Rudyard Road / Stormont Road Traffic Review Report

Rudyard Road / Stormont Road Traffic Review

Prepared for: Town of View Royal

Prepared by: Boulevard Transportation, a division of Watt Consulting Group

Our File: 1802

Date: March 16, 2015

The following are a series of additional traffic calming options that could be implemented to deal with the short cutting issue. See Appendix B for sketches of the options. All of the following options include a traffic impact analysis at an estimated cost of $3,500.

3.1 One Way Rudyard Road

This option would utilize signage to convert Rudyard Road into a one way street westbound. The road width would be narrowed on Rudyard Road just east of Helmcken Road to reinforce the one way nature of the road. On street parking could be added along road. Estimated cost of $25,000.

Pros:

• Eliminates eastbound short cutting vehicles
• Potential to provide more formal on-street parking (at additional cost) for pedestrian facilities due to extra width for school pick up
• Decreases the potential for short cutters to disobey the signage due to the length of the one way street

Cons:

• Require all eastbound traffic from the neighbourhood, including school traffic, to utilize Stormont Road
• May increase delays on Helmcken Road due to increased vehicles through the Island Highway / Helmcken Road intersection
• Increases traffic volumes on Helmcken Road and Stormont Road by 300 to 370 vpd
• Increasing the volume of southbound traffic on Helmcken Road by up to 370 vpd, including an average of 57 vph in the AM will increase queues and delays on Helmcken Road at Island Highway.
• Potentially increasing emergency vehicles response time due to increased routing to access the neighbourhood
• Vehicles needing to access the daycare on Island Highway west of the old Fire Hall in the AM will not be able to use Ruydard Road to Stormont Road to access the daycare. The daycare access is a right-in only access westbound on Island Highway and therefore can't be access by vehicles from Helmcken Road to Island Highway.

3.2 Full Closure of Rudyard Road at Stormont Road

This option would physically close Rudyard Road at Stormont Road. All traffic for the school and the housing on Rudyard Road would utilize Rudyard Road and all traffic for the Glenairlie area would utilize Stormont Road. There are two alternatives for a full closure: a cul-de-sac closure and a road closure with the existing road width. Estimated cost of $45,000.

Pros:

• Eliminates all short cutting vehicles through Rudyard Road/Stormont Road
• Allows for left turners from Helmcken Road to access to Rudyard Road (Rudyard housing and school)
• Provides more on-street parking for school pick-up / drop-off
• Potential increased landscaping area, depending on design

Cons:

• Forces all vehicles Glenairlie area traffic to Stormont Road which will increase their circulation / travel time
• Forces all Rudyard and school traffic to Rudyard Road which will increase their circulation / travel time
• Increased delays for eastbound left turn access to Helmcken Road for Rudyard Road residents / school traffic
• Increased delays through the Island Highway / Helmcken Road intersection due to the extra circulation of vehicles
• Increases traffic volumes on Helmcken Road and Stormont Road by 500 vpd
• Potential increases in emergency vehicles response time
• Requires school traffic to u-turn to exit from Rudyard Road
• Does not provide alternative / secondary route to residents of Rudyard Road or Glenairlie area (unless emergency access gates are incorporated into the closure)
• In order to provide a standard cul-de-sac / turnaround area additional property may be required
• Vehicles needing to access the daycare on Island Highway west of the old Fire Hall in the AM will not be able to use Ruydard Road to Stormont Road to access the daycare. The daycare access is a right-in only access westbound on Island Highway and therefore can't be access by vehicles from Helmcken Road to Island Highway.

3.3 Partial Diverter on Rudyard Road at Stormont Road

This option would place a physical barrier to partially close Rudyard Road at Stormont Road. The partial diverter would close the eastbound exit from Rudyard Road onto Stormont Road, but would still permit left and right turning movements onto Rudyard Road. Emergency vehicles would, if necessary, travel through the diverter in the opposite direction. Estimated cost of $15,000.

Pros:

• Physically restricts short cutting movement (eastbound right turn)

Cons:

• Any Glenairlie area traffic from Helmcken Road north would be required to circulate to Stormont Road which will increase their circulation / travel time to access their properties
• Forces all eastbound Rudyard and school traffic to Helmcken Road which may increase their circulation / travel time as well as potential increased delays to access Helmcken Road to the south (westbound left)
• Increased volumes through the Island Highway / Helmcken Road intersection due to the extra circulation of vehicles which increases delays
• May increase u-turns on Rudyard Road for school traffic (eastbound arriving traffic would have to u-turn to exit westbound) and for any vehicles who miss the no-thru road signage
• Due to the relatively low volumes on the route, short cutters may continue to utilize the route and travel the wrong way through the diverter
• Increased emergency vehicle response time
• Vehicles needing to access the daycare on Island Highway west of the old Fire Hall in the AM will not be able to use Ruydard Road to Stormont Road to access the daycare. The daycare access is a right-in only access westbound on Island Highway and therefore can't be access by vehicles from Helmcken Road to Island Highway.

3.4 Partial Diverter on Rudyard Road at Helmcken Road

This option would place a physical barrier on Rudyard Road at Helmcken Road to restrict left turn access to Rudyard Road, but allow westbound traffic to exit from Rudyard. Estimated cost of $10,000.

Pros:

• Eliminates eastbound short cutting vehicles

Cons:

• Require all eastbound traffic from the Glenairlie area, Rudyard Road, and school traffic, to utilize Stormont Road
• May increase delays on Helmcken Road due to increased vehicles through the Island Highway / Helmcken Road intersection
• Increases traffic volumes on Helmcken Road and Stormont Road by 350 vpd
• Potential for increased u-turns on Rudyard Road as vehicles turn around to head to Stormont Road to head south; especially school traffic
• Potentially increases emergency vehicles response time due to increased routing to access the neighbourhood; however, emergency vehicle could enter going the wrong way
• Potential for southbound vehicles on Helmcken Road to use the Rudyard Road exit (westbound lane) as an entry to Rudyard Road due to the low volumes. I.e. vehicles may continue to turn southbound left onto Rudyard Road from Helmcken Road going the wrong way past the barrier.
• Vehicles needing to access the daycare on Island Highway west of the old Fire Hall in the AM will not be able to use Ruydard Road to Stormont Road to access the daycare. The daycare access is a right-in only access westbound on Island Highway and therefore can't be access by vehicles from southbound Helmcken Road to Island Highway.

3.5 Signal Timing Changes at Stormont Road/Island Highway

This option would adjust the signal timing at Stormont Road/Island Highway to further increase the waiting time for a vehicle on the side street (Stormont Road) to trigger the green signal to access Island Highway. Estimated cost of $5,500.

Pros:

• Does not limit access to/from the area for residents