To / Destinataire	Transportation and Transit Committee	File/N° de fichier:
From / Expéditeur	Rosemary Nelson Committee Coordinator
Subject / Objet	SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION FOR ITEM 12 TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING - 17 JULY 2002	Date: 10 July 2002

On 24 June 2002, the Cycling Advisory Committee considered and approved the Motion contained in the attached report. A draft Extract of Minute is also appended.

This information is being circulated for the information of Committee and Council as supporting documentation for the staff report entitled “Woodroffe Avenue Transportation Study – Implementation of Measures on Woodroffe Avenue and Fairlawn Avenue” (Item 12 of the Transportation and Transit Committee Agenda of 17 July 2002 refers).

Rosemary Nelson

cc: Cycling Advisory Committee

Reference - Item No. 12 – Transportation and Transit Committee

Agenda 28 – 17 July 2002

Référence – Point n^o 12– Comité des transports et des services de transport en commun

Ordre du jour 28 – Le 17 juillet 2002

Report to/Rapport au :

Cycling Advisory Committee/

Comité consultatif sur le cyclisme

22 May 2002 / le 22 mai 2002

Submitted by/Présenté par : Rosemary Nelson, Committee Coordinator/

Coordonnatrice du comité

Contact/Personne-ressource : Rosemary Nelson, 580-2424, ext./poste 21624, Rosemary.Nelson@ottawa.ca

ACS2002-CCV-CAC-0004

SUBJECT: RUMBLE STRIPS – MOTION

OBJET: RALENTISSEURS SONORES SUR LA CHAUSSÉE - MOTION

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

WHEREAS North American studies have shown that rumble strips pose a serious risk to cyclists, in that they could cause a diversion-type fall, which could lead to injury or death;

WHEREAS former RMOC staff studied a proposal in the late 1990s to put rumble strips on Riverside Drive near the RA Centre, in response to a serious problem of extremely noisy and dangerous motorcycle drag races late at night on that road;

WHEREAS that study showed the danger of rumble strips to cyclists, and proved they would not have a deterrent effect on motorcyclists who mock the law;

WHEREAS rumble strips have been used on shoulders of rural limited-access highways in the U.S. and Canada to alert motorists when they may be veering off the road;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Cycling Advisory Committee formally oppose any use of rumble strips on city streets, and specifically as part of the Woodroffe traffic calming proposal and that this resolution be forwarded to the Transportation and Transit Committee and Council.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

ATTENDU QUE des études nord-américaines ont démontré que les ralentisseurs sonores sur la chaussée posent un risque grave aux cyclistes, car ces dispositifs peuvent causer des chutes entraînant des traumatismes crâniens, voire des blessures mortelles;

ATTENDU QUE le personnel de l’ancienne MROC a étudié une proposition, vers la fin des années 1990, en vue d’installer des ralentisseurs sonores le long de la promenade Riverside, près du Centre RA, dans l’espoir de régler le grave problème des courses de motocyclettes, extrêmement bruyantes et dangereuses, qui s’y déroulaient tard le soir;

ATTENDU QUE cette étude a démontré que les ralentisseurs sonores constituent un danger pour les cyclistes et n’auraient pas l’effet voulu sur les motocyclistes qui se moquent de la loi;

ATTENDU QUE les ralentisseurs sonores sont utilisés le long d’autoroutes à achalandage limité en milieu rural aux États-Unis et au Canada, afin d’alerter les automobilistes qui font une sortie de route;

IL EST PAR LES PRÉSENTES RÉSOLU QUE le Comité consultatif sur le cyclisme s’oppose formellement à l’utilisation de ralentisseurs sonores dans les rues de la ville, en particulier dans le cadre de la proposition visant des mesures modératrices de la circulation le long de l’avenue Woodroffe et que la présente résolution soit acheminée au Comité des transports et des services de transport en commun et au Conseil municipal.

BACKGROUND

At it’s meeting on 13 May 2002, Member McNichol submitted the attached Notice of Motion. The Motion is now before the Committee for consideration.

ATTACHMENTS

Document 1 – Notice of Motion

Document 1

NOTICE OF MOTION

RE: RUMBLE STRIPS

from Peter McNichol

Citizens for Safe Cycling representative to OCAC

WHEREAS North American studies have shown that rumble strips pose a serious risk to cyclists, in that they could cause a diversion-type fall, which could lead to injury or death. They are also not easily visible (certainly not as visible as railway or streetcar tracks), and especially to less experienced cyclists;

WHEREAS RMOC staff (led by John Buck) studied a proposal in the late 1990s to put rumble strips on Riverside Drive near the RA Centre, in response to a serious problem of extremely noisy and dangerous motorcycle drag races late at night on that road. The study, done in conjunction with RCAG, showed the danger of these strips to cyclists, and showed they would have no deterrent effect on the scofflaw motorcyclists -- they didn't affect handling, just increased noise;

WHEREAS rumble strips have been used in certain specific places on rural limited-access highways in the U.S. and Canada on shoulders to alert motorists when they may be veering off the road (RR 174 is the only city owned limited-access highway);

BE IT RESOLVED THAT OCAC formally oppose any use of rumble strips on city streets, and specifically as part of the Woodroffe Avenue traffic calming proposal.

Extract of Draft Minutes 11

24 June 2002

Extrait de l’ébauche du

procÈs-verbal 11 – 24 juin 2002

RUMBLE STRIPS – MOTION / RALENTISSEURS SONORES SUR LA CHAUSSÉE - MOTION

ACS2002-CCV-CAC-0004

Member McNichol indicated the reason he brought this forward is because there was a formal RMOC position that rumble strips should not be used and he wanted to see it carried forward in the new City. There was a chance they might have been implemented in the Woodroffe Traffic Calming Study, but at the last minute they were removed from the plan because of the noise caused by vehicles driving across the strips. He suggested that wherever the committee can support staff’s desire to keep the road safe it should do so.

Mr. Orchin advised that the above-noted study would be going forward to the Transportation and Transit Committee on 17 July and staff are recommending as part of that report that rumble strips not be used. He did question the issue referred to in the final ‘whereas’ of the Motion and Member McNichol clarified he was trying to say that is the exception where cyclists are not allowed, but that is the only exception. The intent is to say that only major highways need consider these devices.

Moved by P. McNichol