of the grocery store. MJM:brb Attachment Umendra Mital, P. Eng., General Manager, Engineering g:\1998\utilitys\traffic\ mjm WS284 04/27/98 10:06 AM