Minutes of the Council meeting held October 17, 2023
Official record of proceedings from the View Royal Council meeting held on October 17, 2023.
5.0 OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
5.1 IMPROVEMENTS FOR ISLAND HIGHWAY / PRINCE ROBERT DRIVE
According to ICBC crash data, at Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive, five (6) crashes (2 injury type) were reported from 2017-2021. At Island Highway / Burnett Road, there was one (1) crashes reported in the same period even though the Burnett intersection currently has 2.5 times more turning volumes (148 vs 60 during the AM & PM peak hours) than the Prince Robert intersection.
At Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive, the crashes observed are likely the result of roadway geometry issues. The stopping location for traffic turning from Prince Robert Drive has poor sight distance looking to the left (along Island Highway) due to the horizontal curvature and vegetation. The available sight distance was measured at 65m, which just meets TAC minimum stopping sight distance for 50 km/h roadways. The available sight distance does not meet the required intersection sight distance (105m) for left turning vehicles starting from a stop on a 50 km/h, two lane road.
A westbound left turn lane should be considered on Island Highway at Prince Robert Drive. Based on the 2035 post development volumes the MOTI warrant chart recommends a 25-35m storage length, however the SimTraffic results show a 15m storage length is needed. Current right of way on Island Highway appears sufficient to implement roadway improvements including a new left turn lane and corresponding realignment. See Section 5.2 for more detail and see Appendix B for preliminary design.
On Island Highway, traffic conditions for the two intersections (Prince Robert Drive and Burnett Road) are similar; movements from the side streets will be worse (LOS F during peak hours) as the highway through-traffic increases. Signalization for the Prince Robert Drive intersection should be considered if volumes at the side street approach a threshold volume level (75 vph) as the highway through volumes on Island Highway are already high enough with over 1,500 vph (both directions) in the peak hours.
5.2 LEFT TURN LANE
At the Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive intersection, a left turn lane is warranted for the westbound movement based on 2025 opening day AM & PM peak hour volumes with or without the development. The need for the turn lane increases with the development, but the lane is warranted without it. A 25m westbound left turn lane is required based on the 2025 and 2035 post development analysis results. See Figure 9 for the left turn lane warrant review.
It should be noted that making left turns into / out of the RV park/housing on Island Highway is difficult today due to the background traffic. One remedy would be to add not only the dedicated left turn lane, but to extend that turn lane from Prince Robert Drive to the eastbound left turn lane at Burnett Road using a Two-Way-Left-Turn-Lane (TWLTL). This would give the RV park and the residences on Island Highway a safer turn situation and would tie into the existing painted median and turn lanes. It would also aid westbound Fire dispatch by giving the Fire trucks / passenger vehicles a space to travel / move into.
5.3 SIGNAL WARRANT REVIEW FOR 4-LEG ISLAND HWY / PRINCE ROBERT DRIVE
At Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive, there is an access on Island Highway to the existing RV Park across the development site. The RV Park access is located slightly offset (approximately 7m) from Prince Robert Drive (south leg). During traffic counts it was observed there were very few vehicles that made left turns (4 vph AM Peak and 2 vph PM peak) from Island Highway into the RV Park site. No exiting vehicle was observed from the RV Park access and the RV park traffic can (and clearly prefers to) use Burnett Road to exit to the east. Because of these low volumes the leg was excluded from the above analysis.
As a worst-case scenario, the intersection operations were analyzed with a 4-leg option (north leg added) rather than 3-legs. Table 9 summarizes Synchro results for the northbound movement at Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive with 3-leg and 4-leg options. Comparing delays for the northbound movement (already over capacity conditions with 3-legs), the 4-leg option will have roughly double the delay compared to the 3-leg due to very high through volumes on Island Highway. This dramatic increase is due to a small number of vehicles which have the option of turning into the access at Burnett Road, which has a dedicated turn lane. Further, the addition on the proposed turn lane will address most of the delays seen in Table 9.
TABLE 9: DELAY COMPARISON BETWEEN 3-LEG AND 4-LEG OPTIONS
| Peak Hour | NB Average Delay - 3 Legs | NB Average Delay - 4 Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Day Post Development AM | LOS F: 87 sec | LOS F: 159 sec |
| Opening Day Post Development PM | LOS F: 102 sec | LOS F: 208 sec |
| 10-Year Horizon Post Development AM | LOS F: 151 sec | LOS F: 279 sec |
| 10-Year Horizon Post Development PM | LOS F: 227 sec | LOS F: 443 sec |
5.3.1 SIGNAL WARRANT ANALYSIS
A full signal warrant review was undertaken with a 4-leg option at the Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive intersection, See Appendix C: Traffic Signal Warrant Results. The signal warrant review is based on the BC MoTI’s Electrical & Traffic Engineering Design Guidelines (Section 400, Signal Design). The warrant assessment includes nine (9) warrant requirements. Three of the nine warrants were non-applicable due lack of data. Appendix C: Traffic Signal Warrant Results shows the results, which are discussed below.
- Warrant 1: Minimum Vehicular Volume is not met as side street volume of the intersection is lower than the required threshold (150 vph).
- Warrant 2: Interruption of Continuous Traffic is met for the AM Opening Day and 2035 Post-Development scenarios.
- Warrant 3: Progressive Movement is not applicable.
- Warrant 4: Collision Experience does not satisfy the conditions (minimum five collisions experienced within one year) with 6 collisions over five years.
- Warrant 5: System Warrant has been met for the AM Opening Day and 2035 Post-Development scenarios.
- Warrant 6: Combination Warrant is not applicable.
- Warrant 7: Four Hour Volume Warrant cannot be fully analyzed because 4-hour count data was not obtained, however the peak hour results alone mean the warrant is likely met, mainly due to the 80vph minor street volumes.
- Warrant 8: Peak Hour Delay is not met as all three conditions must be met, and the highest minor leg does not exceed 100vph.
- Warrant 9: Peak Hour Volume is not warranted based on estimated 2035 post development peak hour volume due to side street volumes being less than 100 vph.
At Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive, addition of the north leg increases delays significantly for the northbound movement (Prince Robert Drive with stop control). For 10-year horizon post development peak hours, the intersection will experience extremely long delays for the northbound movement with the north leg under stop control. For the opening day post development AM peak hour, total delay from the northbound movement exceeds 4 vehicle-hours of delay required for Warrant 8, although the warrant fails to be met. See Table 10 for the total delay result of the post development peak hour analysis (Synchro HCM 2010) at Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive with a new north leg.
TABLE 10: NORTHBOUND DELAYS AT ISLAND HWY / PRINCE ROBERT DR
| Peak Hour | Total Delay | Warrant Condition Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Day Post Development AM | 4.02 vehicle-hours | Yes |
| Opening Day Post Development PM | 2.95 vehicle-hours | No |
| 10-Year Horizon Post Development AM | 7.21 vehicle-hours | Yes |
| 10-Year Horizon Post Development PM | 6.51 vehicle-hours | Yes |
5.3.2 TRAFFIC SIGNAL WARRANT RESULT
The warrant results are somewhat marginal as only two warrants are met. As the MoTI manual notes, the determination of whether a signal is to be installed is not based solely on meeting of any one (or more) warrants. Additional factors must be considered in the final determination, including local plans and regulations, general safety, etc. Additional factors that should be considered are as follows:
- Is this the best location for a signal on the corridor?
- Burnett Road could benefit from signalization.
- Will future Fort Victoria changes dictate a better placement?
- The curve in the road affects the signal visibility.
- Increase in signal related crashes especially for eastbound traffic due to the curve in the roadway are highly likely.
- Primarily rear end collisions, but also side crashes.
- Visibility of signal heads eastbound may be an issue and advance signal heads, and possibly other measures, may be required.
- Only 2 Warrants are met, and only met for AM condition, and then not by much.
- ITE 11th Ed. trip generation does not capture post-pandemic change in work patterns and therefore may not be an accurate description of actual conditions when the development is fully occupied. A slight drop in the assumed trip generation rate in the AM peak hour (caused by a change to work from home) increases the marginality of the warrants.
- An alternate route to Helmcken is available, but is quite far (1.1km detour).
- On Island Highway at Prince Robert Drive, existing volumes are in the highest range (1600 – 1800 vph) of the peak hour MoTI manual signal warrant volume chart.
- For the 10-year horizon post development peak hour, the estimated v/c ratio for the northbound movement exceeds 1.5, which is much higher than a general threshold (0.95) for mitigation.
Based on the above results and discussion with the municipality a traffic signal is recommended at the intersection.
5.4 FEASIBILITY REVIEW OF ON-STREET PARKING
The feasibility of on-street parking along Island Highway was reviewed. Currently there is no on-street parking provided on Island Highway adjacent to the site. On-street parking typically can lead to reduce road capacity and decrease traffic performance of the certain roads based on related parameters. The feasibility of on-street parking is directly related to the existing road conditions. Traffic volumes and capacity of road are considered key parameters to determine the feasibility of implementation of on-street parking.
Existing traffic volumes along Island Highway are nearly at saturated a condition with 1,500-1,600 vehicles during the peak hours. Particularly for the eastbound movement, significant traffic congestion occurs along the corridor in the AM peak hours. The implementation of on-street parking (parallel parking) could negatively impact road capacity and flow efficiency by increasing side friction under the current congested conditions. Furthermore, on-street parking along the Island Highway frontage would be not suitable due to the limited right-of-way. Significant road cross section improvements are required. A westbound left turn lane should be required on Island Highway and a traffic signal should also be considered at the Price Robert Drive intersection as an alternative traffic control. There is a transit bus stop to be upgraded at the development frontage. The frontage improvements also require a new paved shoulder and wide sidewalk with boulevards to connect to the existing sidewalk network to the east.
These safety/operational changes far outweigh the need for a small number of parking spaces and the friction they will create with the adjacent traffic stream will negatively impact general flow; taken together the parking should not built.
6.0 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION
6.1 PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLING FACILITIES
The E&N Rail Trail passes close to the north side of Island Highway within a 300m distance from the site. There are sidewalks along the east side of Burnett Road and along the Fire Department frontage of Island Highway. There are no sidewalks along the development frontage of Island Highway. Based on the ITE Trip Generation Manual, the development (260 multi-family units) will generate 4-5 pedestrian trips during the peak hour. According to the TMP a 2.0m sidewalk with landscaped boulevards is recommended along the development frontage of Island Highway from Prince Robert Drive to the existing sidewalk at the Fire Department. Connection to the pathway could be completed by constructing the sidewalk along Island Highway.
There are bike lanes along both sides of Island Highway. If a left turn lane is installed on Island Highway the bike lanes should be preserved. Prince Robert Drive is currently just 6m wide with no paved shoulders along the development frontage. With the development, the cross section for Prince Robert Drive would be upgraded with a paved shoulder along the development frontage for pedestrian / cyclist safety.
6.2 TRANSIT
The bus route No. 46 passes in front of the proposed site on Island Highway providing service from Langford (Westhills Exchange) to Esquimalt (HMC Dockyard) via the Colwood Exchange two times per peak hours on weekdays. Currently, there is a bus stop at the development frontage on Island Highway. The existing bus stops should be upgraded when the development frontage improvements are made along Island Highway.
7.0 PARKING FACILITY REVIEW
The site is currently subject to the parking requirements outlined in Zoning Bylaw 2014 No. 900. The vehicular parking requirements applicable to the site are outlined in Table 11.
TABLE 11: ON-SITE PARKING REQUIREMENTS
| Use | Unit Count | Minimum Rate | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio + 1 Bedroom | 119 units | 1 space per unit | 119 spaces |
| 2 Bedroom | 114 units | 1.5 spaces per unit | 171 spaces |
| 3 Bedroom | 5 units | 2 spaces per unit | 10 spaces |
| Total | 238 units | 300 spaces |
A total of 300 parking spaces are required to be provided on the site.
A total of 300 parking spaces, distributed across two underground parking levels, are proposed to be provided. The proposed parking supply meets the requirements of Zoning Bylaw 2014 No. 900.
8.0 TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the application of strategies and policies to influence the travel choice of an individual, most commonly to reduce single-occupant vehicle travel. TDM measures typically aim to encourage sustainable travel, enhance travel options, and decrease parking demand.
As the proposed development is currently meeting the parking requirements outlined in Zoning Bylaw 2014 No. 900, there is limited need to apply transportation demand management measures to reduce parking demand for the proposed development. As such, no transportation demand management measures are currently being sought.
9.0 CONCLUSION
The proposed development will generate 96 vehicle trips in the AM peak hour and 101 vehicle trips in the PM peak hour. The development will have little impact on the traffic operations at the two adjacent intersections of Island Highway / Burnett Road, and Island Highway / Jedburgh Road, as the development adds only a small amount of through volume on Island Highway.
The development will impact traffic operations at Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive as significant turning volumes are added to the intersection. With the development the stop-controlled northbound movement will drop to LOS F (2025 opening day background LOS D) in the AM and PM peak hours in the short term. In the long term, the northbound movement will operate at LOS F with additional delays in both the AM and PM hours due to projected increase in through volumes on Island Highway. However, a traffic signal is not warranted based on 2035 post development peak hour volumes and delays, although signalization (or other traffic control) of the intersection should still be considered.
At Island Highway / Prince Robert Drive, a westbound left turn lane is warranted based on 2025 background traffic volumes and is strongly recommended. Additionally, this turn lane should be extended to the Burnett Road left turn lane using a TWLTL.
Prince Robert Drive should be upgraded with a paved shoulder along the development frontage. A sidewalk with landscaped boulevards is required along the development frontage of Island Highway to the existing sidewalk at the Municipal Fire Department. Construction of the sidewalk would also complete a connection to the E&N pathway.
On Island Highway, the existing bus stops in front of the site should be upgraded. On street parking along the Island Highway frontage is not recommended. The site access proposed on Prince Robert Drive is appropriately located from a safety perspective.
A traffic signal warrant process was undertaken for the 4-leg Prince Robert Drive intersection layout. Results show a marginally warranted signal with only two warrants being met. Additional considerations, including and expected increase in rear end crashes and whether the location is the correct one for the corridor as a whole must be weighed by the road authority before a final determination is made.
10.0 RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS
The following improvements are recommended of the developer:
- Upgrade the cross section of Prince Robert Drive with a paved shoulder along the development frontage.
- Install a sidewalk with landscaped boulevards along the development frontage of Island Highway.
- Upgrade the existing bus stops as per BC Transit and View Royal direction.
The following improvements are recommended of the road authority:
- Install a 25m westbound left turn lane on Island Highway at Prince Robert Drive.
- Convert the painted median on Island Highway into a TWLTL.
- Install a traffic signal at the Prince Robert Drive intersection.