General Committee
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Alan Brown, Director of Engineering
	PREPARED BY:	David Porretta, Engineering Technician
	DATE OF MEETING:	2005-Sep-19
	SUBJECT:	Helen Avenue Speed Limit Reduction

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT Schedule “F” (50 km/h) of Speed Limit By-law 105-71 be amended to delete Helen Avenue, from Kennedy Road to the easterly limit of Helen Avenue;

AND THAT Schedule “A” (40 km/h) of Speed Limit By-law 105-71 be amended to include Helen Avenue, from Kennedy Road to the easterly limit of Helen Avenue;

AND THAT the Operations and Asset Management Department be directed to install the appropriate signs upon approval of the attached by-law;

AND THAT the York Regional Police Department be requested to enforce the reduced speed limit upon installation of the signs.

PURPOSE:

This report recommends reducing the posted speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h on Helen Avenue, from Kennedy Road to the easterly limit of Helen Avenue.

BACKGROUND:

The Engineering Department received concerns from a resident regarding excessive vehicular speeds on Helen Avenue. The resident is concerned that excessive speeds are compromising safety in the community and creating undesirable conditions for residents. The resident noted that a collision in July 2005 occurred between a vehicle and a bicyclist, possibly due to excessive speeding.

Helen Avenue is a 2-lane, local road with an Average Daily Traffic volume (ADT) of 1600. As part of the adjacent Swallows Nest development, Helen Avenue is currently being upgraded from a rural cross-section to an urban local design (see Attachment A).

DISCUSSION:

In response to the resident’s concern, the Engineering Department contacted York Regional Police to obtain the collision report that was identified by the resident. Details of the collision report state that the bicyclist entered the roadway without yielding to traffic on Helen Aveue, resulting in a collision with a vehicle. York Regional Police concluded that speed was not a factor and no charges were laid in the incident.

The Engineering Department proceeded to conduct a traffic investigation on Helen Avenue to identify current operating conditions. Helen Avenue currently has a maximum speed limit of 50 km/h, according to By-law 105-71. However, there is no signage to reflect this condition. Typically, local roads in the Town of Markham have a maximum speed limit of 40 km/h. A speed study concluded that Helen Avenue has an operating speed of 54 km/h. This speed is considered to be high for a local road.

Included in the reconstruction of Helen Avenue is the implementation of two raised intersections, to be completed in 2006. These traffic calming devices will assist in reducing vehicular operating speeds on Helen Avenue.

By providing a 40 km/h speed limit, vehicular operating speeds are expected to operate within the design requirements of a local road.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The cost of labour and materials to install these signs are accounted for in the 2005 budget for the Operations and Asset Management Department. On-going maintenance costs for this installation will be accounted for in future Operation and Asset Management Department budgets.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Subject to Council’s approval the Operations and Asset Management Department will remove and install the proper signage for the proposed parking prohibition. Upon installation of the signs, York Regional Police will be requested to enforce the attached by-law.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A – Location Map

Attachment B – Proposed By-law

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Director of Engineering

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

Q:\Development\Engineering\REPORTS\2005\Sept\Helen Avenue SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION\helen avenue report.doc