Toronto: Gardiner Expressway Study Paramics 2009 UGM: Newark October 5, 2009

Project Introduction Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway – Elevated freeway through downtown Toronto Lower Don Lands – Former industrial land redeveloped into residential and commercial uses Gardiner is seen as a barrier to the redeveloped LDL – Investigate solutions

Project Introduction Joint Clients – City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto – City owns the Gardiner – Waterfront Toronto is charged with revitalisation of the waterfront Sensitive Project

Project Scope and Goals $6M Planning and Design Study – Sub to Dillon Consulting – ~$300k Microsimulation budget Investigate four design options for treatments east of Jarvis Street – Do Nothing, Ameliorate, Remove, Submerge – Five construction staging models Goal is to investigate ways of reconnecting the redeveloped Lower Don Lands to the City

Microsimulation Model Area 5 mi 2 (13 km 2 ) Dense, urban development

Methodology Create existing conditions – Road selection – Zone system creation – Include transit and pedestrians Matrix Estimation Calibration / Validation Alternative Testing Construction Staging

Existing Conditions Most roadways in study area – Arterial and up, some collectors, and few locals Coding issues with Lake Shore Boulevard

Existing Conditions Arup Model as a starting point Approximately double model area ARUP JACOBS

Zone System Layout zones on paper

Zone System Simple one zone per block with access to all roads Simplifies creation and coding Makes for very difficult matrix estimation

Zone System One zone per connector on each block face Allows maximum control Model becomes unwieldy with so many zones

Existing Conditions Transit – Streetcars Spadina and Queens Quay – Median-running Other streets – In mixed traffic – Buses – Subway Not included in our model Pedestrians – Taken only from Arup model, no new ped work

Streetcar Coding Spadina and Queens Quay – Median-running Median Lane Operation – Paramics limitation that similar movements must be in adjacent lanes – This is an issue where the transit vehicle through lane is adjacent to a left-turn lane – Fortunately, coding the through movement in the transit lane as ‘barred’ works perfectly Transit vehicle moves with normal traffic ‘through’ green

Streetcar Coding Remainder of Streetcar network is in mixed traffic – Typically runs in the left-hand lane of a two-lane per direction facility Congestion issues due to frequent stops – Both lanes in the streetcar travel direction must stop when loading/unloading passengers – New feature built into Paramics STOP

Matrix Estimation Counts Travel Demand Model O/D data Screenlines

Matrix Estimation Issues – Estimation of congested conditions Counts at congested locations are less useful Use counts upstream of issues to help estimate demand – Grid network adds to the challenge Many parallel routes and relatively short blocks

Calibration / Validation Counts Travel Times Screenlines Major Queue Locations – Gardiner and on/off ramps

Calibration/Validation Issues – Major queues on Gardiner WB in PM, EB in AM Replication of WB queue may require network extension or link speed modification at external station STUDY AREA STUDY AREA CONGESTION SOURCE CONGESTION SOURCE

Future Alternatives Do Nothing Ameliorate JARVIS EASTERN Remove (bring to ground) Submerge

Construction Staging With a preferred alternative selected – Build a series of 5 incremental networks that take the geometry to the final design – Stages given to us for analysis Provide results and recommendations

Conclusions Most challenging work will be: – Matrix Estimation – Calibration / Validation Questions or Comments? – Adam Lanigan