Clarence Avenue and Main Street Intersection

Thank you to everyone who participated in this project. Public engagement is now closed.

Main St modifications approved to improve safety at Clarence Ave intersection

City Council approved Bylaw No. 9877 The Street Closing Bylaw at it's March 29, 2023 Public Meeting, and the following recommendations:

• That channelization be installed on Main Street to prohibit the eastbound and westbound through and left turn movements at Clarence Avenue.
• That the channelization include a bicycle signal on Main Street.
• That the existing pedestrian-actuated signal be modified to allow pedestrians to cross the south side of Clarence Avenue.

The City of Saskatoon completed a traffic review at Clarence Avenue and Main Street after several residents reached out with concerns about safety at the intersection.

A targeted on-site engagement event was held with local residents most impacted by the proposed channelization on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at the northeast corner of Clarence Avenue & Main Street to discuss the recommended solution. A second engagement event to collect additional feedback from community members in Nutana and Varsity View on the recommended changes was held on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at the Albert Community Centre.

Read more about the feedback that was received in our What We Heard Engagement Summary. 

Recommendation: Channelization

To improve safety at the intersection and address collision patterns, channelization on Main Street is recommended. This approach involves modifying the existing medians on Main Street at both approaches to create right turn only lanes. Drivers on Main Street would be required to turn right at the intersection and would no longer be able to drive straight through or turn left onto Clarence Avenue. View Proposed Channelization - Main St & Clarence Ave (PDF). 

What We Heard

Based on what we've heard through engagement, the recommendation was updated:

• A pedestrian crossing has been added on the south side of Clarence Avenue.
• Cycling will be considered in the channelization design. 

Clarence Avenue and Main Street Intersection

The average annual daily traffic volume on Clarence Avenue between Main Street and 12^th Street is 12,900 vehicles per day (2018 Annual Traffic Counting Program).

Traffic volumes along Main Street near Clarence Avenue have decreased since the last review in 2013, with average daily traffic volumes of approximately 1,000 vehicles per day east of the intersection and 1,500 vehicles per day west of the intersection, measured in 2021. However, traffic volumes west of the intersection are still higher than desirable for a local residential street.

Traffic volumes from an October 2021 traffic count are shown in the tables below.

Table 1: Morning Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (2021)

Table 2: Afternoon Peak Hour Traffic Volumes (2021)

Approximately 40% of drivers on Main Street are continuing straight through the intersection. This suggests that short-cutting on Main Street by non-local traffic remains an issue. 

While traffic volumes on Main Street near the intersection have decreased since the last review, right-angle collisions continue to be an issue. Right-angle collisions have the potential for severe outcomes, such as injury or death. Collision information for this intersection since 2016 is summarized below.  Collision data for 2022 is not yet available.

Table 3: Collision summary 2016-2021

Background

To improve safety at the intersection and address collision patterns, channelization on Main Street is recommended. This involves modifying the existing medians on Main Street at both approaches to create right turn only lanes.  Drivers on Main Street would be required to turn right at the intersection and would no longer be able to drive straight through or turn left onto Clarence Avenue.

Advantages

• Improves safety by reducing right-angle (T-bone) collisions
• Short-cutting is discouraged
• Less traffic on Main Street
• Preserves all neighborhood trees
• Clarence Avenue drivers are not impacted

Disadvantages

• Main Street traffic is restricted
• Local traffic may be required to re-route to adjacent streets

Other Options

The following options were considered in the traffic review, but not recommended: 

Sight Line Improvements

Sight lines for drivers travelling on Main Street are challenging with many mature trees along Clarence Avenue. Removing a significant number of trees near the intersection would improve sight lines for Main Street drivers and may reduce collisions; however, the potential for right-angle collisions would still exist.

All-way Stop

The intersection does not meet the criteria outlined in Council Policy C07-007 Traffic Control - Use of Stop and Yield Signs.  In addition, the installation of an All-way Stop would increase traffic volumes and short-cutting on Main Street.

Traffic Signals

A traffic signal warrant was completed and the results indicate that traffic signals are not warranted. Installing traffic signals at the intersection to address the collision patterns would also require the removal of several trees. In addition, Clarence Avenue traffic would be delayed, and traffic volumes and short-cutting on Main Street would increase. 

Previous traffic reviews

This intersection was reviewed in 2013 for improvements and later identified by residents during the Nutana and Varsity View Neighborhood Traffic Reviews in 2014 and 2015. 

Residents who participated in Neighbourhood Traffic Reviews expressed concern about the number of collisions and close-calls on Main Street with half of vehicles proceeding through the intersection at Clarence Avenue instead of turning onto Clarence Ave. More information in Nutana 2015 NTR final report (pages 12-13) and Varsity View 2014 NTR final report (pages 10-11).