Moving a bus stop (done) and lengthening an intersection concrete median are among recommendations in a City staff report into what many consider a dangerous section of Algonquin Ave. A traffic count showed 16,162 vehicles per day use the roadway.
In 2016, an elderly couple was killed after being struck by a car while trying to cross the busy street, and the Algonquin/Front St. intersection is one of the worst in the city when it comes to traffic collisions.
See: Algonquin traffic deaths no fault of driver police say
And: Woman in Algonquin accident dies in hospital
The report is divided into four subsections:
- Pedestrians crossing mid-block near the Medical Building on Algonquin Avenue
- Algonquin Intersection at Lansdowne Avenue and Norwood Avenue
- Algonquin Intersection at Jane Street and Front Street
- Consideration for Speed Reduction to 40 km/hr
Traffic cameras were installed for five days to count pedestrian traffic crossing Algonquin at the accident location and showed an average eight-hour peak of 178 pedestrian crossings near the mid-block location from a parking lot to the medical building.
A meeting between city staff and medical building management revealed that the overflow parking lot was meant for employee use and is designed to free up spots next to the building for patients. Management also said it would explore future possibilities to buy additional land on the west side of Algonquin for parking.
The report rules out a pedestrian crosswalk as it would be located less than 100m away from traffic lights at the intersection of Lansdowne/Norwood and provincial guidelines say that pedestrian crossing treatments should not be installed less than 200m away from other signal-protected pedestrian crossings. It also notes that pedestrian crossings should not be installed on roadways with more than four lanes of two-way traffic.
Algonquin has five.
High speed doesn't appear to be a major factor. With the speed limit presently at 50 km/h, the range of speeds that 85 per cent of drivers are driving at or lower, was 57 km/h.
"With efforts to reduce the number of pedestrians crossing Algonquin near the Medical Building, the northbound City bus stop was relocated on December 4 2017.," states the report. "The bus stop was previously located directly across from the Medical Building. The new location of the bus stop is in front of the Gas Station/Tim Hortons commercial property. By relocating this bus stop, transit users heading to the Medical Building are encouraged to cross at the signalized intersection at Lansdowne/Norwood Avenue as it is the most direct route."
The report also recommends ending southbound left turns just south of the intersection.
"Collision data in the immediate area of the intersection of Algonquin and Lansdowne Avenue/Norwood Avenue was reviewed. Data between July 2014 and July 2017 showed a total of 23 collisions around this intersection. From these reports, 13 of them were rear-end collisions, four were sideswipe collisions, five were right-angle turning collisions, and one was with a pedestrian crossing at Lansdowne. Among these collisions, six occurred immediately south of the intersection in the southbound direction. The collisions that occurred were as a result of southbound left turning traffic into the Gas Station/Tim Hortons.
"In order to prevent this type of collision at this location, the southern median should be extended to prevent left turns."
As for the Algonquin/Front St intersection, the report says, "Between July 2014 and July 2017 showed a total of 44 collisions at this intersection. These collisions included 29 angle and turning movement collisions, 11 rear-ending collisions, three side-swipe collisions and one front end collision with a utility pole. Of the 29 collisions, three were due to northbound traffic failing to stop at a red light resulting in a collision with east or westbound traffic. It is apparent from the data that the majority of right-angle collisions occurred as a result of left-turning movements from Algonquin to Jane Street and Front Street. Sixteen collisions occurred as a result of a southbound vehicle turning left to Front Street and 10 collisions were as a result of a northbound vehicle turning left to Jane Street.
"In order to reduce the frequency of this type of collision, dedicated left-turn lanes would need to be provided for northbound and southbound approaches, along with a protected left-turn traffic signal phase. To accommodate a new turning lane on Algonquin Avenue, additional City land will need to be purchased near the intersection along with physical modifications to the intersection. These modifications to the intersection will require future budgeted capital funds for the design, land purchase, and reconstruction."
Tonight's committee meeting of Council starts at 6:30 with the regular meeting following at 7:30.
