Avenue I South (11th Street West to 12th Street West)
Traffic Calming Update - September 2023
Based on the results of the survey of area households, the City recommends replacing the temporary mid-block pinch point with a speed hump. The temporary mid-block pinch point will remain in place until funding is approved for the permanent mid-block speed hump. Read the project update flyer (PDF) mailed to affected residents.
On-site walkthrough of Ave I S between 11th St W and 12th St W
On April 20th, 2023, a walk-through of the 1000 block of Avenue I South was completed to determine potential locations for a speed hump to replace the temporary pinch point. An invitational flyer was delivered to residents on the block and two residents attended the walk-through. Both residents in attendance preferred designating Avenue I South as a one-way with a directional closure instead of installing a speed hump.
Speed humps are designed to slow traffic as they pass over the vertical deflection. According to the Canadian Guide to Traffic Calming, vehicle speed reductions between 6 and 13 km/h and traffic volume reductions between 15% and 27% have been realized in other Canadian communities.
Advantages
- Reduced operating speeds
- Reduced traffic volumes
- Traffic noise may be reduced due to lower speeds
- Reduced vehicle conflicts
Disadvantages
- Traffic noise may be increased due to braking and accelerating
- Emergency vehicle response times may be increased
- May have negative effects on routine maintenance, such as snow grading and street sweeping
- Some debris may collect at the edges of the speed hump
Community engagement
A review of the the mid-block pinch point on the east side of Avenue I South from 11th Street W to 12th Street W involved a public drop-in session on November 15, 2022 with this engagement material on display and a mailed and online survey of affected residents. The majority of the people who provided feedback did not support the recommendation to install a permanent pinch point in place of the temporary one.
There was support for a speed hump, which was presented an an option to reduce speeding.
Traffic calming review
The recommendations from the 2021 Neighbourhood Traffic Review in Holiday Park and King George included changes for Avenue I South, which were implemented in spring 2021. The following measures were taken to improve safety and reduce traffic volume for Avenue I after the closure of Spadina Crescent near the Water Treatment Plant.
- Remove parking on east side of Avenue I South from 11th Street West to 12th Street West and on the south side of 12th Street West from Avenue H South to Avenue I South.
- Install a mid-block pinch point on the east side of Avenue I South from 11th Street West to 12th Street West.
Observations
Traffic data was collected in December 2020 prior to the installation of the mid-block pinch point and in April 2022 after the installation of the mid-block pinch point to measure changes in traffic.
| Traffic Data | December 2020 (before) | April 2022 (After) |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles per day | 3,700 | 2,250 |
| Operating speed (km/h)* | 37 | 39 |
*Note: Operating speed is the speed at which 85% of vehicles were at or below.