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1. William Street Pedestrian Area -
Feasibility Study Étude De Faisabilité – Zone Piétonnière De La Rue William |
Committee
Recommendations
That Council:
1. Approve the proposed design for the creation of a public
space and the redevelopment of the section of William Street between Clarence
Street and York Street as outlined in this report; and
2. Direct staff to refer this project to the 2010 Capital budget deliberations.
Recommandations du comité
Que le Conseil :
1. approuve le modèle proposé pour la création d’un espace
public et le réaménagement de la partie de la rue William située entre les rues
Clarence et York, tel que le décrit brièvement ce rapport; et
2. charge le personnel de soumettre ce
projet aux délibérations du budget d’immobilisations 2010.
Documentation
1. Deputy City Manager’s report,
Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability, dated 30 September 2009 (ACS2009-ICS-CSS-0035).
Report to/Rapport au :
Comité des transports
and Council / et au Conseil
30 September 2009 / le 30
septembre 2009
Submitted by/Soumis par: Nancy Schepers, Deputy City
Manager/Directrice municipale adjointe,
Infrastructure Services and Community
Sustainability/Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person/Personne ressource: Michael Murr, Manager/Gestionnaire, Sustainability Services/Services de viabilité
613-580-2424,
ext. 25195, Michael.Murr@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Transportation Committee recommend that Council:
1.
Approve the
proposed design for the creation of a public space and the redevelopment of the
section of William Street between Clarence Street and York Street as outlined
in this report; and
2. Direct staff to refer this project to the 2010 Capital budget deliberations.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT
Que
le Comité des transports recommande au Conseil :
1.
d’approuver le
modèle proposé pour la création d’un espace public et le réaménagement de la
partie de la rue William située entre les rues Clarence et York, tel que le
décrit brièvement ce rapport; et
2.
de charger le personnel de soumettre ce projet aux
délibérations du budget d’immobilisations 2010.
BACKGROUND
Overview
Given its importance, the Environmental Advisory Committee brought forward report ACS2008-CCV-EAC-0006 entitled A Healthy ByWard Market to Transportation Committee on October 15, 2008 and subsequently to Council on November 12, 2008. This report suggested initiatives to improve the Market area. Council approved the following recommendations and instructed staff to report back in Q3 2009 to allow for consideration within the 2010 Capital budget deliberations.
The Council-approved recommendations read as follows:
a)
Direct staff to explore the feasibility of
changing the direction of traffic exiting the ByWard Parking Garage from south
to north on William Street towards Clarence Street, thereby creating a large
public space at the corner of York and William Streets, which would serve as a
gathering place for citizens and market patrons while improving the pedestrian
circulation and reducing vehicle congestion, idling, and air pollutants;
i.
That, should the above-noted redirection prove
feasible, the sidewalk space on the east side of William Street, between York
and Clarence Streets, be maximized to improve pedestrian circulation;
b)
Direct staff to enforce all relevant by-laws to
ensure the sidewalks of the Market area are kept as unobstructed as possible by
A-frame signs, newspaper boxes, display racks, etc. to improve and encourage
pedestrian access and circulation;
i.
That should the above prove successful for
pedestrians, business operators, and patrons, further traffic reduction and
pedestrian enhancing features be considered in the ByWard Market area; and
c) Direct staff to report back to Committee and Council in one year’s time on progress achieved, and make recommendations for the future, in sufficient time for any required Capital expenditures in the 2010 Budget year.
Actions to Date
In accordance with items a) and c) of the Motion, the following actions have taken place:
· A cross-departmental working group was established with Community Sustainability leading the project team.
· Project charter and work plans were developed to meet Council objectives.
· Air quality monitoring and modelling on William Street was conducted.
· Traffic and parking counts and a capacity analysis were completed.
· A proposed design and artist rendition were developed.
· Cost estimates were completed.
In relation to item b) of the Motion, the following initiatives will be implemented during the 2010 Market season:
· Modifying the parking designation on the east side of William Street between George Street and York Street to allow for the set-up and take-down of arts and crafts vendors on the west side of the street.
· Ensuring that sidewalks everywhere in the Market are kept unobstructed.
· Undertaking an information and enforcement campaign to reduce the amount of vehicle idling in the Market.
· Undertaking an information and enforcement campaign to reduce the amount of smoking in the core of the Market and eliminating smoking in market stands.
DISCUSSION
Purpose of Report
The purpose of this report is to present the findings of the William Street Pedestrian Area Feasibility Study, to seek approval of the proposed design, and to identify the costs associated with implementing the design.
Proposed Design
In its consultation with the former Public Works and Services Department in 2008, the Environmental Advisory Committee was presented with three options in response to the recommendation of changing the direction of traffic on William Street between York and Clarence from southbound to northbound. Options presented were as follows:
Option 1: Reverse the direction of travel and keep the road open to traffic.
Option 2: Reverse the direction of travel and close the road south of the garage exit.
Option 3: Convert the road to allow two-way traffic south of Clarence Street, and close the road south of the parking garage exit.
The third option was rejected, as it was determined that there is not enough space for the creation of an additional lane and widening of the sidewalk on the west side of William Street.
The preferred option was a hybrid of Options 1 and 2 in that the direction of travel would be reversed and the road would only be open to traffic from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. daily during the summer market season and closed at all other times to allow for the creation of a public space. Outside of the summer market season, the road would remain open to traffic to facilitate winter maintenance.
Based on the selected approach, a design concept was developed. The concept aims to create an attractive pedestrian area that would improve the safety of pedestrians crossing on York Street and introduce some green space in the area to create a setting for small formal and informal gatherings. The concept also continues to meet the loading and unloading needs of the surrounding businesses.
A number of design concepts were examined and
evaluated by staff in the following Departments: Public Works, Infrastructure Services,
Planning and Growth Management, Emergency and Protective Services and,
Community Sustainability. In selecting
the preferred design, consideration was given to the aesthetics of the space,
the costs, the technical feasibility, as well as short and long-term
maintenance concerns. The proposed
design (see Documents 1 and 2) addresses the requirements of these important
considerations and creates an attractive public space for the City.
Benefits of the New Design
It is anticipated that with this design, the vehicle congestion and gridlock at the intersection of York Street with William Street and ByWard Market Street caused by vehicles circling the Market area in search of parking will be eased by the redirection of traffic away from the centre of the Market. With fewer vehicles to contend with, pedestrians and cyclists may be apt to walk or ride to the Market, which should relieve further stress on parking demand.
By implementing the proposed design, ByWard Market vendors, residents, and visitors will also benefit from an improvement in air quality resulting in a decrease in the health impacts of localized air pollution.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the new public space will enhance the ByWard Market experience. Improved pedestrian crossings and space for street performers and public gatherings will enhance that area of the Market significantly and will support the outdoor vending on York Street between William and Dalhousie.
Traffic/Parking Counts and Capacity Analysis
In order to determine the feasibility of the proposed changes, traffic and parking counts, and a capacity analysis were completed. The following counts were taken to provide the current traffic conditions in the study area:
- Automatic Traffic Recording with hourly breakdown, vehicle classification, and flow direction (on Clarence) at the following locations during the period of May 13 to 20, 2009:
· Clarence Street immediately west of Dalhousie Street
· Clarence Street between Parent Avenue and William Street
· William Street immediately south of Clarence Street
· William Street immediately north of York Street.
- An eight-hour Turning Movement count at the intersection of Clarence Street and William Street was conducted on May 13, 2009 and again on August 12, 2009.
- Access and egress to and from the ByWard Parking Garage was counted
for a 48-hour period from May 16 to 17, 2009.
The impact from the change in direction northbound towards Clarence Street was also reviewed. The traffic and parking count data was used to conduct a capacity analysis that focused on the impact of the intersection of Dalhousie and Clarence resulting from the change in traffic direction on William Street. It was determined that as a worst case scenario, an additional 150 vehicles would make an eastbound right turn from Clarence Street onto Dalhousie during the heaviest afternoon peak period (in addition to the 75 vehicles using the route currently) as this would be the only remaining street allowing southbound movement between Sussex and Dalhousie. The number of vehicles traveling eastbound on Clarence and going straight through the intersection or making a left turn during the same afternoon peak period would remain unchanged at nine and 24 respectively.
The City of Ottawa has adopted criteria that directly relate the volume to capacity (v/c) ratio of a signalized intersection to a Level of Service (LOS) rating. The current v/c ratio at the intersection of Clarence and Dalhousie is 0.35. This equates to a LOS rating of A, meaning that the intersection has no congestion. A v/c ratio of 1.0 would equate to a LOS rating of F, meaning that the intersection is at capacity and is experiencing congestion. With the additional 150 vehicles per hour making an eastbound right turn onto Dalhousie from Clarence, the resulting v/c ratio would be 0.48, meaning that the intersection would continue to operate at a LOS A rating.
After the direction of traffic has been changed on
William Street, the intersection of Dalhousie and Clarence would need to be
monitored for the eastbound right turn movement. If delays become excessive, the curb
extension on the southwest corner of Dalhousie and Clarence could be removed
and an eastbound right turn lane would need to be added to address these
potential delays.
The traffic diverted as a result of the proposed
change in travel direction on William Street will remove the corresponding
volume from streets such as York Street.
It will also create new northbound means of egress from the Market area,
which will reduce conflict of vehicles with pedestrians.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
In order to determine the environmental impact of changing the traffic direction on William Street, staff used its recently acquired roadside monitor to measure the three most important air pollution indicators:
- Nitrogen oxides (NO, NOx and NO2)
- Ground level ozone (O3)
- Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5)
The data captured in this step was used to illustrate the emissions under the current configuration.
The roadside monitor was located on the outside wall of the exit of the parking garage. The monitor was placed at a height of 10 feet above the road with the air intake at 13 feet. Measurements were taken from July 17 to August 13, 2009. The hourly averages for this period are shown in Figure 1.
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Figure 1. Hourly average for the period of July 17 to Aug 13, 2009 |
Figure 2. Pollution levels on the day that traffic counts took place. |
From Figure 1, it is clear that the greatest amount of pollution occurs after 4:00 pm (16:00), with peak pollution occurring at 10:00 pm (22:00) and later. This is particularly evident for total nitrogen oxides. These amounts, although higher than the readings observed on Carling Avenue and Anna Street, are still within acceptable standards.
The results of traffic counts were used in order to estimate the potential reduction of air pollution on this section of William Street. In particular, an eight-hour count (extrapolated to 24-hours) on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 showed the total number of cars travelling on the monitored section of William Street as 1370 for that day. A graph for this day (Figure 2) shows much higher levels of pollution as compared to the average hourly values registered during the period of July 17 to August 13, 2009 (Figure 1). It should be noted that the high levels of total nitrogen oxides recorded late that night (97 ppb) may have been caused by an idling car in the vicinity. Idling is a common problem in this area both during the day and late at night.
Of the 1370 vehicles that travelled on William Street on August 12, 2009, 1009 of them originated from the parking garage. Based on these estimates, closing William Street at the south end by York Street would reduce the number of vehicles by 361 and the air pollution generated by vehicles would be redistributed to surrounding streets. Nevertheless, based on this short period of study, staff conclude that the levels of air pollution observed on this portion of William Street could go down by as much as 26 per cent with 10 to 15 per cent being a reasonably conservative number. Any reduction of particulate matter is beneficial. Based solely on the air quality observed on William Street, a change in direction is recommended.
CONSULTATION
Consultation for this study took place in September 2009 through a series of briefings and presentations at the various Committees and Associations of the ByWard Market namely, the ByWard Market Standholders Association, the Safety and Security Committee, and the ByWard Market Business Improvement Area. In addition, the City’s Markets Division hosted an open house on September 29, 2009 to provide Market vendors and businesses the opportunity to view the design concept and provide feedback. Feedback from the open house was not available at the time of this report; therefore, staff will provide further comments during the Transportation Committee meeting.
Feedback throughout the consultation process was generally positive, although some concern was raised regarding the additional traffic load on Clarence Street and its impact on Dalhousie Street. In response, staff communicated that as indicated by Public Works and Services in the previous report, the change in direction of traffic on this section of William Street limits southbound movements between Clarence and York to Dalhousie Street only, given that Sussex Drive, ByWard Market Square, and William Street are all one-way streets northbound. The direction staff received from Council was not to conduct a detailed traffic analysis of the area, but rather to determine the feasibility of reversing the direction of traffic and creating a public space at William and York.
An update was given to the Environmental Advisory Committee on September 10, 2009 and the Committee was in full support of the design and staff recommendations. The Committee did suggest that additional bicycle parking spaces should be included in the public space and that should funding not be approved, the City still should proceed with reversing the direction of traffic and the daily closure, except from 6:00 am until 10:00 am, without the enhancements to the public space.
As part of the consultation, an update on other “Healthy ByWard Market” initiatives such as maintaining clear sidewalks, anti-idling campaign, and anti-smoking campaign, was also provided.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS:
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing the recommendations in this report.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Total estimated capital costs are $275,000, which includes William Street Pedestrian Area Construction - $210,000, Removal of Curb Extension Dalhousie at Clarence - $20,000, and York Street Sidewalk Modification - $45,000.
Should
staff’s recommendation be approved, $275,000 for the William Street Pedestrian
Area will be identified for Council consideration within the Strategic
Initiative envelope of the 2010 Draft Capital Budget, of which $45,000
will be funded from the Municipal Parking Reserve. Public Works does not anticipate an impact to its operating budget
requirements for Roads and Traffic Operations or Parking Operations as a result
of proposed changes.
The recommended Strategic Initiative projects for 2010 and
2011, as presented in the 2009 Capital Budget, did not include this
project in the forecast.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 Artist Rendition
Document 2 Concept Plan View
DISPOSITION
Subject to approval of this report, funding for this project will be included for consideration in the 2010 Capital budget deliberations.
ARTIST RENDITION DOCUMENT 1
CONCEPT PLAN VIEW DOCUMENT
2
