GENERAL COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 

 

TO:

Mayor and Members of Council

 

 

 

 

FROM:

Alan Brown, Director of Engineering

Arup Mukherjee, Manager of Transportation

 

 

 

 

PREPARED BY:

same as above

 

 

 

 

DATE OF MEETING:

2005-Jan-10

 

 

 

 

SUBJECT:

Main Street Markham

Heavy Truck Restriction

 

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION:

That the staff report dated January 10, 2005, entitled “Main Street Markham – Heavy Truck Restriction” be received;

 

And that staff after consultation with the Ministry of Transportation and Region of York report back by March 2005 with the status of an implementation plan for the restriction of heavy trucks on Main Street Markham and details as to the transfer of jurisdiction for Hwy 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie).

 

And that the Terms of Reference for a Class Environmental Assessment for improvements to Hwy 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie) include the streetscape/parking improvements for Main Street ( Princess Street to 16th Avenue).

 

And that Tony Wong, M.P.P., Kees Schipper, Commissioner of Transportation and Works, Region of York and Roger Hanmer, Regional Director for Central Region, Ministry of Transportation be advised accordingly.

 

PURPOSE:

To update Council on issues associated with restricting heavy trucks on Main Street Markham and outline an action plan to finalize and implement the truck restrictions.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

With the completion of portions of the Markham By-pass from Major Mackenzie to Hwy 407 an implementation plan is required for the transfer of jurisdiction of Hwy 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie), cancellation of the Ministry of Transportation/Town of Markham Connecting Link Agreement for Main Street (Princess Street to 16th Avenue) and restriction of heavy trucks on Main Street.  Staff will finalize negotiations with the Region of York and Ministry of Transportation and submit an update of the implementation plan to committee in March 2005.

 

BACKGROUND:

The concerns about truck traffic on Main Street Markham have been a long-standing issue for the Markham community and the Town.  The portion of Main Street Markham between 16th Avenue and Princess Street is subject to the 1957 Connecting Link Agreement with the Ministry of Transportation.  As a result of this agreement, the Ministry of Transportation has jurisdiction over the approval of by-laws on this portion of Main Street.  On numerous occasions in the past, the Ministry of Transportation has maintained that it will not support a heavy truck prohibition, as it is their mandate to allow all types of vehicles on their roads with connecting link agreements.  Based on previous reports, the Ministry of Transportation verbally committed to review the truck prohibition once a viable alternative route is available.  Council has maintained that the Markham By-pass constitutes a viable alternative route.

 

In reports dated March 21, 2000 and June 20, 2000 staff were requested to quantify the number of trucks and review the options of considering a truck prohibition in the absence of the construction of the Markham By-pass.  Detailed truck studies were conducted and the report outlined 3 options for consideration by Council (wait until by-pass completed, implement truck by-law, or encourage the existing voluntary truck route encouraging alternate routes around Main Street).  Truck studies showed that there are approximately 300 trucks using Main Street Markham during the 8 busiest hours of the day (7-9 am, 11-2 pm. And 3-6 pm) in both directions.  The staff report also re-confirmed that, based on the existing connecting link agreement, the Ministry of Transportation could veto any by-laws passed by Council.  Based on this information, Council directed staff to continue promoting the alternative voluntary truck to re-direct trucks away from Main Street Markham.

 

DISCUSSION:

Markham By-pass Status

Attachment ‘A” highlights the status and scheduling for the completion of various sections of the Markham By-pass and the Box Grove By-pass.  With the current completion of linkages of the By-pass from Major Mackenzie to Hwy 407 and extension of the municipal by-pass from Hwy 407 to 9th Line by 2005/2006 a viable alternative truck route can be pursued with the Ministry of Transportation and Region of York.

 

Connecting Link Agreement

The Connecting Link Agreement is a common agreement used by the Ministry of Transportation to maintain operational authority over roads to provide for a continuous Provincial road system.  The agreement outlines the authority of the local and Provincial governments with respect to operational and financial issues.   Based on the agreement, capital costs for road improvements  are subsidized 90% by the Ministry of Transportation.  The Ministry of Transportation has approved $25,000 for the intersection improvements at Hwy 48/16th Avenue and have been requested to provide funding in the amount of $71,000 for the Hwy 48/Hwy 7 intersection improvements.  The agreement is also very specific that the Province must approve any operational by-laws passed by the local municipality. 

 

 

 

 

Highway 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie)

Markham Council at its January 24, 2003 meeting passed a resolution requesting;

  • The Ministry of Transportation transfer jurisdiction of Hwy 48 from 16th Avenue to the North of Major Mackenzie (Markham By-pass intersection) and
  • Staff be authorized to enter into negotiations with the Ministry of Transportation for the transfer
  • The cost of reconstruction of Hwy 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie) be included in the next development charges update

 

Ministry of Transportation staff in December 2004 verbally responded to Markham Council resolution advising they would be prepared to transfer jurisdiction of Hwy 48 subject to the following conditions;

  • Ministry of Transportation would not provide any financial package for future capital or operating costs
  • They require a Connecting Link Agreement with the Region of York for the Markham By-pass to transfer the provincial interests from Main Street to the Markham By-pass.
  • Region of York confirmation would be required that they do not want jurisdiction of Hwy 48 (16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie)

 

The cost for reconstruction of Hwy 48 has been included in the 2004 development charges by-laws in the amount of ± $5.4 million of which ± $5.0 million is funded by development charges (Town Wide Hard and Area Specific Development Charges) and $540,000 from the tax rate.

 

A meeting is being scheduled for late January 2005 with the Ministry of Transportation and the Region of York to discuss the Ministry conditions, the Connecting Link Agreement for Main Street and an implementation plan for heavy truck restrictions on Main Street.

 

Implementation Plan

In order to successfully redirect heavy truck traffic from Main Street, staff will finalize the following issues with Ministry of Transportation and Region of York and report back in March 2005 with an update of the status of the implementation plan;

  • Region’s position on a Connecting Link Agreement for the By-pass with the Ministry of Transportation;
  • Transfer and timing of Hwy 48 to the Town of Markham;
  • Timing for cancellation of the existing connecting link agreement for Main Street with the Ministry of Transportation;
  • Timing of heavy truck restrictions on Main Street/Hwy 48;
  • Establish an alternative truck route for heavy trucks who access south Markham/Toronto;
  • Establish a signage program;
  • Financial reconciliation of funds paid to the Ministry of Transportation by the Wismer and Greensborough Developers for Hwy 48 improvements and operating costs;
  • Ministry of Transportation funding of the non growth share ($870,000) for the reconstruction of Hwy 48.
  • Communicate with heavy truck users especially gravel trucks originating in Uxbridge of the heavy truck restrictions.

 

Highway 48 Class EA

The Engineering Department’s capital budget for 2005 has included funds to undertake a Class Environmental Assessment for the improvements to Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive. The Operations and Asset Management Department is underway with the design of improvements at the intersection of Highway 48 and 16th Avenue with construction scheduled for 2005. The Operations and Asset Management Department is also pursuing improvements to the intersection of Highway 48 and Highway 7 as well as the streetscape and traffic improvements on Main Street from Highway 7 to 16th Avenue.

 

The Municipal Engineers Association’s Class Environmental Assessment Document requires projects such as the narrowing of Main Street go through a Class Environmental Assessment process.  This was undertaken by the Engineering Department for reducing the pavement width of Main Street South in Unionville.   

 

To prevent any potential bump up requests on the currently planned Class EA for Highway 48 from 16th Avenue to Major Mackenzie Drive based on adherence to the Class EA document and also to ensure the Ministry of the Environment does not challenge the Town for piece-mealing the Class EA for works on Main Street/Highway 48 it is recommended that the extent of the Class EA for Highway 48 be expanded to incorporate all proposed works from Princess Street to the Markham By-pass in the north for the 2005 budget year.

 

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The financial impact of the cancellation of the Connecting Link Agreement for Main Street and additional funds required to expand the Class EA to include Main Street improvements will be addressed in the March 2005 report.

 

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Operations and Asset Management Department has reviewed and commented on this report and will be part of negotiations with the Region of York/Ministry of Transportation on above issues.  A draft copy of this report was reviewed with the Region of York and Town staff will coordinate a joint Region/Markham position before the meeting with the Ministry of Transportation.

 

 

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A – Markham By-pass phasing plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alan Brown, C.E.T.

Director of Engineering

 

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.

Commissioner of Development Services

 

 

 

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