Town of Ajax Planning and Development Services Ajax

100 Pages·2008·5.89 MB·English

Ajax Transportation Master Plan Update
Town of Ajax Planning
and Development Services

®
Town of Ajax
Transportation Master Plan Update
Final Report
Ajax, Ontario
December 2007
iTRANS Consulting Inc.
100YorkBlvd.,Suite300
RichmondHill,ON L4B1J8
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Project#3665
TownofAjax TransportationMasterPlanUpdate
FinalReport
Client Project Team
Project Manager Angela Gibson, MSc.Pl., MCIP, RPP
Planning and Development
iTRANS Project Team
Principal Tyrone Gan, P.Eng.
Project Manager Suzette Shiu, P.Eng.
Technical Team Steve Molloy, BA
Rudy Sooklall, M.A.Sc.
December2007 iTRANS
TownofAjax TransportationMasterPlanUpdate
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Introduction
In2000,theTownofAjax approvedits first TransportationMasterPlan(TMP)toaddress
thetransportationrequirements upto2021,whichcoincidedwiththebuild-out ofAjax
withinits urbanboundary. Withrecent legislative changes to growth, regional policychanges
andrecent development activitywithintheTown, anupdateofthe TMP was requiredto
address transportationneeds forthe2021,2026 and2031horizon years.
Sincethepreparationofthe2000MasterTransportationStudy,manykeyassumptions have
changed andnewinformationis available:
 Landuseassumptions havebeenupdatedacross Durham Region.
 Provincial planninginitiatives providethebroadplanningcontext forthetransportation
masterplan–GrowthPlanfor theGreater GoldenHorseshoeandlegislationsuchas the
Greenbelt Act 2005 and Places toGrow Act 2005.
 The2003DurhamRegionTransportationMasterPlanwhichadopts avisionofa
balanced roadandtransit infrastructureinvestment strategywill providean overall
regional transportationcontext forAjax’s transportationmasterplan.
 At theprovincial level, MTOhas carriedout transportationplanningstudies forCentral
Ontario,whichprovides aGTAcontext.iTRANS has hadamajor roleinthis recent
workfortheMTO,ininter-regional transit planning(Transit ProtectionStudyfor 400-
Series Corridors),HOV planning(HOVStudyfor Central Ontario),andgoods
movement (Goods Movement inCentral Ontario: Trends andIssues).
B. Problem Statement
Basedontrafficforecasts andanalysis ofexistingandfuture conditions, thetransportation
challenges forAjax aresummarizedbelow:
 Ajax occupies acentral locationinDurham Region,andis thereforeaffectedbyoverall
growthinDurham Region.Alargeportionoftrafficontheeast-west arterial corridors in
Ajax is throughtrafficoriginatingand/ordestined toothermunicipalities intheRegion
andtheGTA.As theRegionandtheTown grow,throughtrafficandtraffic generatedby
Ajax will furtherincrease.
 Arterial roads inAjax experiencecapacityand congestionproblems today. Congestionon
arterial roads also leads to trafficspillingoverontoresidential collector roads, raising
residents concerns overtrafficinfiltration,safety, and speedinginresidential areas.
 Rapidpopulationandemployment growthareprojectedfortheTownof Ajax.The
Town’s populationis projectedtoincreaseby52%from 88,800persons to135,200
persons in2031.Employment is projectedtoincreaseby117%from 26,150jobs to
56,900jobs in2031.
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 Transportationrequirements arecloselyrelatedto economicactivity. Ineconomicterms,
however,transportationis a“diseconomy” factor, meaningthat theincrease incost of
transportationis directlyrelatedtoincreases in cost ofpurchasinggoods andservices,
andis subsequentlypassed ontoconsumers. Trafficcongestionanddelays will negatively
affect theTown’s economicwell-beingandcompetitiveness.
 Improvedconnectivityof pedestriansidewalks andmulti-usepathways are neededto
encouragealternativemodes oftransportation.
 Despitetransit androadimprovement strategies developedbytheRegionofDurham and
theTown,there will likelybesomeongoingtrafficcongestionwithintheTownunless
newstrategies aredeveloped.Although traffic congestionwill not becompletely
eliminated,it canbemanagedbetter.
 Theroleand functionof HarwoodAvenue andBaylyStreet throughDowntownAjax is
graduallychangingfrom strictlyan arterial roadfunctionservingcommuter through
traffictoanurbanstreet servingDowntownAjax,withcharacteristics similartoother
downtownstreets –pedestrian-oriented,lowervehicularspeeds, andcloserintersection
spacings.
 Environmental sustainabilityis becomingincreasinglyimportant for residents ofAjax –a
sustainabletransportationsystem that promotes alternativemodes oftravel, supports land
uses anddevelopment that aretransit-supportive, andreduces theenvironmental impacts
oftransportationusers andoftransportationfacilities.
BasedontheProblem Statement,we canconcludethat theeconomic well-beingoftheTown,
theprovisionoftransportationchoices fortheresidents ofAjax,andthemanagement of
transportationdemandandcongestionwill require asustainabletransportationstrategythat
integrates transportationandlanduseplanning,andencourages all modes oftravel
(carpooling,cycling, walking,andpublictransit).
C. Transportation Alternatives
Long-term strategicimprovement options were consideredtoaddress futuretravel demands
withinAjax,tosupport planningobjectives, andtoaccommodateplanned growthas
expressedintheProblem Statement.
Alternative 1 – “Do Nothing”
The“DoNothing”strategyreflects thecurrent conditionoftheroadwayandtransit networks
carriedoverto2031without anycapacityimprovements. Thereareno expansions or
additions tothearterial roadnetworkortheProvincial highwaysystem.Thetransportation
networkreflects the2007 status quo.
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Alternative 2 – Current Planning Path
Alternative2is basedon thetransportationimprovements intheTown’s 2007-2011Capital
Works Program,transit recommendations ofthe DurhamRegionTransit Improvement Plan
(2003)andTransit ServiceStrategy (2005),therecommendations ofthe2003Durham
RegionTransportationMaster Plan,theAjax Development Charge(DC)study,andthe
Capital Projects workplan.Therecommendations includeextensiveroadwayandtransit
infrastructureinvestments.
Alternative 3 – Increase Road Network Capacity
Alternative3builds upontheplannednetworkin Alternative2withadded infrastructureto
provideadditional north-southnetworkcapacityat Highway401 andeast-west capacityat
ChurchStreet that havebeenpreviouslyidentified in otherstudies orplans. Thesenetwork
additions include,but are not limitedto,theAudleyRoadandNotionRoadcrossings of
Highway401,Clements Roadextension,andthecompletionofa4-lanearterial road
network.
Alternative 4 – Proactive Multi-Modal Strategy
TheProactiveMulti-modal Strategyincludes thepublictransit improvements listedin
Alternative2and envisions futureroadnetworkinfrastructureinvestments withaprimary
focus ontransit andtransit-dedicatedfacilities,TransportationDemandManagement,cycling
andwalking.
D. Evaluation of Alternatives
Theperformanceandimpact oftheTransportationPlanningAlternatives were evaluated
usingaconsistent set ofevaluationcriteria.Theyreflect communitygoals andobjectives,
andRegional andProvincial growthobjectives. Thesix evaluationcriteria were:
1. Supportingsustainabledevelopment,compatibilitywithOfficial Plan goals.
2. Providinghighlevel ofserviceonmulti-modal transportationnetwork.
3. Socio-economicimpact, support foreconomicdevelopment,industryand economic
growth.
4. Impact onnatural environment andairquality.
5. Publicsupport.
6. Capital cost.
Basedontheevaluationofthealternatives, therecommendedlong-term transportation
strategyfortheTownof Ajax is Alternative4ProactiveMulti-Modal Strategy.
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Thekeyadvantages ofthepreferredalternativearethat it offers thebest opportunityto:
 Support sustainabledevelopment andintensificationpolicies
 Provideanarrayoftravel choices
 Increasetransit trips andreduce autotrips
 Minimizecongestionand thecost ofcongestion
 Promotealternativetravel modes andchoices
 Support goods movement andaccess toemployment areas
Although one of the more expensive strategies in terms of capital costs, Alternative 4 is the
only option that represents a sustainable, long-term transportation strategy for Ajax. It will
manage and reduce the growth in traffic congestion by proactively encouraging travel by
othermodes andmakingtheseothermodes (inparticularpublictransit)moreattractive.
E. Recommended Transportation Plan and Strategy
Land Use and Sustainable Design
Implementationoftheintensificationdirectives andpolicies set out intheProvincial Growth
Planaretheessential prerequisites forchangingtravel patterns, modal choices andthe
environmental conservationthat arepart oftherecommendedtransportationstrategy.
TheRegional TMP recognizes andsupports thegrowthmanagement frameworkinthe
Regional OP whichpromotes amorecompact urbanform,higherintensityandmixed-use
nodes, linkages forpedestrians, cyclists andtransit.TheRegional TMP recommends the
development ofadetailedTDM-supportive Land UseGuidelinetoimplement theselanduse
policies andaDevelopment ApplicationChecklist toensureproposedplans considerthe
guidelines, OP policies and theTMP.
IntensificationoftheKingstonRoadcorridorwill attract highdensity,transit-oriented
development that encourages highertransit usage, lowerautodependency, andwalkingand
cycling. Inturn,it will reducerelianceon autotravel andrelieveaccompanyingtraffic
pressures. Tomaximizethebenefits ofhighdensitydevelopment alongmajorcorridors and
improvequalityoflivingin lowdensityresidential areas, development planninganddesign
principles shouldfollowtheTransit-Supportive guidelines preparedbythe Provinceof
Ontario.
TheTownshouldalso protect designatedEmployment Lands foremployment-based
development.Attractingjobs totheTownofAjax will provideresidents withlocal
employment choices that allowforshortercommutes andnon-autocommutes.
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Transit
Recommendedlong-term transit strategyfortheTownofAjax consists ofGOTransit
services, Durham Region Transit services, KingstonRoadbus rapidtransit,reservedbus
lanes andtransit prioritymeasures. In additiontotherecommendations oftheDurham
RegionTransit Improvement PlanandTransit ServiceStrategy,werecommendthat Salem
Roadalso bedesignated as aTransit Spineinthe basetransit gridtoreflect theimportanceof
transit servicetothedevelopingemployment lands andpotential forconnectivitywiththe
Highway407Transitway.
GOTransit has plans for extendingits rail service easterlytonewstations at Courticeand
Bowmanville.GOTransit has also proposedabus rapidtransit corridorfrom Oakvilleto
Pickeringwithlinkages tothelocal transit networkthroughout thecorridor andhas long-term
plans forafuturecommuterrail serviceontheCPR line.
Bus RapidTransit is aform oftransit that combines theflexibleserviceof buses andthe
qualityofrail indedicatedorgeneral trafficlanes. Durham Regional Transit is exploringbus
rapidtransit onKingston Road.Theinitial BRTservicewouldoperateonReserved Bus
Lanes onKingstonRoad throughmost ofAjax,but withmixed-trafficthroughPickering
Village.TheultimateBRTservicewouldoperate onanexclusivetransitwayonKingston
Road
Theplannedand recommended6-laneroad widenings onTauntonRoad, BaylyStreet and
WestneyRoadshouldbe designed forHOVand/or reservedbus lanes forimprovedtransit
serviceonthesecorridors. On4-lanearterials suchas RosslandRoad,Salem Road,sections
ofBaylyStreet andWestneyRoad,buses wouldoperateinmixedtraffic withtransit priority
measures such as signal pre-emptionandqueuejumpingat keyintersections.
Therecommendedtransit strategyis presentedin ExhibitES-1.
Roads
Tomaximizecapacityon theexistinginfrastructure,transportationsystem management
solutions shouldbeemployedonthemajorcorridors. Transportationsystem management
tools includetheimplementationoftechnology(Intelligent TransportationSystems)suchas
adaptivesignal timings tomeet real-timedemand, changeablemessagesigns toprovide
drivers withreal-timeinformation,andsignal pre-emptionfortransit and/oremergency
vehicles.
TheWestneyRoad/ KingstonRoadandSalem Road/ KingstonRoadintersections are
gatewayintersections for access toandfrom Highway401. Inaddition,Salem Roadis the
keyaccess routetonewemployment areas northofKingstonRoad.Thecapacities of
WestneyRoadandSalem Roadareconstrainedbythe capacities ofthesetwointersections.
Accordingly,bothintersections shouldbemonitoredas totheirperformance,andintersection
improvements shouldbeimplementedwhenwarranted.
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Recommendedimprovements tothearterial road networkfocus onincreasingperson
capacityratherthansingleoccupant vehiclecapacity.Accordingly,therecommendations
emphasizetheprovisionoftransit lanes lanes orothermeasures toprovide priorityfortransit
vehicles, enhancetransit servicespeeds andtransit schedulereliability,support TDM based
ride-sharinginitiatives anddiscouragesingle-occupancyvehicletravel.
Therecommendedroad networkis illustratedinExhibitES-2.
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