2023.IE7.4

Updates on Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives - New Traffic Calming Policy, Community Safety Zone Criteria, Zebra Marking Policy, Approach to Area-Based Speed Limit Reductions and Related Council Requests

Nov 9, 2023
Description

The City Council adopted Vision Zero Road Safety Plan is a comprehensive action plan focused on eliminating traffic related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto's streets. Since the inception of the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan in 2017, the City's investment in and delivery of the plan is making a difference - the number of fatalities and serious injuries have been on the decline. No loss of life as a result of traffic collisions is acceptable - Transportation Services is committed to working with City Council and the public in continuing to build on progress made to date, to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto's roadways. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan as well as several requests made by City Council of the General Manager, Transportation Services. This report is divided into four sections, covering the following initiatives: 1. Overall update on the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan 2. Proposed update to the Traffic Calming Policy 3. Update on Automated Enforcement and Community Safety Zones - Proposed framework guiding the creation of Community Safety Zones outside of school zones - New and revised Community Safety Zone designations within school zones to support Automated Speed Enforcement - Update on Automated Enforcement Programs 4. Report back on other Vision Zero Tools and related City Council requests - Report back on impaired driving in consultation with Toronto Police Service - Minor update to the Zebra Marking Policy to add mid-block school crossing guard locations - Updates on area-based speed limit reductions - Report Back on Traffic Control Warrants and Complete and Safe Street Design Considerations 1. Overall update on the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan: The Vision Zero 2.0 Road Safety Plan adopted by Council in 2019 recommended a set of extensive, proactive and targeted initiatives, informed by data and aimed at eliminating serious injury and fatalities on Toronto’s roads. This report provides an update on key accomplishments to date and a summary of recent data trends on safety outcomes. 2. Proposed update to the Traffic Calming Policy: Requests from Council to review the existing 2002 Traffic Calming Policy provided an opportunity to propose updates to the policy in alignment with the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan with the objective of delivering more traffic calming measures (speed humps and speed cushions) because they are a cost-efficient, effective, and quick tool to improve safety of neighbourhood streets, as well as to propose process changes to more effectively support other speed management measures like local road speed limit reductions. 3. Update on Automated Enforcement and Community Safety Zones: these sections all address different tools associated with Automated Enforcement as well as the establishment of Community Safety Zones Proposed Framework Guiding the Creation of Community Safety Zones Outside of School Zones: Staff was directed to develop a framework to evaluate requests for Community Safety Zone designations in order to implement Automated Speed Enforcement outside of school zones. This report seeks approval on a framework for expanding Community Safety Zones beyond school frontages to areas across the community to enable the expansion of Automated Speed Enforcement. New and Revised Community Safety Zone Designations within School Zones to Support Automated Speed Enforcement: Staff is recommending updates to some existing Community Safety Zones as well as adding new ones in school zones to support Automated Speed Enforcement for particular locations. Update on Automated Enforcement Programs: This report includes an update on the City's Automated Enforcement efforts including Automated Speed Enforcement evaluation and options for possible program expansion. 4. Report back on other Vision Zero Tools and related City Council requests: these sections all address different tools to support the continued delivery of the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, some of which are City Council-directed Report Back on Impaired Driving in Consultation with Toronto Police Service: As directed by City Council, staff have reviewed statistics related to impaired driving as well as outlining approaches taken to address this ongoing concern to road safety. Minor Update to the City's Zebra Marking Policy to Add Mid-block School Crossing Guard Locations: Staff have identified that mid-block locations with active school crossing guards are currently not eligible for zebra markings and propose to add these locations to improve visibility. Updates on Area-Based Speed Limit Reductions: Staff have received feedback from Councillors and residents that, as part of the ongoing 30 kilometres per hour speed limit reductions, the exclusion of 30 kilometres per hour collector roads in speed limit areas has resulted in confusion and extra signage. This change will allow the modification of the speed limit areas to reduce the number of signs. Report Back on Traffic Control Warrants and Complete and Safe Street Design Considerations: These sections include a report back on updated warrants to evaluate all-way stop control, pedestrian crossovers and traffic control signals as well as a summary of efforts taken to date to ensure that Complete and Safe Street designs are considered for every major road rehabilitation project.

Decided at
City Council - Meeting number 12
Nov 9, 2023
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