TAMRMS#: B05
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BUDGET INFORMATION REQUEST (BIR) - Traffic Safety on Cunningham and Sunset
Requested by: Councillor Hughes
Date of Request: November 17, 2025
Date Response Due: November 21, 2025
Confidential: No
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QUESTION
recommendation
Are there any plans in the capital plan to put a traffic light at the intersection on Cunningham at Fountain Park/Sunset Boulevard to address safety issues during school start times and when swimming lessons are happening? What is being considered to address this safety issue.
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RESPONSE
There are no current plans to signalize the intersection of Cunningham Road at Sunset Boulevard / Fountain Park pool; however, Administration (Transportation Engineering) has been in touch with representatives from both Paul Kane School and the Public School Board on the site issues and concerns.
Administration collected 2025 traffic data (vehicle volumes and pedestrian volumes) and assessed the intersection for the need for a traffic control upgrade from the current side street (Sunset Boulevard) stop controls to a potential traffic signal. The result of the traffic signal warrant was a very low score and thus no recommendation for signalization of the intersection is made. In fact, through assessment of the signalization, it was identified that doing so could exasperate the issues that were viewed during site visits.
Key issues and considerations that were viewed and identified included the following:
• The intersection experiences high trip generation from nearby facilities:
• Paul Kane High School
• Fountain Park Recreation Centre
• Daycare Centre
• The area has a high density of access points serving the above noted land uses, which is a key contributing factor to traffic complexity.
• Speeding has been observed during school hours.
• Information has been shared with Enforcement for recorded speeds to help in potential resource allocation.
• There is a Driver Feedback Sign (speed sign) for southbound traffic (from Sir Winston Churchill Avenue approaching Sunset Boulevard) that was installed in 2024.
• Pedestrian conflicts occur frequently within the school site that cause vehicles to queue on to Cunningham Road and within the intersection of Sunset Boulevard.
• This is from the high volume of students crossing the school site access crosswalk and causing vehicles to stop that are making the right turn from the Fountain Park parking lot access into the school site.
• High traffic volumes for the southbound left turn (from Cunningham Road into the Fountain Park / High School Parking lot) are then impacted with this queuing that can cause vehicles to be “trapped” in the intersection which then influence the side street left turn movements.
Administration has developed recommendations and intends to meet with the Public School Board and school site representatives to discuss the area, issues observed and potential solutions. This engagement and collaboration is required due to the observed issues and solutions being within the private development site that then extend into the public road right of way.
Subject to the results of the engagement with the stakeholders, Administration would then develop a plan to enact area improvements and applicable project scope and necessary funding would be reported within either the funding requested for Transportation System Management (Charter ENGS-008) or Transportation Network Improvements (Charter ENGS-054), with the first being a viable option for low level and low cost improvements, but the latter being a funding and project option should improvements be of a larger scope and cost. Any project related activities would be incorporated into future programs and funding considerations; however, initial concept work and preliminary work will be dependent upon agreement between stakeholders.
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Report Date: November 17, 2025
Author(s): Dean Schick
Department: Engineering
Department Director: Dawny George
Managing Director: Adryan Slaght
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher