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Roads: Traffic Signals

While we're posting traffic signal videos, here's 6 minutes of unedited footage at a fully-actuated signal here in Delft, South Holland, operating during a period of low traffic.
Fully-actuated means that every direction has detectors, and the signal generally tries to cycle as fast as possible. In the video you can see that thanks to the detectors far in advance of the intersection (including for bikes), the signal is usually able to let people pass through without stopping. This is a clear contrast to signals in Toronto which always have at least one direction without detectors, and are thus unable to cycle this quickly (they have to provide extra green time to those directions, just in case).

 
reaperexpress said:
That has historically been a quintessentially Ontarian attitude, but it does seem to be changing in recent years. There are a great number of people in City Planning, the TTC and Transportation Services who are taking big steps to upset the status quo. Surely you have noticed the major changes on the streets in the last decade, including:
- Introduction of countless separated bicycle lanes (Sherbourne, River, Harbord, etc);
- Expansion of multi-use trails (Finch Hydro, Gatineau Hydro, etc), built to a higher design standard;
- Introduction of bicycle signals;
- Introduction of legislation on bicycle signals which legalized bicycle-shaped lenses and more relaxed signal placements;
- Introduction of right turn signals to protect pedestrians and cyclists (Hoskin & Queens Park, Bloor & Keele/Parkside; also planned at Danforth & DVP);
- Introduction of leading pedestrian intervals to give pedestrians and sometimes bike a head start relative to cars;
- Narrowing of countles corners to reduce turning speeds and increase pedestrian realm;
- Introduction of contraflow bicycle lanes on formerly one-way local streets;
- Introduction of Toronto bike share, subsequent massive expansion of it;
- Introduction of indoor bicycle parking at several transit stations, including Union, Victoria Park and Finch West;
- Filtered permeability to block cut-through traffic on residential streets, especially along bicycle routes (Shaw St at Essex, etc);
- Elimination of 4-lane pedestrian crossovers, replaced with signals or road narrowings;
- Countless road diets converting formerly 4-lane streets to 2 lanes + left turn lane + bike lane + parking;
- Elimination of through traffic along King Street;
- Introduction of bus-only lanes along Eglinton East and the Queensway;
- Eglinton and Finch LRTs;
- New streetcar ROWs along Cherry, The Queensway (extended eastward to Roncy) & Lakeshore (at Long Branch station);
- Introduction of raised intersection design standards for residential streets
etc. etc.

What we need for people, rather than whining about the lack of change, to actually take action to support the positive changes which are already proposed. All forms of change need active public support in order to proceed because there is always a very vocal minority of people who oppose them for miscellaneous reasons. That means that you're typically better off attending a public consultation for items such as the above, rather than whining online about the lack of progress.
Click to expand...
In contrast with the reversal of bike lanes on Jarvis Street, Brimley Road, etc., the vetoing of sidewalk installation in Etobicoke, and the demanding the end of ActiveTO by the likes of Michael Ford. It's hard having to make sure the improvements make it through and actually stay.
 
W. K. Lis said:
In contrast with the reversal of bike lanes on Jarvis Street, Brimley Road, etc., the vetoing of sidewalk installation in Etobicoke, and the demanding the end of ActiveTO by the likes of Michael Ford. It's hard having to make sure the improvements make it through and actually stay.
Click to expand...
Yes, hence:
reaperexpress said:
What we need is for people, rather than whining about the lack of change, to actually take action to support the positive changes which are already proposed. All forms of change need active public support in order to proceed because there is always a very vocal minority of people who oppose them for miscellaneous reasons. That means that you're typically better off attending a public consultation for items such as the above, rather than whining online about the lack of progress.
Click to expand...
 
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afransen said:
It is incredibly depressing to see how good signals can be, and then deal with the dreadful crap we have here every day.
Click to expand...
Almost enough to make you want to move to the Netherlands!

Or in my case, more than enough...
 
reaperexpress said:
While we're posting traffic signal videos, here's 6 minutes of unedited footage at a fully-actuated signal here in Delft, South Holland, operating during a period of low traffic.
Fully-actuated means that every direction has detectors, and the signal generally tries to cycle as fast as possible. In the video you can see that thanks to the detectors far in advance of the intersection (including for bikes), the signal is usually able to let people pass through without stopping. This is a clear contrast to signals in Toronto which always have at least one direction without detectors, and are thus unable to cycle this quickly (they have to provide extra green time to those directions, just in case).

Click to expand...
As I wait for 3 minutes to cross a major arterial on my bike, I am continually amazed how there are good stretches where I could just jaywalk because no cohort of cars is coming from either direction, and yet without fail as I get my green/walk signal a whole squad of cars is forced to brake for me to cross the street. It's painfully stupid.
 
I think its great that @reaperexpress has had a chance to experience difference places, specifically those with more advanced ideas in respect of transportation, while also getting to see the world.

Mind you, not to take away all his fun; but I do want him to come back here, so he can catch Toronto up!

Hmmm, I swear Becky Katz is always short staffed............
 
It seems in Toronto and Ontario, they do not want to EVER change their "guide book". I'm sure in Europe, if they want to try something new, they'll just experiment despite the "guide book", and if it works, then the change the "guide book" based on the experience.

Wasn't always that way. Used to be a time where we had "ADVANCED GREEN WHEN FLASHING". That was replaced with the green arrow. BTW. In Québec, their "advanced " turn sometimes occurs AFTER. Some places still don't have arrows, so some are more slow to change than here.
 
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Northern Light said:
I think its great that @reaperexpress has had a chance to experience difference places, specifically those with more advanced ideas in respect of transportation, while also getting to see the world.

Mind you, not to take away all his fun; but I do want him to come back here, so he can catch Toronto up!

Hmmm, I swear Becky Katz is always short staffed............
Click to expand...
Like I said earlier, the whole point is to learn Dutch traffic engineering so I can come back to Toronto and clearly explain to my colleagues how we can make our signals less terrible. I figured 2 years would be enough to learn Dutch practices but it's already been two years and I still feel like I'm just barely scratching the surface. So (assuming I can get a contract which would allow me to extend my visa) I'm thinking of maybe staying a third year. But after that I'm coming back to Toronto, otherwise the whole exercise was kind of pointless.
 
W. K. Lis said:
It seems in Toronto and Ontario, they do not want to EVER change their "guide book". I'm sure in Europe, if they want to try something new, they'll just experiment despite the "guide book", and if it works, then the change the "guide book" based on the experience.
Click to expand...
I think it's partly due to the insular nature of the English-speaking traffic engineering world. When the MTO is making manuals, the international literature they consult is mostly from the US and to a lesser extent the UK and Australia - which are all countries which do the same crap we do. Nowadays any self-respecting traffic manual will also cite a CROW (Dutch traffic guidance) traffic manual as a reference, but while the general guidance from the CROW is available in both Dutch and English, most of the detailed manuals are only available in Dutch. (Which is why I learned Dutch.)

In general Dutch engineers are mostly focused on improving the situation in the Netherlands, and not on promoting their engineering abroad. Since they are so far ahead of the English-speaking world, there's not much benefit to them in maintaining relationship with Canadian engineers. In recent years there have been some Dutch consulting companies (e.g. Mobycon) who have realized the market value of Dutch engineering, and have expanded to Canada, but the concepts they're spreading are mostly in the realm of physical design. Efficient traffic signal operation is not something you can physically see, so it's harder to convey Dutch signal operations to Canadians than, say, the geometry of a roundabout. The really frustrating part is that Canadian engineers are clearly interested in the results of Dutch design (e.g. fully-protected right-turn signals), but proceed to implement those things without understanding the signal operations framework which allows them to operate efficiently in the Netherlands.

Canadian drivers will quickly become frustrated with the proliferation of fully-protected left- and right-turn signals, because it feels extremely stupid to be sitting at a red left turn signal, when you can clearly see that there is no oncoming traffic. Unfortunately drivers will oppose the installation of the protected signals themselves, rather demanding a traffic signal controller which is flexible enough to add an extra left turn green arrow into the cycle if there happens to be an opportunity to do so.
 
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afransen said:
It is incredibly depressing to see how good signals can be, and then deal with the dreadful crap we have here every day.
Click to expand...

I've learned over the years to drastically lower my expectations of Toronto. It's done a world of good for my sanity.

Cue the predictable, thoughtless response, "But Toronto isn't the Netherlands."
 
New traffic light:

The-Soon-To-Be-Former-Dundas Street and Lisgar/Rusholme, replacing a very busy crosswalk. I always hated that crosswalk - I found it to be very dangerous actually.
 
W. K. Lis said:
It seems in Toronto and Ontario, they do not want to EVER change their "guide book". I'm sure in Europe, if they want to try something new, they'll just experiment despite the "guide book", and if it works, then the change the "guide book" based on the experience.

Wasn't always that way. Used to be a time where we had "ADVANCED GREEN WHEN FLASHING". That was replaced with the green arrow. BTW. In Québec, their "advanced " turn sometimes occurs AFTER. Some places still don't have arrows, so some are more slow to change than here.
Click to expand...
That green forward arrow preceding the regular green works great with the advance pedestrian phase.
They should bring that in Toronto. It allows through traffic to move instead of doing the pointless wait (especially true for non-core areas).
Montreal's implementation still confuses out-of-towners.
When it shows a green forward arrow, one assumes the intersection only allows through traffic (no turns).
The proper way to for that intersection in the video:
green forward arrow + red left arrow + pedestrian walk,
regular green + pedestrian
green forward arrow + green left arrow + hand
regular red + hand
 
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