Downtown London is the city’s premier
transportation node based on its variety and intensity of land uses, places, activities and relating travel.
as such, any major change to Dundas street in the context of Downtown London will have to be
evaluated against the following scoped transportation considerations.
7.1. road network operation
any operational changes that are considered for Dundas street in the Downtown should allow the street to continue to provide a level-of-service (Los) appropriate for its role as a main street in a downtown setting. this Los applies not only to the signalized intersections along Dundas street, but also to how the entire road section operates in terms of traffic volume compared to the two-lane vehicular road capacity (the v/c ratio). While the city’s smart Moves transportation Master plan expects that the upper limit of roadway Los in the city is at Los e, where traffic volume equals the available road capacity, it also recognizes that some road sections may operate over capacity especially during the pM peak period. any significant capacity or operational changes to Dundas street in the downtown should come with the objective of maintaining or improving traffic operations in the core area, as measured by Los at no worse that Los e.
note that Los is a six level measurement of the effectiveness of roadway infrastructure, where Los a is unrestricted free flow and Los F is forced flow or
“gridlock”.
this is not to say that Dundas street in Downtown London should be expected to operate similar to other major collector roads outside of the downtown. to the contrary, reductions in motorized travel time and speed on downtown streets are typically expected as part of the downtown “character”, a character that includes a slower pace, a mix of various travel modes and exposure to enhanced street friction and attractions. However, if traffic operations within the Downtown core area
become deficient, this can lead to traffic diversion away from the area, with resulting potentially negative impacts on access to businesses and services along the street.
impacts on roadway Los can be measured and forecasted using travel demand forecasting and intersection operation modeling as part of traffic impacts
assessments. accordingly, any proposed future modifications to Dundas street would warrant the undertaking of a traffic impact study which would identify the implications of major changes to the road network in the core area and identify mitigation
measures required to maintain the proper level of service on adjacent streets.
7.2. Parking
it is important that Downtown London continues to provide a supply of parking, and at a cost that serves downtown needs, while at the same time encouraging use of public transit and active transportation in the Downtown. in terms of parking cost, both public and private, it should be structured to provide an incentive for short-term “customer” parking and a disincentive for long-short-term “storage” parking. any changes to Dundas street would not be expected to impact the supply of off-street structured parking in the Downtown, as this supply is provided through Downtown building projects. However, functional changes to Dundas street, happening from building face to building face, can include the option of removing some or all on-street parking so as to use this space for alternative on-streetscape purposes. any removal of on-street parking is almost always met with opposition from nearby businesses. planning for any on-street parking removal therefore requires effective communication and consultation with the business community to better understand their parking need and alternative parking opportunities.
there are many examples of very successful downtown places, as for example shown by section 4 case studies, where parking removal or reduction has maintained or improved business vitality. the important consideration for the city is whether a parking supply equilibrium (i.e. no net loss in parking) can or should be maintained in Downtown London or specifically along Dundas street. a parking utilization survey would provide information as to how the current on-street parking is being utilitized and would assist in the decision making as to whether parking and how much parking is to be provided on Dundas street.
7.3. Enhanced Pedestrianization
Walking is the most essential travel mode for most people, and an important element of Downtown London transportation. enhancing pedestrian movement opportunities on Dundas street has the potential to attract new and lively activities to the sidewalks. Widening sidewalks creates more space for sidewalk retailing and services, ranging from “sidewalk sales” through to outdoor cafes and other food and beverage operations. More sidewalk activities also draws more “eyes on the street” (a Jane Jacobs term), which in turn tends to discourage and divert anti-social behaviour away from active people areas.
7.4. cycling
in ontario, it is illegal for adults to cycle on sidewalks. However, some do in response to the lack of exclusively marked cycling space on downtown streets such as Dundas street. Dundas street in the Downtown is a constrained street in terms of cycling. in such cases, the option to retrofit constrained streets to accommodate standard on-street bike lanes is not available. However more recently, new changes to national road design guidelines and transportation legislation allows for the use of “sharrow” lanes on streets as a way of facilitating cycling on constrained streets.
sharrows involve markings in the center of a travel lane to indicate that a cyclist can
use the full lane. the cycling and motorized vehicles then move down the street in the same lateral position without requiring added bike lane space at the curb. this new way of accommodating cycling on narrow or constrained streets should be considered on Dundas street, and within Downtown London generally, where the speed, volume and type of motorized traffic make it a feasible option.
7.5. Event Planning and Street closure
When a downtown sidewalk is widened to accommodate multiple uses, it is important that the municipality and downtown business organization partner in effectively using this space. if this is not done, the widened sidewalk will become only a blank space waiting for activities. combined efforts are needed to program this outdoor space for a variety of regular activities, usually by the municipality’s economic development staff working in association with the downtown business organization.
this collaboration of event planning should also be a part of early streetscape planning on Dundas street. this process will identify what types of facilities and service may be required on the street, for example involving electrical power, lighting and potable water supply to support street events.
Many street events can also require the closure of a portion of Dundas street in Downtown London. this can be provided with options ranging from simple temporary barrier structures, through to complex automated bollard systems. the selection of street closure techniques should be the subject of more detailed Dundas street planning. this would need to be explored in the design concept stage.
trees should be incorporated into the design of public gathering spaces to allow more environmental benefits (e.g. shade, cool temperatures) for people using those spaces. More people will come, they will stay longer and will be more comfortable while they are there.
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