Road Infrastructure & Intersection Overcapacity
The current road alignment at Lawrence and McCowan was designed and constructed in 1958.[1] [2] Similarly, the Highland Creek span bridges were constructed in 1957 (ID310, McCowan Rd N. of Lawrence) and 1955 (ID153, Lawrence Ave. E of McCowan).
The road infrastructure is of an older design and currently largely incapable of being expanded from the current 4-lanes (2-North/2-South) to a more typical 3-lane (3-North/3-South) due to intersection alignment (diagonal), bridge, and property line constraints.
Repairs to the Highland Creek Bridge (2023), subway headwall construction (ongoing), Lane flooding (2021-2022) and saw significant traffic impacts in and near Lawrence and McCowan. [3][4]
During peak and mid-peak times, traffic at Lawrence & McCowan was backed up on McCowan as far as Bendale Public Library (between Furlong and Perivale) in the south and past Meldazy Dr. to the North.
Due to headwall construction, a seemingly minor single-lane closure on Danforth/McCowan Road resulted in traffic back-ups past Perivale Crescent and Bendale Public Library. (Photo: Perivale Crescent/McCowan looking North and South)
Lawrence and McCowan is a vital healthcare corridor. Any traffic impacts or delays have a cascading effect on vital community services and the ability of first responders to effectively respond to calls or approach the hospital.
City reports for the TOC development study failed to consider the impacts of the buses and increased bus traffic turning into the new bus terminal to be housed on the former Shell gas station site on the (SW corner of Lawrence & McCowan).
The same City traffic reports for the TOC development found the current overall intersection operation at McCowan Road / Lawrence Avenue East was operating above the “critical capacity threshold” during the Weekday PM Peak hour.[5]
The Weekday AM Peak hour westbound intersection movement at Lawrence & McCowan was also found to operate above critical capacity and queue lengths for the eastbound left-turn and westbound left-turn movements were found to exceed the available storage capacity by approximately two and six car lengths respectively.[6]
Similarly, during the Weekday PM Peak hours, the eastbound through and westbound left-turn movements were found to operate above capacity and exceeded queue lengths for the eastbound left-turn and the westbound left-turn movements were found to exceed the available storage capacity by approximately four and seven car lengths respectively.[7]
The proposed 774-unit residential development is expected to generate up to 208 and 257 additional automobile (on top of existing) vehicle trips during the AM and PM peak hour, respectively. However, only 195 trips during the AM peak hour and 158 trips during the PM peak hour are additional trips – the remaining trips are already being made by patrons of the existing community. However, the reports admit these numbers are only “conservative” estimates. It is likely these numbers could be higher as it assumes the subway will decrease vehicle traffic. As a major arterial road in Scarborough these assumptions are at best, optimistic. [8]
The current proposal ONLY allocates 228 parking spaces for the complex. However, based on City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569- 2013, a total of 856 automobile spaces is required. Despite, lofty claims that that non-automobile oriented development will materialize, this means that excess condo parking will spill over into surrounding streets. [9]
Concerned yet? Contact your elected official. HERE
Sources:
[1] City of Toronto Archives – Aerial Images 1957, Image – 122 https://www.toronto.ca/ext/archives/s0012/fl1957/s0012_fl1957_it0092.jpg
[2] City of Toronto Archives – Aerial Images 1959, Image – 98 https://www.toronto.ca/ext/archives/s0012/fl1959/s0012_fl1959_it0098.jpg
[3] 2022 - City of Toronto Report for Action - Emergency Non-competitive Contract with AECOM
Canada Ltd., for Repairs to the East Don Sanitary Trunk and Highland Creek Sanitary Trunk Sewers https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/gl/bgrd/backgroundfile-222528.pdf
[4] 2023 - City of Toronto - McCowan Road Bridge over Highland Creek Rehabilitation - Contract: 23ECS-BE-11BSE https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/8c4f-23ECS-BE-11BSE-w21-w24-mccowan-bridge-rehab-precons-jan3-23.pdf
[5] Infrastructure Ontario – Transportation Impact Study - Lawrence East Station Transit Oriented Community (TOC), p.10 https://engageio.ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/transportation_impact_study.pdf
[6] Ibid., p.10
[7] Ibid., p.10
[8] Ibid., p. 44
[9] Infrastructure Ontario – Lawrence East TOC Planning Rationale Report, p. 30 https://engageio.ca/sites/default/files/2024-02/planning_rationale.pdf
