Transportation Impacts of the proposed development at 1327 - 1339 Queen St E
This is Part Two of a series, a review of the document:
1327 - 1339 Queen Street East Proposed Mixed-Use Development
Urban Transportation Considerations
A Transportation Impact Study
by BA Consulting Group Ltd., March 2014
(Part One: Create vibrant People Places around retail at 1327-1339 Queen St E - http://easttorontocommunity.blogspot.ca/2014/09/creating-vibrant-people-place-around.html)
This series of reviews of BA Group's Urban Transportation Considerations document attempts to put the development proposal into the context of a near-future neighbourhood characterized by higher population densities - and the necessary ancillary transportation infrastructure required to support the intensification.
This required character - known as Complete Streets, or Sustainable Development or Livable City Building - is City of Toronto policy2. The policy envisions a multitude of ways to increase the number of trips accomplished on a finite street grid already at it's maximum capacity in the area of this proposed development throughout the year, over long stretches of the day.
The description of Knox Ave is incomplete:
The description leaves out the Know Ave Contraflow Lane that connects Memory Lane (the sites only vehicular access route) to the the street grid.
The description of Eastern Avenue is wrong - and incomplete:
One block south and one block west of the subject site are the Eastern Avenue Bike Lanes - an important transportation infrastructure which has the capacity to move more trips than the four existing lanes of Eastern Avenue combined. An important piece of the puzzle to relieve traffic congestion that marks this neighbourhood for 6-7 hours each weekday.
Also of note in this summary is that it provides incorrect information when it states that 'no parking is permitted' on Eastern. Off-peak side - and both sides during off-peak hours parking is permitted between Leslie St and Queen St at Kingston Rd. Another indication of this seemingly uninspired, workaday Transportation Impact Study.
The lane actually runs northbound - against the one-way southbound signed Knox Avenue.
APPENDIX E:
The Data Sets that accompany and support, the studies' findings, created by Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated for BA Group - are flawed. They do not reflect the existing road network. In particular the Turning Movement Data set titled Knox Ave & Eastern Ave (December 5, 2013) does not reflect the actual infrastructure or signage of the intersection. There is no data column for Knox Avenue Northbound 'Thru' - a column that would record bicycle traffic data on the Knox Avenue Contraflow Lane.
To make up for this omission I did a bicycle turning count at the intersection on Friday September 5, 2014.
I used a piece of paper and a pen and drew a graphic representation of the intersection and recorded bbicyle traffic on all four roads and what they did at the intersection (similar to Figure 6 in the BA Group Urban Transportation Considerations document):
Note the lack of northbound Thru, eastbound Left Turn and westbound Right Turn arrows at the Eastern/Knox Intersection.
Below is a bit map version my paper and pen count which I conducted on Friday, September 5, 2014, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm:
The data indicates a pm peak commute bias - from the west to the east, and from the south to the north - as one would expect at an intersection that has been enabled with bicycle infrastructure, and one that connects other bicycle infrastructure nearby.
It is notable that this count differs markedly from from the Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated data in that it reflects a commuter signature. That the Spectrum count was done in early December should not have effected this mode user signature. Instead the Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated data reflects nothing - like some bicycle mode-share was just added to the numbers at known or assumed percentages.
I know from talking with many cyclists about winter maintenance along this route last winter that there are more than "22" winter cyclists that the Spectrum data records, using this route.
UPDATE: Monday September 8, 2014, 11:27am
Did the AM Peak Bicycle Turning Count for Eastern at Knox this morning:
The study doesn't seem to consider the potential of a full spectrum mode choice offered by the existing road network.
Taking into account the omission of the north of Eastern Ave northbound cyclist trips in the Spectrum data sets - and having had some experience looking at the nature of cycle count data in the neighbourhood from various times of year in the neighbourhood - in this cycling advocates opinion - the bicycle count data has the signature of data that has been fabricated.
City of Toronto Development Applications, 1327 Queen St E Ward 32 - Tor & E.York District, [► Supporting Documents] "Transportation Impact Study ... Oct 16, 2015" - http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentApplications/associatedApplicationsList.do?action=init&folderRsn=3515067
2
By Michael Holloway
ETCC member,
Sustainable Development Advocate
This is Part Two of a series, a review of the document:
1327 - 1339 Queen Street East Proposed Mixed-Use Development
Urban Transportation Considerations
A Transportation Impact Study
by BA Consulting Group Ltd., March 2014
(A Transportation Impact Study produced by BA Group Consultants for Rockport (Queen and Leslie) Inc., submitted to City of Toronto Planning, Development Applications, on March 10, 2014 with regard to a proposed development at 1327 - 1339 Queen St East Toronto, Ontario, Canada1.)
(Part One: Create vibrant People Places around retail at 1327-1339 Queen St E - http://easttorontocommunity.blogspot.ca/2014/09/creating-vibrant-people-place-around.html)
This series of reviews of BA Group's Urban Transportation Considerations document attempts to put the development proposal into the context of a near-future neighbourhood characterized by higher population densities - and the necessary ancillary transportation infrastructure required to support the intensification.
This required character - known as Complete Streets, or Sustainable Development or Livable City Building - is City of Toronto policy2. The policy envisions a multitude of ways to increase the number of trips accomplished on a finite street grid already at it's maximum capacity in the area of this proposed development throughout the year, over long stretches of the day.
3.0 TRANSPORTATION CONTEXT
The brief description of the area road network in this section leaves out key infrastructure that is essential if the area road network is to support the increased population densities, which the proposed development (and other similarly sized developments that will likely follow it) will significantly add to.The description of Knox Ave is incomplete:
"Knox Avenue is a north-south local street situated to the east of the site that runs one-way southbound from Queen Street East to Eastern Avenue (where it turns eastward and becomes Woodfield Road). Knox Avenue has a single lane cross section, with parking permitted on its west side."
The description leaves out the Know Ave Contraflow Lane that connects Memory Lane (the sites only vehicular access route) to the the street grid.
The description of Eastern Avenue is wrong - and incomplete:
"Eastern Avenue is an east-west minor arterial roadway extending across the city of Toronto from Parliament Street in the west, to beyond Coxwell Avenue in the east. In the vicinity of the site, Eastern Avenue has a four lane cross section, and no parking is permitted."
One block south and one block west of the subject site are the Eastern Avenue Bike Lanes - an important transportation infrastructure which has the capacity to move more trips than the four existing lanes of Eastern Avenue combined. An important piece of the puzzle to relieve traffic congestion that marks this neighbourhood for 6-7 hours each weekday.
Also of note in this summary is that it provides incorrect information when it states that 'no parking is permitted' on Eastern. Off-peak side - and both sides during off-peak hours parking is permitted between Leslie St and Queen St at Kingston Rd. Another indication of this seemingly uninspired, workaday Transportation Impact Study.
3.3 BICYCLING ROUTES
This section includes the Knox Contraflow - but gets it's direction wrong."A southbound contraflow bicycle lane on Knox Avenue connects to the Lower Don Recreational trail, ...".
The lane actually runs northbound - against the one-way southbound signed Knox Avenue.
APPENDIX E:
Traffic Counts and Signal Timing
The Data Sets that accompany and support, the studies' findings, created by Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated for BA Group - are flawed. They do not reflect the existing road network. In particular the Turning Movement Data set titled Knox Ave & Eastern Ave (December 5, 2013) does not reflect the actual infrastructure or signage of the intersection. There is no data column for Knox Avenue Northbound 'Thru' - a column that would record bicycle traffic data on the Knox Avenue Contraflow Lane.To make up for this omission I did a bicycle turning count at the intersection on Friday September 5, 2014.
I used a piece of paper and a pen and drew a graphic representation of the intersection and recorded bbicyle traffic on all four roads and what they did at the intersection (similar to Figure 6 in the BA Group Urban Transportation Considerations document):
 |
| Existing Traffic Volumes BA Group 1327 Queen East 7599-01 March 2014 Figure 6 Traffic Turning Graphic.jpg |
Note the lack of northbound Thru, eastbound Left Turn and westbound Right Turn arrows at the Eastern/Knox Intersection.
Below is a bit map version my paper and pen count which I conducted on Friday, September 5, 2014, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm:
 |
| 1327 Queen E - Bicycle Turning Count, September 5, 2014, 16-00 to 18-00, Eastern Ave & Knox Ave, Toronto ON CA |
The data indicates a pm peak commute bias - from the west to the east, and from the south to the north - as one would expect at an intersection that has been enabled with bicycle infrastructure, and one that connects other bicycle infrastructure nearby.
It is notable that this count differs markedly from from the Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated data in that it reflects a commuter signature. That the Spectrum count was done in early December should not have effected this mode user signature. Instead the Spectrum Traffic Data Incorporated data reflects nothing - like some bicycle mode-share was just added to the numbers at known or assumed percentages.
I know from talking with many cyclists about winter maintenance along this route last winter that there are more than "22" winter cyclists that the Spectrum data records, using this route.
UPDATE: Monday September 8, 2014, 11:27am
Did the AM Peak Bicycle Turning Count for Eastern at Knox this morning:
 |
| 1327 Queen E - Bicycle Turning Count September 8, 2014 - 07:00 to 09:00 - Eastern Ave & Knox Ave Toronto ON CA |
Conclusions
In it's entirety, this document demonstrates a worrisome inattention to the complexity of the problem of higher traffic numbers added to a street grid already at capacity in the study area.The study doesn't seem to consider the potential of a full spectrum mode choice offered by the existing road network.
Taking into account the omission of the north of Eastern Ave northbound cyclist trips in the Spectrum data sets - and having had some experience looking at the nature of cycle count data in the neighbourhood from various times of year in the neighbourhood - in this cycling advocates opinion - the bicycle count data has the signature of data that has been fabricated.
Notes:
1City of Toronto Development Applications, 1327 Queen St E Ward 32 - Tor & E.York District, [► Supporting Documents] "Transportation Impact Study ... Oct 16, 2015" - http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentApplications/associatedApplicationsList.do?action=init&folderRsn=3515067
2
a) City of Toronto TMMIS - Agenda Item History - 2013.PW22.10 "Complete Streets" - May 7, 2013
http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.PW22.10
i) Background file 67628 - March 11, 2014 - "Approach to Developing Complete Streets Guidelines"
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2014/pw/bgrd/backgroundfile-67628.pdf
b) National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) - May 13, 2014
NACTO Welcomes Toronto as First International Member City
http://nacto.org/2014/05/13/nacto-welcomes-toronto-as-first-international-member-city/
by Corinne Kisner
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) announced today that the City of Toronto has joined as NACTO’s first International Member. In joining NACTO, Toronto further demonstrates the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation policies and livable city street design standards.
“I’m extremely pleased that the City of Toronto is the first international member to join this group of leading city transportation officials,” said Stephen Buckley, General Manager of Transportation Services for the City of Toronto. “NACTO has a proven track record in developing better urban transportation design, and I’m excited to see Toronto benefit from, and contribute to, the great innovations that NACTO is advancing.”
...
By Michael Holloway
ETCC member,
Sustainable Development Advocate
It is a valid point about the lack of understanding and accuracy of the bicycle statistics. Luckily, serious congestion and jammed bike lanes are not yet a problem here. However, the sloppiness here may also reflect on the figures about car traffic, which definitely does get jammed and also jams the transit and seems bound to get worse.
ReplyDeleteIt appears to me that a lot of the automobile traffic figures seem suspiciously low. This may be because they are averaged out over a full 24 hours, when what we need to know is how busy things are in the busiest times. It feels a bit grubby for me to suggest that the figures are selected, or massaged, but.... I do find them low. Perhaps there are comparable studies form similar situations that would set my suspicious mind at rest if I could see them.
cheers, Ted Syperek, ETCC member
Yes you glean my point.
ReplyDeleteStill working on the report - imagining new and better.
In context of increasing congestion of motor vehicle traffic - together with a doubling of the density of population along our avenues - bicycle infrastructure is a key element (along with mass transit and walking space). All together they just don't reduce traffic congestion - they create desirable places for people to be - thus vibrant retail environments and safer more liveable neighbourhoods.
Take away the hellish screaming noise & frenetic rush hour (now 6 hours a day) --- and you get less stress and less pollution - which extrapolates the benefit: better sense of well being, better quality of life, longer life, brighter mind - and lower health care cost.
This is called 'Sustainable Transportation', or 'Complete Streets'.
In the context of a development application, the question is how do you build towards those ends when the public transportation grid is still so stuck in the past?
What does a Complete Building look like?
Ideas so far:
1) Future Percentages" of ground level Bicycle Parking.
2) Spaces where daily bicycle users can perform necessary, regular bicycle maintenance - in a naturally lite - people place with all the necessary amenities in place (like a bike repair stand, air pumps washing up basin, stools, work table, tool lockers ... .)