CVMT313 Project

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Markham Road at Highway 401 Traffic Management Plan

City of Toronto

Ken Lam

052375086

CVMT313

December 6, 2007

For Professor Haiquing Xu


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Kenny EA Consultation December 2007 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

2. INTRODUCTION 4

2.1. Study Purpose 4

2.2. Study Area 4

2.3. Overview of the Environmental Assessment Process 6

3. IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES 7

3.1. Existing Constraints 7

3.2. Problems and Opportunities 8

3.3. Problem Statement 9

4. EXISTING CONDITIONS 9

4.1. Existing Road Network 10

4.2. Existing Transit Network 11

4.3. Existing Traffic Management 14

4.4. Existing Traffic Volume 15

4.5. Background Information of Community 16

4.5.1.Census Data 17

4.5.2.Current Land Use 18

4.6. Natural Area Features 19

5. SUMMARY OF FUTURE CONDITIONS 19

6. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS 20

6.1. Alternative Solution 1 20






6.7. Do Nothing Maintain Status Quo 24

7. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS 25

8. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION 26

9. PUBLIC CONSULTATION PROCESS 27

9.1. Public Information Centre #1 27

9.2. Public Information Centre #2 28


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10.ADVERSE IMPACT AND MITIGATION MEASURES 28

11.PUBLIC NOTICE OF COMPLETION AND FILING 29

12.REFERENCES 30

13.APPENDICIES

Appendix A: Public Information Centre #1 Newspaper Advertisement 31

Appendix B: Public Information Centre #1 Information Boards and Signup Sheet 32

Appendix C: Public Information Centre #2 Newspaper Advertisement 35

Appendix D: Public Information Centre #2 Information Boards and Signup Sheet 36

Appendix E: Detailed Analysis of Alternative Solutions 36


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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Markham Road and Highway 401 Traffic Management Plan came about in October of 2007 by theCity of Toronto as problems with the traffic in the area became apparent. Right now, the area is home to

one of the highest traffic volumes in the Scarborough region, and is experiencing an increase of some

100000 vehicles/day in volume of traffic on Highway 401 in that area in a 15 year span. To come up with

the Traffic Management Plan, it must follow the phases contained in the Mun icipal Engineers

Associations Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process (2000). The Municipal Class EA Process

has proven itself to be a robust design process in minimizing environmental harm during and after

construction of a project. What this Traffic Management Plan has found is several solutions in solving

the traffic problems in the area, and will put in place environmental damage mitigation measures to

ensure the environment in the area is safe, and will put in place monitoring plans to make certain that

the environmental provisions stated in the Traffic Management Plan are followed.

2. INTRODUCTION

2.1. STUDY PURPOSE

The City of Toronto is looking into providing a traffic management plan to ease the traffic congestion

that is currently plaguing Markham Road in Scarborough, north of Ellesmere Road and south of

Sheppard Avenue. This area is currently experiencing traffic congestion during the traditional rush hour

times of 7-10 am and 4-7 pm. Currently Markham Road is a 6 lane roadway between Sheppard Avenue

and Ellesmere Road. As the amount of commercial and industrial activity continues to grow in this

region, the traffic problem is expected to grow in the future. The purpose of this Municipal Class EA is

to examine the long-term transportation problems on this stretch of Markham Road and consider

alternatives to alleviate these problems. In accordance with the Municipal Class EA planning principles,

this project must review and analyze the environmental conditions in the study area, listen to

recommendations made by the public, and review and analyze proposed monitoring programs.

2.2. STUDY AREA

This project covers Markham Road in Scarborough, between Sheppard Avenue to the north and

Ellesmere Road to the south. The intersection of Sheppard Avenue and Markham Road is bounded by 2


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gasoline stations and a shopping plaza. The intersection of Milner Avenue and Markham Road is

bounded by a gas station, office buildings, and a traffic court (that unfortunately is always busy). The

intersection of Progress Road and Markham Road is bounded by a gas station, a Kegs restaurant that is

very popular, and the entrance to Centennial College. The intersection of Ellesmere Road and Markham

Road is bounded by 2 gas stations, a plaza and a commercial building. Within the study area is the on

and off-ramps for Highway 401 Westbound and Eastbound, and some residential townhouses on the

northeast corner of Milner Road and Markham Road. There is no new development taking place in the

study area at this time. The study area is displayed in Figure 1.

Figure 1: The Study Area Markham Road

between Sheppard Avenue and Ellesmere

Road


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2.3.OVERVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The Traffic Management Plan for this study was prepared under the requirements of the Municipal ClassEA document and is a Schedule C EA, and so must satisfy phases 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Class EA process.

The processes involved with each of the four phases are described below:

Phase 1 Problem and Opportunity

Identification and description of the problem or opportunity

Phase 2 Alternative Solutions

Identification of alternative solutions to the problem

Inventory of the environment and identify the evaluation criteria

Identification of a recommended solution

Consultation with review agencies and the public

Confirm or find a solution to preferred solution

Phase 3 Alternative Design for Preferred Solution

Identification of alternative designs for preferred solution

Inventory of the environment and identify the evaluation criteria

Identification of a recommended design

Consultation with review agencies and the public

Confirm or find a solution to preferred design

Figure 2: The Key Features of the Class EA.

Since this Traffic Management Plan is a

Schedule C EA, it must implement Phase 3

and Phase 4 of the Municipal Class EA,

which would otherwise be unnecessary if

it was a Schedule B EA


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Phase 4 Environmental Study Report

Complete the ESR Place the ESR on public record

Send a Notice of Completion to review agencies, the public and to the MOE-EA branch

Include the provision to request Minister within 30 days of notification to request a Part-II

Order.

With the completion of Phases 1 and 2, the Class EA requirements for any Schedule B projects are

fulfilled. As part of the study process, it was necessary to determine the applicable Schedule under the

Municipal Class EA document for the projects recommended as part of the Traffic Management Plan.

For the purposes of this Traffic Management Plan, projects that involved more than 2 intersections were

identified as Schedule C projects. The recommendations from this study note that the Phases 1, 2, 3 and

4 requirements of these Schedule C projects were fulfilled in the Traffic Management Plan.

3. IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The main reason this Traffic Management Plan came to fruition is that the traffic volume in the

intersection of Highway 401 and Markham Road is heavy, especially during rush hour. In trying to find a

resolution to this problem, opportunities may arise that can acted on to make the community in the

study area a better one to live and work in. However, the opportunities must be reviewed to determine

if they are indeed possible to act upon in the current traffic situation. This section will also look at other

problems in this study area other than the traffic volume, but the main problem will always be the heavy

traffic.

3.1 EXISTING CONSTRAINTS

A thorough review was undertaken in the study area to see if there were any existing constraints in the

project. The constraints found were:

A bridge that is located on the south of the intersection between Markham Road and Progress

Avenue. This bridge accommodates 4 lanes, 2 for each direction of traffic, plus one left turn

lane, and 2 sidewalks, one on each side of Markham Road. It is a bridge that goes over a creek


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that accommodates stormwater run-off. There is no more space for any lane addition or

widening on this bridge, unless a bridge replacement is done.

Existing Land Uses. They are constraints because each one carries different social impacts. They

limit the types of alternatives that can be implemented, such as types of traffic calming

measures that can be employed.

Specifically, the Neighbourhood Land Use is a constraint. In Section 4.5.2 that covers current

land use in the study area, figure 6 shows that there are some residential use right on Markham

Road that will limit the type of alternatives and construction methods that can be employed.

Specifically, noise reduction methods might have to be employed.

Existing policies that are in place now may also limit the alternatives that can be used. Some ofthese policies are road parking regulations and noise level regulations.

Other EA studies taking place in the same study area as this study may also be a constraint, as it

may change some of the conditions this study currently identifies. One such study is the TTC

Rapid Transit Expansion Study completed in 2002 that identifies one of the intersections in this

reports study area (Markham Road and Sheppard Avenue) a possible location for a Rapid

Transit station - if the TTC decides to expand the current SRT line to this region. An EA has not

been conducted on this RT expansion possibility yet, but the 2007 TTC Capital Budget Summary

stated that this RT expansion is one of their priorities.

3.2.PROBLEMS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The main problem that this Traffic Management Plan is attempting to rectify is the high traffic volumes

experienced in the study area, especially during the rush hour. This high traffic volume could be caused

by smaller problems, all aggregating to cause the high traffic volumes. These problems are, in no

particular order:

Large Trucks and Rigs: There are many trucks on Markham Road that attempt to enter or exit

highway 401. The reason Markham Road is chosen over other arterial roads is that there are a

disproportionate amount of commercial and industrial located at or near Markham Road north

of Sheppard Avenue. Loaded trucks tend to accelerate slowly at intersections after waiting for a

green traffic light, thus adding to the traffic slow-down.


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Intersections: Traffic controls at the 5 intersections cause some slow-down. However, they are

necessary to move the large amount of vehicles that enter the study area efficiently. A field

review will be done to look at how traffic is moving at these intersections during rush hour. In

addition, collision statistics from the City of Toronto can be looked at to identify which

intersections are problematic.

Pedestrians: Look at pedestrian-vehicle incidents that may have occurred in any of the 5

intersections in the study area. See if there are any opportunities to improve pedestrian safety

while allowing traffic to move smoothly through these intersections.

Bicycle Paths: Currently, there are no bicycle paths on Markham Road. See if there are any

opportunities to add one to decrease home-to-work travel by cars.Transit: See what ridership numbers are for Route 102 that runs on Markham Road, and see if

service (i.e. schedules) is lacking, and see if buses can travel through the study area without too

much difficulty.

3.3.PROBLEM STATEMENT

From section 3.1 and 3.2, a problem statement has been developed so that it is clear to the public what

problem this EA study is addressing. The problem statement that will be introduced in the first Public

Information Centre is:

There is a need to implement a Traffic Management Plan to rectify the traffic problems we are

experiencing at the Markham Road at Highway 401 area. The Traffic Management Plan will address the

problems of traffic control and circulation in the area to make the neighbourhood a safer place to work

and play.

4. EXISTING CONDITIONS

One of the main components in this Traffic Management Plan was to complete a comprehensive review

of the existing conditions in the study area. The purpose of doing such a review is to better understand

the transportation systems in place and to have a good foundation upon which to verify and address

some of the issues. This review will include an overview of the existing road networks, the existing

transit network, the existing signals and stop-controls, and the on-street parking regulations. In addition,


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the existing traffic volumes and the background information of the communities in and around the study

area will be undertaken to better understand the underlying reasons for the current traffic situation in

the study area. Finally, this report will look at any natural environmental features in the study area.

4.1.EXISTING ROAD NETWORK

The road network in place in the study area comprises of 1 Ontario Expressway (Highway 401), 3 Major

Arterial Roads (Markham Road, Sheppard Avenue and Ellesmere Road), and 2 Minor Arterial Roads

(Milner Avenue and Progress Road). These classifications are made under the Toronto Road

Classification System. Highway 401 acts as an expressway to carry traffic into and out of Toronto, while

arterial roads are municipal roads that carry relatively large volumes of traffic in and through Toronto.

The rest of the roads in the study area are local roads.

Here are some of the criteria used by the City of Toronto in classifying roads (From Toronto City Planning

Division, 2006):

Expressways: traffic movement is the primary consideration, there is no property access; typical daily

motor vehicle traffic volume is greater than 40000 vehicles; pedestrians are prohibited; right-of-way

width of greater than 45 metres.

Major Arterial Roads: traffic movement is the primary consideration, it is subject to property access

control; the typical daily motor vehicle traffic volume is greater than 20000 vehicles; no restrictions to

heavy truck traffic; the typical spacing between traffic control devices is 215 400 metres; right-of-way

width of 20-45 metres.

Minor Arterial Roads: traffic movement is the primary consideration, there is some property access

control; typical daily motor vehicle traffic volume is 8000-20000 vehicles; no restrictions on heavy truck

traffic; typical spacing between traffic control devices is 215-400 metres; right-of-way width of 20-30

metres.

Local Roads: primary function to serve as property access; the typical daily motor vehicle traffic volume

is


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4.2.EXISTING TRANSIT NETWORK

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) runs several routes in the study area. These routes connect toseveral subway stations:

On Markham Road: Route 102 A, B, C and D connects to Warden Station

On Sheppard Avenue: Route 85 A connects to Don Mills Station and B connects to Sheppard-

Yonge Station

On Ellesmere Road: Route 38 and 133 connects to Scarborough Centre Station 95 B, and 95B

connects to York Mills Station

On Milner Avenue: Route 132 connects to Scarborough Centre Station On Progress Avenue: Route 134 connects to Scarborough Centre Station


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The bus route this EA study is interested in is Route 102 Markham Road going northbound and

southbound (Figure 4). This EA study is mostly interested in the schedule of the bus service, and if it is

adequate in serving the demands of the study area.

Figure 3: The TTC Bus Routes in the study area. Each of

the 5 intersections, excluding the 401 and Markham

Road intersection, has an east-west bus route in

operation.

Figure 4: The TTC Bus Route 102 for

Markham Road. There are 4 subroutes for

Route 102: A to Centennial College, B to

Sheppard Road, C to Passmore Avenue, and

D to Major Mackenzie Drive

Source:

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/schedules/


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From 6:40 AM to 9:45 AM on weekdays, buses come every 5 minutes, which coincides with the morning

rush-hour, and from 4:47 PM to 7:11PM buses come on average every 5 minutes, which coincides with

the afternoon rush.

Table 1: The TTC bus schedule for Route 102 Markham Road

Nouthbound at Progress Court/Centennial College.

Source: http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/schedules/

102 MARKHAM RD. NORTHBOUND

NORTHBOUND on MARKHAM RD. at PROGRESS CT.

To McNICOLL - 102

A - To PROGRESS/CENTENNIAL COLLEGE - 102AB - To SHEPPARD - 102B

C - To PASSMORE - 102C

D - To MAJOR MACKENZIE EXTRA FARE REQUIRED N. OF STEELES - 102D

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A.M. A.M. A.M. P.M. P.M. P.M.

C 5.24 D 8.30 A 11.11 A 2.26 A 4.59 A 8.00

C .49 A .35 .18 D .33 D 5.05 .12

D 6.09 C .40 A .26 A .41 A .11 A .24

C .20 A .45 D .33 .48 C .17 D .36

D .29 D .50 A .41 A .56 A .23 A .48

C .40 A .55 .48 D 3.03 D .29 9.00

A .45 C 9.00 A .56 A .09 A .35 A .12

D .50 A .05 P.M. C .17 C .41 D .24

A .55 D .10 12.03 A .21 A .47 A .36

C 7.00 A .15 A .11 D .27 D .53 .48

A .05 C .20 .18 A .33 A .59 A 10.00

D .10 A .25 A .26 C .41 C 6.05 D .12

A .15 D .33 D .33 A .47 A .11 A .24

C .20 A .35 A .41 D .53 D .17 .36

A .25 .43 .48 A .59 A .23 A .48

D .30 A .45 A .56 C 4.05 C .29 D .57

A .35 .53 1.03 B .06 A .35 A 11.12

C .40 A .55 A .11 A .11 D .41 .23

A .45 10.03 .18 B .13 A .47 A .39

D .50 A .11 A .26 D .17 .51 .56

A .55 .18 D .33 B .18 A .59 A.M.

C 8.00 A .26 A .41 A .23 D 7.05 A 12.12

A .05 D .33 .48 C .29 A .11 .29

D .10 A .41 A .56 A .35 B .11 A .45

A .15 .48 2.03 D .41 .24 1.02

C .20 A .56 A .11 A .47 A .36 A .23

A .25 11.03 .18 C .53 D .48

D .55


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From Table 2, ridership numbers on Route 102 are pretty high in comparison to Route129 McCowan

North, which is also a well used route during rush-hour, and other routes in Scarborough that go North-

South. But in comparison, Route 501 Queen Street is over 2 times busier throughout the day. But that is

because downtown is a busy place that have people that require transportation throughout the day,

whereas Route 129 is primarily used for travel to and from work, and Route 102 has the added strain of

having Centennial College students using the route. Field observations confirm that buses are at full

capacity with standing passengers during rush-hour within the study area.

4.3.EXISTING TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

The movement of traffic in the study area is controlled by traffic signals, pedestrian movement is

controlled by the pedestrian traffic signals (the ones that flash the red hand instead of a countdown

when it is almost time to dont walk), and there are no bicycle lanes. All the intersections except for

the Highway 401 intersection use dynamic control for left lane vehicles, where if a vehicle is detected on

sensors buried in the pavement in the left lane, a left turn only green signal comes up when it is time for

their traffic to proceed.

On street parking is prohibited on Markham Road. In addition, there is no stopping allowed.

There is a new transportation strategy called Transportation Demand Management (TDM) that aims to

reduce the demand for roadway space, instead of increasing the supply (e.g., adding lanes and left-turn

lanes) to address the increasing demand of the road. TDM encourages more walking, cycling,

carpooling, and public transit use. However, TDM is not well suited for this study area, mainly due to the

Toronto Transit Commission Ridership and cost statistics for bus and streetcar routes, 2005-2006

ROUTE Customers/

dayMon-Fri

Revenue

/day,Mon-Fri

Vehicles in

Morningpeak period

Vehicles in

afternoonpeak period

Hours/day,

Mon-Fri

Kms/day,

Mon-Fri

Cost /day,

Mon Fri

Revenue/

costRatio,Mon-Fri

102Markham

17600 $14400 18 14 230 4800 $23,500 61%

501Queen

41200 $40100 29 31 530 8400 $81200 49%

129McCowan

11900 $7800 11 10 140 3000 $14700 53%

Table 2: Ridership numbers and some cost statistics for Route 102 and 2 other bus routes. From

www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/ridership_cost_stats_bus_streetcar_05_06.pdf


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large trucks and rigs that will continue to use Markham Road as an arterial road to Highway 401 for

many years to come. Nevertheless, a few elements of the TDM will be considered as alternative

solutions in Section 6.

4.4.EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUME

The data of the traffic volume for the five intersections were investigated, along with the current trends

of traffic volume. There is evidence that not only is traffic volume increasing on Markham Road in the

study area, but it is the most heavily used in much of the Scarborough region.

200000

220000

240000

260000

280000

300000

320000

340000

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

AADT

SADT

SAWDT

WADT

Figure 4: Traffic volume trends for the 1.6 km stretch of Highway 401 that enters and

exits to Markham Road.

AADT - Annual Average Daily Traffic

SADT - Summer Average Daily Traffic

SAWDT - Summer Average Weekday Traffic

WADT - Winter Average Daily Traffic

Data Source: Ontario Ministry of Transportation Engineering Standards Branch Traffic

Office, 2004


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In figure 4, the traffic volume in the 1.6 km stretch of Highway 401 at Markham Road experienced an

increase of almost 100000 vehicles, or a 38% increase vehicles during 1988 and 2004.

From Figure 5, Markham Road in the study area experiences 27332 to 28210 vehicles going Northbound

north of Highway 401, and 24230 to 27578 vehicles Southbound into Highway 401. In comparison,

McCowan Road to the West experiences smaller but similar numbers just north of highway 401, but

decreases in volume by several thousand north of Sheppard Avenue. For Morningside Avenue to the

Ease, it is about 10000 vehicles less in traffic in 24 hours north of highway 401.

4.5.BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF COMMUNITY

Information about the community needs to be considered in order to gain an understanding of how the

traffic conditions are influenced by population, employment trends, and other census data.

Figure 5: 24 Hour Volume Map of the Study Area and the surrounding area. Markham Road has the

highest volume of traffic in Scarborough. The count for Markham Road was done in 2003.

Source: Toronto Transportation Services, 2006


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4.5.1. CENSUS DATA

The data is from Statistics Canada Census Data, and the data is collected in their own study areascalled census tracts. All the census tracts that fall into the study area are:

378.03, 363.07, 367.01, 365.00, 378.07 and 378.04

The data was collected from the Statistics Canada website, and using the 2006 Census Census Tract

profiles of the 6 census tracts listed above.

Figure 6 shows that the population trends are relatively flat. Therefore, there is no growth expected

with the current land use plan for the foreseeable future. However, as the next section will show, thereare a couple of open fields in the study area that is open to apartment neighbourhoods. We would have

to amend our projection of population growth when any apartment developer starts showing interest in

the area and breaks ground for development.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Population

Population in 2001 and 2006 in 6 Census Tracts

in Study Area

Population in 2001

Population in 2006

Figure 6: The population number profile in the 6 census tracts that represent

the study area

Source: Statistics Canada, 2007


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4.5.2. CURRENT LAND USE

The City of Toronto designates Land Use Designations in order to give city planners a blueprint for howthe city of Toronto should be designed. Figure 7 below illustrates where these Land Use zones are

located within the study area.

The majority of the land use in the study area is designated for employment areas (the purple areas).

They range from office buildings to commercial retail and traffic court buildings. The next prevalent land

use area is neighbourhoods, for residential use. There are 4 plots designated for apartment

neighbourhoods, but only 1 apartment has been erected so far on the west side of Markham Road.

The mixed use areas (the magenta areas) are retail areas that have restaurant and retail use, or gasoline

stations. The blue institutional area is Centennial College, and is a large contributor to traffic in the area

all day long. The dark green land use areas designate natural areas, which can also be considered

stormwater run-off creeks and streams for the study area. Finally, there are several parks.

Figure 7: The Land Use in the study area according to the Toronto Land Use Classification System.There are 6 different land uses in the study area.

Source: Toronto City Planning, 2006


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4.6. NATURAL AREA FEATURES

There is a land use area that is designated as a natural area in the study area. This coincides with astormwater channel that runs through the study area. Figure 8 shows the sparse vegetation in the area

the buffers the channel. The vegetation consists of deciduous and coniferous trees, shrubs, and a

watercourse void of any life. Just in case, the Toronto Wetland and the MNR ANSI map was overlaid on

the study area, and there was no match. Baseline conditions of the water quality was taken, and will be

monitored throughout the study and after the study if there are any alternative solutions that are

chosen that come to close proximity to this natural area.

5. SUMMARY OF FUTURE CONDITIONS

An assessment of the future conditions in the study area was undertaken to determine transportationtrends that may put a constraint on current transportation infrastructure resulting from the growth in

population or employment in the study area. This study area is mature and well-developed in the

commercial parts of the area, so growth is expected to be minimal, but some of the residential areas

have just been put up recently. (This is where population and traffic growth projections would be

added).

Figure 8: South of the Progress Avenue and Markham

Road intersection is a natural area that buffers a

stormwater channel/creek.


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6. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

The problems and opportunities identified in Section 4 of this EA Study will be considered resolvable byseveral alternative solutions that will be identified in this Section. Some of these alternatives can be

considered to fall under lesser Schedules A and B, but only if these solutions can be designed to limit

construction in 2 or less intersections and cost less than $1.5 million dollars to complete. However,

these are not the only restrictions to having a project fall under Schedule A, B or C. The following

subsections in this section 6 will provide the alternative solutions and some alternative designs, if

applicable, to this Traffic Management Plan. When a preferred solution is chosen, it may be a

combination of 2 or more alternative solutions.

6.1.ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION 1

This solution will have the effect of having vehicles that want to turn right for the Highway 401 East

onramp not add to the traffic that wants to get on the Highway 401 West onramp. This alternative

solution should also reduce the budding-in and weaving-out that vehicles do often in this lane, thus

increasing traffic flow.

1 2 3 M LT 3 2 1 RT

Right Turn for

WestboundOnly

Post this sign above lane 1

Southbound on Markham

M = Median

LT = Left Turn Only Lane

RT = Right Turn Only Lane

Turn the existing right lane on Markham Road Southbound at the intersection of Milner Avenue

& Markham Road into one that is dedicated to traffic entering Highway 401 West onramp.

Figure 9: Markham Road looking South at Milner Avenue and Markham Road.


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As figure 10 shows, to complete this alternative solution, an additional lane would have to be added on

the right lane. Additionally, this alternative solution can be changed to have the left turn lane added, but

not add any additional lanes. This second solution will help with vehicles coming from Eastbound 401

traffic that need to get into the left turn lanes at this intersection. There is only 120 metres from the exit

of that offramp to the left turn lanes that turn into Centennial College.


The current wait interval for Route 102 buses is 4-7 minutes during rush hour. There is room for

improvement. From Table 2, this route has a pretty high revenue/cost ratio (61%) (TTC, 2006),

compared to other routes, and therefore there is room financially for the TTC to schedule a couple more

buses during rush hour. This should serve to improve service to aid the high ridership on this route.


Add bicycle lanes in the study area.

Increase the bus service of the Route 102 Markham Road bus.

Figure 10: Markham Road looking South at Progress Avenue and Markham Road.

1 2 3 M LT 3 2 1 1 RT

Add a second left turn only lane and add a right turn only lane for southbound Markham Road at

the Progress Avenue and Markham Road intersection.


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Adding bicycle lanes would give those that didnt want to ride with the traffic before to use these lanes

to get to work or go to school. This alternative would require the slight widening of Markham Road to

accommodate the addition of a bicycle lane.


There is 500 metres between the intersections of Sheppard Avenue and Milner Avenue on Markham

Road. On the East side of Markham Road between those two roads is a residential area, and on the

West side a plaza. For the convenience and the safety of the pedestrians in the area, a crosswalk is an

addition that should be considered.

The addition of pedestrian countdown signals have already proven to decrease the number of vehicles-

pedestrian collisions in Toronto where they already have installed such signals, and so should be

considered in this study area as well. It would be especially helpful for pedestrians crossing Markham

Road in the study area because they have to cross 7-8 lanes to cross Markham Road.

Add a pedestrian crosswalk in between Sheppard Avenue and Milner Avenue, and add

pedestrian countdown signal heads at all the intersections expect for the Highway 401

intersection.

BL 1 2 3 LT/RT 3 2 1 BL

min. 1.5 m width min. 1.5 m width

Figure 11: A cross section of Markham Road in the study area. Bicycle lanes next to a curb must be a

minimum of 1.5 metres in width, while 1.8 metres of width is the desired width.


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Having 2 lanes on an onramp to Highway 401 is usually reserved for other 400-series highways.

However, Markham Road was also known as Highway 48, and was just recently renamed only as

Markham Road. And it is still used as a primary route to Highway 401 for the large trucks that come from

the industrial regions of the study area and the ones located more northerly of the study area. Adding

another lane on the onramps would allow the high volume of traffic entering the highway to spread into

two lanes. To implement this alternative solution would require the Ministry of Transportation of

Add a lane on the onramp for Eastbound and/or Westbound Highway 401 for Markham Road

Southbound traffic.

Figure 12: The locations of where the

pedestrian crossing lights and the

pedestrian crosswalk would be built


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Ontario to become a proponent in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR), since an

additional lane construction on an onramp is not under the jurisdiction of the City of Toronto. But this

alternative solution will be considered here, because this improvement may indeed be very helpful in

this Traffic Management Plan.

6.7. DO NOTHING MAINTAIN STATUS QUO

One final alternative solution is the do nothing alternative. This is to be considered when all the

alternative solutions are difficult to impossible to implement spatially or financially, or the

environmental impact would be too severe, or the mitigation measures are lacking. One must

remember that Markham Road is already a 3 lane major arterial road for northbound and southbound

traffic in the study area, so the alternative of adding an additional lane should not be considered in this

Plan.

Figure 13: The shape the additional onramp lane

would take. This onramp in the figure is the one

going into Highway 401 Westbound from

Markham Road Southbound


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7. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

To aid in the evaluation process of the 7 alternative solutions in this Plan, 6 categories were developedto evaluate each of the alternative solutions to determine the preferred alternative for the Plan. The

criteria used to address the purposes of each of the 6 categories are listed below:

CATEGORY CRITERIA

1. SAFETY: to maximize safety by reducing the number

of collisions between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists

- Intersection access

- Limited chance of collisions

2. LEVEL OF SERVICE: to maximize traffic flow at

intersections

- maximizes traffic flow

- accommodate future usage

3. ENVIRONMENT: To minimize impacts to natural and

social environment

- minimize impacts on natural environment

- minimize impacts on social environment (e.g.,properties, pollution)

4. IMPLEMENTATION: Improvements that are feasible - Minimize impacts to existing conditions (e.g., traffic,

residential, industrial and commercial areas)

5. MAINTENANCE: Ease of maintenance - Minimize costs of maintenance by cost comparison

with the alternatives

6. CAPITAL COSTS: Costs associated with the

improvements

- Cost estimates

In table 4 below, each alternative solution is assessed based on the criteria in table 3. The grading

system will be based on a numerical one, where 0 denotes no benefits, 1 denotes least benefits, 2

denotes some benefits and 3 denotes best benefits. There is an extra weighting factor of x2 placed

on the level of service category, because the main focus of the Traffic Management Plan is to increase

this criterion. A more detailed account of how the evaluation process proceeded is located in Appendix

E.

TABLE 3: The criteria used to measure that categories used to evaluate the alternative solutions.


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CATERGORY ALT 1 ALT 2 ALT 3 ALT 4 ALT 5 ALT 6 Do Nothing

1. SAFETY 2 2 3 1 3 3 2

2. LV SERVICE (x2) 4 4 4 2 4 6 0

3. ENVIRONMENT 2 2 3 3 3 2 2

4.

IMPLEMENTATION

3 2 3 1 2 1 3

5. MAINTENANCE 3 3 2 3 3 2 3

6. CAPITAL COSTS 3 1 2 1 2 1 3

OVERALL 17 14 17 11 17 15 13

8. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION

From the evaluation of the alternative solutions in Table 4, the preferred alternative solution is a

combination of alternative solution 1, 3, 5 and 6. These had a score of 17 each, expect for solution 6

(score of 15). Solution 3 will require some consultation with the TTC and Ward 42 and 38 City Councillors

Mr. Raymond Cho and Mr. Glen De Baeremaeker respectively to see if they are willing to increase

service on Route 102.

Solution 5 had some design variations that need to be evaluated. The same scoring method used in

Table 4 will be used here, except the safety category will also be multiplied by a factor of 2.

CATERGORY CROSSWALK PEDESTRIAN

COUNTDOWN SIGNALS

BOTH

1. SAFETY (x2) 4 6 5

2. LV SERVICE (x2) 2 6 4

3. ENVIRONMENT 2 2 2

4. IMPLEMENTATION 2 3 3

5. MAINTENANCE 3 3 3

6. CAPITAL COSTS 3 2 2.5

OVERALL 16 22 19

Table 4: The Assessment Matrix for the 6 alternative solutions and the do nothing solution

Table 5: The assessment matrix for alternative solution 5 and its 2 different designs


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It is better to just install the pedestrian countdown signals at the 4 intersections, due to their proven

increase in safety of pedestrians, traffic flow would stay at status quo, and the ease of implementation.

The crosswalk has the effect of slowing the flow of traffic, thus resulting in the lower level of service

score, and due to Markham Roads high level of traffic, if wouldnt be safe to have a crosswalk on such a

major arterial road. Thus, only the pedestrian countdown signal will be implemented for alternative

solution 5.

Alternative solution 6, after consultation and meetings with the Ministry of Transport Ontario (MTO),

has been implemented by the MTO, who decided on adding lanes to the two onramps that southbound

Markham Road traffic use to get on Highway 401. The MTO has conducted their own TESR, and it has

been approved, so this solution will be constructed by the Province, and has no bearing in this EA Study

during construction. However, it will still be monitored by this Plan after construction, to see if level of

service has improved in the study area due to this onramp lane addition.

The projected cost of the project is:

Alternative solution 1: $10000

Alterative solution 3: $0

Alternative solution 5: $100000 x 4 = $400000

Total Costs = $410000

9. PUBLIC CONSULATION PROCESS

The stakeholder consultation process is a mandatory one in the Municipal Class EA process, and consists

of holding meetings with stakeholders, community, environmental, and agency review committees, and

the general public to present and discuss the EA Study. The following sections present the several stages

involved in the Municipal Class EA process where public contact occurs:

9.1.PIC #1 (PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE NUMBER 1)

The Municipal Class EA Process requires a consultation with review agencies and the public concerning

the problems and/or opportunities identified and the alternative solutions to the problems and


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opportunities. This consultation meeting is held during the phase 2 process when the evaluation of

alternative solutions has been completed. To notify the public of the PIC #1 meeting, a notification is

sent in the form of a newspaper advertisement. The preferred newspaper to send the ad to is the

Scarborough Mirror, which sends out their newspapers every Wednesday and Thursday of the week to

residents of the Scarborough region for free. The meeting is scheduled to be held at a yet to be

determined time and place from 6:00 pm to accommodate full-time workers. The newspaper ad for PIC

#1 is located in appendix A, and the information boards and sign-up sheet for the PIC #1 is located in

appendix B.

9.2.PIC #2 (PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE NUMBER 2)

The Municipal Class EA Process requires a mandatory second point of contact with review agencies and

the public concerning the identification of the problems and/or opportunities and the identification of

alternative solutions and the evaluations of these designs. It is also another opportunity for the public

to raise issues and ask questions about the project at its current state. The newspaper ad for PIC #2 is

located in Appendix C.

10.ADVERSE IMPACT AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Mitigation of negative environmental impacts is applied throughout the EA process, including identifying

the alternative solution that has the least overall impact on the environment. Some negative effects

cannot be avoided, and therefore in these situations mitigation measures are identified and are included

in the design, construction and maintenance process. This section is interested in identifying the

potential adverse environmental impacts of the preferred alternative solutions, and identifies the

mitigation measures for these impacts.

During the design process, environmental protection includes refinement of watercourses, mitigation of

some site-specific impacts and cataloguing the vulnerable environmental sites. During construction,

mitigation measures such as conforming to the EA Plan and recognition of additional control measures

are part of the EA process.


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Noise is one socio-environmental effect to be wary of during construction, and must be measured at

baseline and during construction. The contractor doing the construction must make sure to abide by the

Toronto noise level bylaw, and apply for exemption permits before proceeding with any work.

Surface water quality might be a concern in our study area, but not with the alternative solutions

chosen, since they are not in close proximity to the stormwater creek, and the non-disruptive nature of

the conduction methods to implement the alternative solutions. In addition, through baseline testing, it

was determined that there is no life in the waterstream.

The other environmental effects do not concern this Plan with the preferred alternative solutions

chosen, but they should still be recognized in case any changes occur: archaeological (no potential in this

Plan), Soils (none), groundwater (none), air pollution (very low).

11.PUBLIC NOTICE OF COMPLETION AND FILING

A public notice of completion of the ESR will be placed in the Scarborough Mirror newspaper and a

letter of notification of completion will be sent to those who signed in during either of the PIC meetings

or expressed interest or requested further information about the EA study through phone or email. The

notice will advise the public that the EA study for the Markham Road at Highway 401 Traffic

Management Plan ESR has been completed and will be available for public review in several locations at

or near the study area. This notification will provide the public with a minimum 30 calendar day period

to review the documentation. If, even after consultation with City of Toronto staff or the Project

Manager, issues remain unresolved for the EA study, any member of the public can make a request to

the Minister of the Environment for a Part-II Order. If no such request is received within the minimum

30 calendar day period, the City of Toronto is free to proceed with the implementation of the EA study.


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12.REFERENCES

Ontario Ministry of Transportation Engineering Standards Branch Traffic Office. 2004. ProvincialHighways Traffic Volumes, 1998-2004. Retrieved Nov. 30, 2007, from

http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/

84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-

2004.pdf

Toronto City Planning Division. 2006. Toronto Official Plan: Map 22 Land Use Plan. Retrieved Nov. 30,

2007, fromwww.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_chapter1-5/22_landuse_2006.pdf

Toronto Transportation Services. 2006. Average Weekday, 24 Hour Traffic Volume. Retrieved Nov. 30,

2007, fromwww.toronto.ca/transportation/pdf/24hour_volume_map.pdf

Toronto Transit Commission. 2006. Ridership and cost statistics for bus and streetcar routes, 2005-2006.

Retrieved Nov. 30, 2007, from

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/ridership_cost_stats_bus_streetcar_05_06.pdf
http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_chapter1-5/22_landuse_2006.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_chapter1-5/22_landuse_2006.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_chapter1-5/22_landuse_2006.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/transportation/pdf/24hour_volume_map.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/transportation/pdf/24hour_volume_map.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/transportation/pdf/24hour_volume_map.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/ridership_cost_stats_bus_streetcar_05_06.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/ridership_cost_stats_bus_streetcar_05_06.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/ridership_cost_stats_bus_streetcar_05_06.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/transportation/pdf/24hour_volume_map.pdfhttp://www.toronto.ca/planning/official_plan/pdf_chapter1-5/22_landuse_2006.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdfhttp://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/fa027808647879788525708a004b5df8/84ca7d0d211c521a8525708a004b8dc2/$FILE/Provincial%20Highways%20Traffic%20Volumes%201988-2004.pdf


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13.APPENDICIES

Appendix A: Public Information Centre #1 Newspaper Advertisement

CITY OF TORONTO

MUNICIPAL CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE #1

The city of Toronto has commenced a Class EA study to

develop a Traffic Management Plan for the Markham Road and

Highway 401 area. It will consider ways to ease traffic

congestion currently experienced in the study area. The project

is being planned as a Schedule C project, under the Municipal

Class Environmental Assessment document by the Municipal

Engineers Association in 2000.

The Public Information Centre will be held to the public to

discuss the project as it stands, and what the problems and

opportunities exist to bettering the traffic in the study area.

Date: ?? Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm Place: ??

The public is invited to come and review the project and

discuss their concerns to the EA Project Manager. If you have

any questions, please send them to:

Ken LamEA Project Manager

Kenny EA Consultation Group

Email: [email protected]


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THE STUDY AREA


Appendix B: Public Information Centre #1 Information Boards and Signup Sheet

WELCOME

to the


PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE

6:00 pm 9:00 pm

PLEASE SIGN IN on the Sign-In Sheet


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THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS

This study follows the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Planning Process, a

document completed by the Municipal Engineers Association, so that projects

completed in Municipalities all follow a guideline that ensures that all aspects of the

environment are taken account of. There are 5 Phases to the EA Process, and we are at

Phase 2, looking for Alternative Solutions:

We are seeking to hear comments from the public to what can be done to improve on

the existing Traffic Management Plan at the Study Area. All comments will be used to

come up with the final preferred solution.

THE STUDY GOAL

The Goal of this Traffic Management Plan to devise a strategy to find theoptimal solution that will:

Comply with the Municipal Class EA Planning Process

Review current transportation issues in the Study Area

Identify the Problems and Opportunities that exist in the Study Area

that can be rectified/taken advantage of to better the traffic

management practices currently in place in the Study Area




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COMMENT SHEET

City of Toronto

Markham Rd at Hwy 401 Traffic Management Plan PIC #1

Please let us know of any comments or concerns you may have of the

project:

Mail to:

Ken Lam

EA Project Manager

________

Toronto, Ontario XXXXXX

Thank you for your participation. All comments sent

to us will become part of the public record, and will

only be used for this Traffic Management Plan. All

privateinformation will be withheld.

CITY OF TORONTO

Markham Road and Highway 401 Traffic Management Plan

Public Information Centre

SIGN-IN SHEET(Please print clearly and in Capitals)

NAME ORGANIZATION ADDRESS CITY POSTAL

CODE

EMAIL DAY

PHONE#

NIGHT

PHONE#


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(a few more boards on the alternative solutions would be placed here for Appendix B)

Appendix C: PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE #2 NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENT

CITY OF TORONTO

MUNICIPAL CLASS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTRE #2

The City of Toronto has commenced a Class EA study to develop a

Traffic Management Plan for the Markham Road and Highway 401 area.

It will consider ways to ease traffic congestion currently experienced in

the study area. The project is being planned as a Schedule C project,

under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment document by the

Municipal Engineers Association in 2000.

The first Public Information Centre was held on ?? to introduce the

Traffic Management Plan to the public and to receive comments from the

public. A second Public Information Centre will be held to the public to

discuss the project as it stands, and to introduce the alternatives under

consideration for the Traffic Plan.

Date: ?? Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm Place: ??

Upon completion of the EA study, a Environmental Study Report will be

available for public review. Another advertisement will be published at

that time. The public is invited to come and review the project and

discuss their concerns to the EA Project Manager. If you have anyquestions, please send them to:

Ken Lam

EA Project Manager

Kenny EA Consultation Group

Email: [email protected]


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Appendix D: Public Information Centre #2 Information Boards and Signup Sheet

(Same as Appendix B, expect boards on the evaluation of the alternative solutions)

Appendix E: Detailed Analysis of Alternative Solutions

(A detailed analysis of how the grades were chosen would be placed here. The weighting of the criteria

(i.e., which criteria is most important) would be determined by the stakeholders during the PICs.)

CVMT313 Project

Documents

Transcript of CVMT313 Project