TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
2004-02-23
Meeting No. 2
Attendance
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J. Baird, Commissioner of Development Services
A. Brown, Director of Engineering
A. Mukherjee, Manager, Transportation/
Engineering
L. Mele, Development Engineer
C. Raynor, Committee Clerk
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The
Transportation Committee convened at the hour of 1:00 p.m. with Councillor K.
Usman in the Chair.
DISCLOSURE
OF INTERESTS
None declared.
1. MARKHAM SAFE STREETS TASK FORCE –
UPDATE (5.12, 16.34)
Mr. A. Brown, Director, Engineering, gave an
update following the first meeting of the Markham Safe Streets Task Force.
There was brief discussion surrounding York
Region Transit’s policy on speed bumps. Staff indicated that they expect a
finalized version of the policy in two to three months.
Moved by Councillor G. McKelvey
Seconded by Councillor E. Shapero
That the presentation by Mr. A. Brown,
Director, Engineering providing an update on the Markham Safe Streets Task
Force, be received;
And
that the appointment of the appropriate Ward Councillors, and the following
persons, to the Markham Safe Streets Committee, be confirmed:
Mike Curran
Joel Landis
David McBeth
John Cosgrave
Glenn Schaeffer
David Johnston
Randa Issa
Sal Difede
Anna Halkidis
Robert Tremblay
Dan McCowell
Kartika-Sari Listiadji
Sgt. Frank Auld;
And that the Town of Markham confirm that
implementation of the 2003 Traffic-calming Plan is still ongoing.
CARRIED
2. REGION OF YORK 2004 AND
10 YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAM (ROADS
AND TRANSIT) (5.10, 5.14) Weblink
Mr. A. Brown,
Director, Engineering, briefly outlined the Region of York 2004 and 10 Year
Capital Program for roads and transit.
There was
considerable discussion surrounding proposals to widen some roads to six lanes,
and the Committee sought clarification on a number of other matters with staff
agreeing to provide further information on the following:
- the status of traffic signal timing on
McCowan Road;
- the timing of proposed road development in
Box Grove;
- financial implications to the fencing
beautification program along Warden Avenue;
**Moved by
Councillor G. McKelvey
Seconded by
Regional Councillor J. Heath
That the Engineering Department’s update on the
Region of York 2004 and 10 Year Road and Transit Capital Program, be received;
And that the Region of York be requested to review
their funding policy for grade separation of mid-block collectors to
incorporate the Birchmount and Rodick
structures with Highway 407, Rouge River and CN;
And that staff report back on the timing of the
Warden Avenue and Hwy 7 road program;
And that the Region of York be requested not to
reduce their overall Transit
program, and instead reallocate the $500,000
from the poor performance routes to other existing routes;
And that any GST rebates received
by York Region Transit, offset reductions in the 2004 service improvement plan;
And
that the Region of York be requested to give higher priority to intersection
improvements, signal timing and progression as a cost-effective means to
increase road capacity and improve traffic flow;
And that the Region of York be
requested to review its current standards for boulevard tree-planting and to
consult with municipal staff on tree-planting standards and implementation on
Regional Roads to ensure a greater degree of flexibility to adapt to local
conditions;
And that the Region of York be
requested to meet with Regional Councillors and Town staff to review the above
issues and:
- acceleration of the road
program;
- widening of 16th Avenue
(Woodbine to Warden);
- Steeles Avenue
improvements;
- 14th and 16th
Avenue improvements east of Ninth Line; and
- the coordination of Warden
Avenue improvements with YRTP plans;
And that the Region of York
be requested to expediate their streetscape study and finalize the
streetscaping and cross-selection issues.
And that Ms. R. Burkholder, Markham Board of
Trade, Ms. A. Yip, Scarborough/York Chinese Business Association, and Mr. K.
Schipper, Commissioner of Works, Region of York, be advised accordingly.
CARRIED
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**Amended by
Council at its meeting held March 9, 2004 to delete point 4 of Clause 8 and
replace it as follows:
“-
delaying 14th Avenue improvements east of Ninth Line and 16th
Avenue improvements east of the By-pass; and”
3. NEIGHBOURHOOD TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
2004 PROJECTS - BUDGET AND
RESOURCE IMPACT (5.12) Weblink
Mr.
A. Brown, Director, Engineering, briefly outlined the budget and resource
impact and options of the Neighbourhood Transportation Committee 2004 Projects.
It was stated that
the Markham Safe Streets Task Force should be presenting a final report to the
Transportation Committee on May 17, 2004. This report will detail various
options to improve road safety, including traffic-calming measures.
**Moved by
Councillor D. Horchik
Seconded by
Councillor G. McKelvey
That the
Neighbourhood Transportation Committee 2004 programme be deferred pending the
outcome of the Markham Safe Streets Task Force.
CARRIED
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**Amended by
Council at its meeting held March 9, 2004 to add the following clause:
“And
that the developer funded projects on Highglen Avenue and Delmark Boulevard
proceed using outside consultants, if necessary.”
4. ANTIWHISTLING - REGIONAL AND
TORONTO ROAD
INTERSECTIONS (5.13) Weblink
Mr.
A. Brown, Director, Engineering, gave a brief presentation detailing the
process necessary to implement train antiwhistling at Regional and Toronto Road
Intersections.
Moved by
Councillor A. Chiu
Seconded by
Deputy Mayor F. Scarpitti
That the
Region of York and City of Toronto be requested to issue letters authorizing
the Town to undertake the safety audits for rail crossings on Regional and
Toronto arterials along the Uxbridge Line;
And that the
Town of Markham upfront costs to undertake safety audits to eliminate whistling
at Regional and Toronto crossings along the Uxbridge Line from Major Mackenzie
Drive to Steeles Avenue subject to receipt of letters
of authorization from the Region of York and City of Toronto;
And that staff
report back with the estimated capital costs to implement the safety measures
for the crossings along the Uxbridge Line from Major Mackenzie Drive to Steeles
Avenue;
And
that the Region of York and City of Toronto be requested to reimburse the Town
of Markham for the safety audit costs.
CARRIED
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Other matters
considered by the Transportation Committee at its meeting of 23 Feb. 2004
5. TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT
(TDM) PROGRAM UPDATE
(5.12, 5.14) Weblink
Mr.
L. Mele, TDM Coordinator, gave a brief presentation outlining the objectives of
the Transport Demand Management Program.
There
was brief discussion surrounding policies and targets. It was stated that
growth management is necessary in order to cope with the increased demand on
roads, and that the Town of Markham will be seeking to implement a number of
strategies designed to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles on the
road.
Committee
sought clarification on the following matters:
- quantification of the results of the
program so far;
- target dates for anticipated results;
-
Moved by
Councillor G. McKelvey
Seconded by
Councillor S. Daurio
That
the presentation by Mr. L. Mele, TDM Coordinator, providing an update on the
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program, be received.
CARRIED
6. HIGHWAY 48/MAIN STREET TRANSFER OF
JURISDICTION (5.10)
7. UNIONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL – PARKING LOT
IMPROVEMENTS (5.10)
ADJOURNMENT
The
Transportation Committee meeting adjourned at the hour of 4:05 p.m.