Dunvegan Drive
The Margaret Avenue and Woolwich Street studies have their own information sections. The information for all three studies, including an explanation of traffic calming, can also be viewed in a single PDF in our Document Library.
The Dunvegan Drive study area falls within the neighbourhood bounded by Lexington Road to the north, Highway 85 (Conestoga Parkway) to the west, University Avenue East to the south and Bridge Street West to the east. The study focuses on Dunvegan Drive between Lexington Road and Sandowne Drive. However, given the interconnectivity of the road network, the study includes Sandowne Drive between Dunvegan Drive and Bridge Street East. The City will continue to monitor Braemore Avenue may consider traffic calming on the street as a second phase to the neighbourhood-wide traffic calming plan.
Table 1 summarizes the characteristics of Dunvegan Drive Study Area based on the City’s warrant analysis for traffic calming. During 2020, the speed and volume of traffic on Dunvegan Drive was notably lower than in 2019. This may be attributed to the COVID-19 Pandemic and stay-at-home orders. On Sandowne Drive, the 85th percentile speed decreased by 5 km/h; however, the volume of traffic almost doubled.
TABLE 1: Dunvegan Drive Study Area Highlights
Criteria |
Measurement |
Dunvegan Drive |
Sandowne Drive |
Phase 1 | |||
Operating Speed (85th percentile) |
Recorded > 10 km/h over posted |
Posted speed 50 km/h 2020 ~ 58 km/h |
Posted speed 40 km/h 2019 ~60 km/h 2020 ~ 55 km/h |
Motorized Traffic Volumes |
Collector Street > 2,000 vehicles per day (vpd) |
2019 ~ 2004 vpd 2020 ~ 1694 vpd |
2019 ~2339 vpd 2020 ~ 4234 vpd |
Phase 2 | |||
Cycling/Pedestrian Traffic Volumes |
Counted or Observed |
Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive west – 250 pedestrian crossings Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive east – 81 pedestrian crossings |
|
Collision History |
Recorded |
15 collisions (2015-2018), speeding noted on four reports |
1 collision (2015-2018) |
Emergency Response Use |
Input |
Main route to access neighbourhood |
|
Transit Use |
Input |
GRT Route 29 |
N/A |
Road Grade (max 8%) |
Calculated |
N/A |
|
Proximity to Schools and School Crosswalks |
Observed |
Lexington Park, Dunvegan Park, Sandowne Public School |
|
The following observations were noted during a site visit on Friday, January 15, 2021:
- Road cross-section is 9.0 metres;
- No stopping signs posted near Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive west intersection;
- School crossing across west leg of Dunvegan Drive at Sandowne Drive west intersection;
- School crossing across north leg of Sandowne Drive and Boxbury Drive north intersection;
- Bus stop on Dunvegan Drive west of Bairstow Crescent at Lexington Park access;
- Sidewalks on both sides of Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive, pedestrian crossings at intersections are marked;
- Spacing between driveways fronting Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive is minimal (typically less than 6.0 metres) and driveways are off-set in areas;
- Large mature trees throughout the neighbourhood; and
- Minimal on-street parking observed.
Considerations for Traffic Calming
Based on the collected data and discussions with the City, speeding and traffic volumes (specifically cut-through traffic) are the main concerns in the study area. Potential traffic calming measures selected for the study area should reduce both traffic speeds and the volume of vehicles short-cutting through the neighbourhood. Any potential measures will need to fit within the existing neighbourhood context – the close spacing of driveways may impact the feasibility of certain measures. Additionally, specific traffic calming measures could help improve access to community locations such as schools and parks in the neighbourhood.
Vertical deflection measures are anticipated to have the greatest benefit in terms of speed and volume reductions. The vertical deflections category includes measures such as speed humps, speed tables and raised intersections. This category of measures was selected as the basis for the Dunvegan Drive Study Area traffic calming plan. Measures were spaced based on the guidance detailed in the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Traffic Calming Guide to achieve an 85th percentile speed of 40 km/h.
Proposed Traffic Calming Plan
The Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive plan drawing shows the study area being examined. The traffic calming plan created features the following measures (the numbering corresponds to the numbered boxes shown on the plan):
- Install speed humps on Dunvegan Drive (8) and Sandowne Drive (6).
- Construct a raised intersection at the west Dunvegan Drive and Sandowne Drive intersection.
- Construct a speed table on Sandowne Drive across the north leg of the intersection with Boxbury Drive north.
- Construct a speed table on Sandowne Drive at the Sandowne Park Entrance located east of the Boxbury Drive south intersection.
- Install area-wide 40 km/h gateway speed limit signage on the entrances to the neighbourhood; Lexington Road at Dunvegan Drive and Lee Avenue, Bridge Street East at Dansbury Drive and Sandowne Drive and University Avenue East at Braemore Avenue. *Installation of this measure is subject to the City’s ongoing Neighborhood 40 km/h Pilot and Council approval. This measure may not be implemented at the same time as the rest of the proposed traffic calming plan.
The draft Dunvegan Drive plan is also available as a PDF
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