Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Right on traffic move!- on Old Stock Yards Road at West Toronto Street

west toronto

Transportation Services recommends that Etobicoke York Community Council approve:

1.            Removing the “No Right-Turn Anytime” prohibition for southbound traffic on Old Stock Yards Road at West Toronto Street.
ISSUE BACKGROUND

Transportation Services received a request from Maple Leaf Foods, through Councillor

Nunziata, to have the existing southbound right turn prohibition removed at the north

approach to the Old Stock Yards Road /West Toronto Street intersection.

A map of the area is Attachment 1.

COMMENTS

Old Stock Yards Road and West Toronto Street are industrial roads located west of Keele

Street, south of St. Clair Avenue West. Industrial and commercial development exists in

the immediate area with residential properties located near Cobalt Avenue and Ryding

Avenue. Maple Leaf Foods is located at 116 Ryding Avenue.

Traffic control signals are installed at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and Old Stock

Yards Road, as well as at Keele Street and West Toronto Street. An All-Way STOP

control exists at the intersection of Old Stock Yards Road at West Toronto Street, and at

Ryding Avenue and Cobalt Avenue.

In 2003, a number of turn prohibitions were installed to discourage traffic generated by

the industrial/commercial establishments from diverting to residential areas. Specifically,

the following turn prohibitions were installed:

a. a southbound right turn prohibition from Old Stock Yards Road to West Toronto

Street;

b. a northbound left turn prohibition from the driveway opposite Old Stock Yards

Road (RONA) to West Toronto Street; and

c. a southbound right turn prohibition at both driveways from the rear of the

premises of 2133 St. Clair Avenue West.

Staff have observed tractor semi-trailers attempting to turn southbound from Keele Street

onto West Toronto Street, their only legal route to access the industrial properties to the

east of Old Stock Yards Road from the north. To complete the right turn, vehicles

waiting at the signals on West Toronto Street must reverse to allow trucks to perform this

manoeuvre, resulting in congestion at the intersection. Since the right turn movement is

difficult for large trucks, operators will ignore either the southbound right turn

prohibition at Old Stock Yards Road and West Toronto Street, or divert through the

residential area via Cobalt Avenue and Ryding Avenue.

Traffic studies at the Old Stock Yards Road /West Toronto Road intersection in 2010

show that over the two hour study period (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), 24 vehicles ignored

the right turn prohibition; eight of which were heavy trucks.

This issue was discussed at a recent public meeting attended by residents of Cobalt

Avenue and Ryding Avenue. It was agreed that the southbound right turn prohibition

Old Stock Yards – Right Turn Prohibition 3

from Old Stock Yards Road to West Toronto Street is not successful and should be

removed. Transportation Services staff will continue to monitor this area following the

ISSUE BACKGROUND

Transportation Services received a request from Maple Leaf Foods, through Councillor Nunziata, to have the existing southbound right turn prohibition removed at the north approach to the Old Stock Yards Road /West Toronto Street intersection.

A map of the area is Attachment 1.

COMMENTS

Old Stock Yards Road and West Toronto Street are industrial roads located west of Keele Street, south of St. Clair Avenue West. Industrial and commercial development exists in the immediate area with residential properties located near Cobalt Avenue and Ryding Avenue. Maple Leaf Foods is located at 116 Ryding Avenue.

Traffic control signals are installed at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and Old Stock Yards Road, as well as at Keele Street and West Toronto Street. An All-Way STOP control exists at the intersection of Old Stock Yards Road at West Toronto Street, and at

Ryding Avenue and Cobalt Avenue. In 2003, a number of turn prohibitions were installed to discourage traffic generated by the industrial/commercial establishments from diverting to residential areas. Specifically,

the following turn prohibitions were installed: a. a southbound right turn prohibition from Old Stock Yards Road to West Toronto Street;

b. a northbound left turn prohibition from the driveway opposite Old Stock Yards Road (RONA) to West Toronto Street; and c. a southbound right turn prohibition at both driveways from the rear of the premises of 2133 St. Clair Avenue West.

Staff have observed tractor semi-trailers attempting to turn southbound from Keele Street onto West Toronto Street, their only legal route to access the industrial properties to the east of Old Stock Yards Road from the north. To complete the right turn, vehicles

waiting at the signals on West Toronto Street must reverse to allow trucks to perform this manoeuvre, resulting in congestion at the intersection. Since the right turn movement is difficult for large trucks, operators will ignore either the southbound right turn prohibition at Old Stock Yards Road and West Toronto Street, or divert through the residential area via Cobalt Avenue and Ryding Avenue.

Traffic studies at the Old Stock Yards Road /West Toronto Road intersection in 2010 show that over the two hour study period (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.), 24 vehicles ignored the right turn prohibition; eight of which were heavy trucks.

This issue was discussed at a recent public meeting attended by residents of Cobalt Avenue and Ryding Avenue. It was agreed that the southbound right turn prohibition

Old Stock Yards – Right Turn Prohibition 3 from Old Stock Yards Road to West Toronto Street is not successful and should be removed. Transportation Services staff will continue to monitor this area following the signs

city map of area

6 comments:

  1. I never understood those no right turn signs and quite honestly did not abide by them. Will be glad to see them go.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If they wanted to stop traffic into the residential section on Ryding, they could've easily accomplished this by making Ryding Ave a one-way street between Runneymede and Coblat, and only allowing eastbound traffic to enter from Runneymede... or some variation of this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well I'll be dammed, I'm at Canadian Tire almost every weekend and never noticed that sign was there. I thought this article was referring to the no right turn when you exit the Future Shop parking lot, which is equally stupid.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was adopted and for good reason.

    Now if anyone can explain the no left turn into the Future Shop from West Toronto Street I would love to hear it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That was voted down by residents. The solution now that was agreed upon at a meeting is to ban through traffic just before Ryding and Cobalt, with signage down the street so no one drives through the industrial part onto the residential, except truckers going to the industries. Failing that, they could go with a physical separation just east of Cobalt and Ryding.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If they could make a connection between the Metro store and the Future Shop/Canadian Tire then the no right turn into the Future Shop would make sense.

    ReplyDelete