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News Roundup for November 5, 2024
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Roads: New Digital Turning Restriction Signals

alexb805 said:
I really love the idea of those signs. Makes is so clear. Its difficult to see the times under a stationary sign .
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Maybe, but if there is no enforcement they will simply be more 'street clutter". It is interesting that they have only put these illuminated signs up for eastbound traffic, there are also westbound left-turn restrictions. Are these signs a test or 'a sign of things to come' (ha!) or is there more problem with eastbound traffic. (I would say that at Jarvis the problem is actually more westbound that causes problems but ...) It worries me that IF these signs work people will assume the non-flashing ones are even more meaningless than now and that the possibility of enforcement is even more remote.
 
I don't think most people who turn left at No Left Turn intersections are doing it on purpose. Some do of course but I often see clueless people wondering why they're being honked at. Our signs are just that terrible.

I learned to drive in Europe and I loved how clean and straight forward signs were there. In Ontario, we have countless customized signs with entire paragraphs of text written underneath. At King/Spadina where these signs were installed, there are dozens of signs and wire clutter competing for attention. The last thing you're going to do is read the small print under the no left signal. Let's get rid of the clutter and replace it with more electronic signs when they're in effect. I think behaviour will change when there's a bright NO LEFT lit up right in front of drivers.
 
These are so much better than the current signs. Driving too slowly to read the text would lead to gaining demerit points. Making an illegal turn leads to gaining demerit points. Digital traffic signs are much fairer, since they can change any time, which is useful when left turns are permitted off-peak but prohibited during rush hours (and if there is a truck in front of the driver obscuring the text).
 
Also, they can be turned on/off on the fly depending on traffic. They don't have to be schedule focused anymore and instead based on traffic flow. If traffic is higher than expected off peak, the signs can be turned on to improve the flow of traffic.
 
These signs are great! Trying to slow down and read the times is very difficult, when deciding if it's okay to turn or not.
 
khristopher said:
These signs are great! Trying to slow down and read the times is very difficult, when deciding if it's okay to turn or not.
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You just have to glance at the sign, as you slow down and turn, and then cancel your decision to turn.

It's not like what's written there requires much thought. You can easily see if there's fine print from a long-way away. The fine print is going to say either Mon-Fri or Mon-Sat. If there's only 1 line of numbers, it's usually something like 7 AM to 6 PM or 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM. If there's two lines of numbers it's normally 7 AM to 9 AM and 4 PM to 6 PM. It's not like you have to read the entire sign, just check a couple of spots if your in those hours.

99% of the time I'm driving routes I often drive ... no surprises. If I'm not, I try and check out the signs ahead of time on Streetview for the downtown section, so I don't get stuck somewhere.

The new electronic signs might be useful at some key intersections, but I expect most of the interesections won't be getting them. Does this mean some bad drivers will think thing it's okay to turn because there's no flashing lights?
 
People know how to drive nfitz. When you need to take your eyes off the road or slow down to read a sign, it's just bad design. These digital signs fix it.
 
MetroMan said:
People know how to drive nfitz. When you need to take your eyes off the road or slow down to read a sign, it's just bad design. These digital signs fix it.
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If we were going to put these digital signs everywhere, perhaps. But we're not. They are going to a handful of locations.

There are some very bad drivers out there. This won't make people follow the remainder any better. It could make it worse.

If one has issues about taking one's eyes off the road for a half-second to glance at a sign, and has to slow down to read such a sign, one shouldn't be driving.
 
Reading fine text on printed signs can create traffic congestion and can lead to gaining demerit points for following too closely.

Yes, slowing down to read the signs is just as bad as making an illegal left turn for the offending driver.

The digital sign would greatly improve traffic flow.
 
Johnny Au said:
Reading fine text on printed signs can create traffic congestion and can lead to gaining demerit points for following too closely.

Yes, slowing down to read the signs is just as bad as making an illegal left turn for the offending driver.
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Uh no. You just glance at the sign already directly in front of you for a fracton of a second to catch what the hours are. It just takes a blink of the eye. (if one does slow down slightly to make the turn when glancing at the sign, how does this lead to following too closely?)

Anyone who has difficulty doing this, the simplest of tasks, shouldn't be behind the wheel.

Surely the issue that is rectified by great big flashing lights is simply that one doesn't notice the signs ... not that the text is too small to read!
 
nfitz said:
Uh no. You just glance at the sign already directly in front of you for a fracton of a second to catch what the hours are. It just takes a blink of the eye. (if one does slow down slightly to make the turn when glancing at the sign, how does this lead to following too closely?)

Anyone who has difficulty doing this, the simplest of tasks, shouldn't be behind the wheel.

Surely the issue that is rectified by great big flashing lights is simply that one doesn't notice the signs ... not that the text is too small to read!
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Another advantage to the flashing signs, presumably, is more flexibility in terms of lane/traffic restrictions.

So we currently don't allow left turns off of King during the rush hours and the hard/text signs indicate that. What if, say, we wanted to prevent people going south on all or one road during a special event? With the new signs we just program them into the no position and voila....you have it!
 
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