Roads: Traffic Signals

[DSC]

Currently a solid green arrow indicates priority - left turn signal as an example.
What is required in your situation would be a flashing yellow right arrow (although not in MTO's handbook) - proceed with caution when clear.

Yes, your solution sounds clearer.

 

[ShonTron]

I think that is something like the 'Michigan left'' signal (although I don't know how it applies to pedestrians). A green arrow means an unobstructed/priority let turn; a flashing yellow arrow means oncoming traffic. A solid arrow is the transition to red.

We need to keep in mind that the Ontario Traffic Council might write the handbooks, but any change in legislation/regulations regarding traffic light operation, colour, aspect, etc. needs to come from government.

They’re known as FYA phases – a Michigan Left is of course something much different.

 

[turbanplanner]

I noticed over the last year they extended the red light after the advanced green, I'm guessing this was to reduce the chance of cars going forward while someone is turning left?

There's like a 5+ second gap added between light changes, and I've just noticed more cars turning illegally with the added time...

 

[Dan416]

I noticed over the last year they extended the red light after the advanced green, I'm guessing this was to reduce the chance of cars going forward while someone is turning left?

There's like a 5+ second gap added between light changes, and I've just noticed more cars turning illegally with the added time...

I feel like any time they extend the yellow or red phase this happens.

 

[reaperexpress]

What does everyone think the most important thing to add for signals is? European style transit signals for LRTs?

1. European-style two-dimensional red clearance time calculations (this is an Ontario Traffic Manual issue, there's no conflict with the HTA)

2. Flexible phase control structures to eliminate irrelevant restrictions on phase combinations (this is actually not a regulatory issue, just an electrical compatibility issue between EU controllers and NA cabinets)

3. Lane-based signal alignment (currently impractical due to OTM's 5.0m minimum lateral separation)

4. More signal indications (diagonal white bar for transit turns; red arrows for left/right turn signals; flashing yellow arrow for permissive turns in one direction - this is an HTA reg. 626 issue)

5. Near-side only signals (this is an HTA reg.626 issue). Most other places in North America already permit near-side only signals, it's just Ontario who insists that the primary signal heads need to be more than halfway through the intersection.

 

[lenaitch]

They’re known as FYA phases – a Michigan Left is of course something much different.

You're right; I conflated the two.. Tnx

 

[2323]

I like the idea of near-side signals being legalized. They can be used here, but only as supplements to far-side signals. I think near-side signals lead to much better driver behaviour... less overshooting of the stop line and encroaching on the crosswalk.

Supplementary near side signals do exist in some capacity in Ontario already. For some reason when they rebuilt Highway 7 some intersections got one singular near-side signal. I see them mostly in Ontaio for intersections that might have poor light visibility (ei: trucks, sharp turns), but they are certainly rare and definitly not meant to be the primary signals.

 

[Jonny5]

Pedestrian activated crosswalks illuminated right in the road surface with LED lighting in Quebec.
Sounds like an improvement over our current setup, though it's unproven yet how well they will survive the winter and traffic and snow plows.

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6512181

Though my first thought is it should be red LED instead of white, or maybe blinking yellow, or alternating red and white.

 

[nfitz]

I don't see how they survive the winter salt, let alone the plough scraping the road.

What might work is lighting that tries to create a similar effect, mounted on a pole.

 

[afransen]

I don't see how they survive the winter salt, let alone the plough scraping the road.

What might work is lighting that tries to create a similar effect, mounted on a pole.

Something like this...

 

[tripwire]

Love the idea actually - maybe should've added a heating element to melt snow? Will be interesting to see how it holds up with plows (ploughs?), salt, road traffic, etc.

 

[lenaitch]

Interesting concepts. Recessed LED 'cats-eyes' have been around for a few years. Seasonal obscurity would depend a lot on how deep the snow cover is, but the lumen output of LED technology has come a long way. Adding heating elements adds a lot of complexity, both from power requirements and the potential to create an icy surface.

I would thing overhead projection will loose a lot of its effectiveness when the surface becomes more uneven. Roads are rarely covered in a nice even layer of snow.

 

[afransen]

Interesting concepts. Recessed LED 'cats-eyes' have been around for a few years. Seasonal obscurity would depend a lot on how deep the snow cover is, but the lumen output of LED technology has come a long way. Adding heating elements adds a lot of complexity, both from power requirements and the potential to create an icy surface.

I would thing overhead projection will loose a lot of its effectiveness when the surface becomes more uneven. Roads are rarely covered in a nice even layer of snow.

Absent potholes, I don't think that snowy path is as smooth much less smoother than asphalt. I've seen such projectors in indoor (facility managers love them as a safety feature) and outdoor contexts and they are very bright.

 

[Mind_the_gap]

It really does seem to me the way this city implemented Leading Pedestrian Intervals is a joke:

It's just meant to slow everyone down unnecessarily.

The Ottawa implementation is way more logical. First a "Straight" arrow appears, then green:

This is in line with Quebec's implementations:

(Thank you at @reaperexpress for introducing me to Jackson Bourret!)

Ottawa did it right. Toronto instead penalizes all through-traffic (be it car, bus, or bike), as if the desire were to slow the city down as much as possible.

Three seconds at almost every traffic signal really adds up, and can be counterproductive itself.

 

[bearcat]

It's probably because there is no money to replace the traffic lights with ones that have a straight arrow in addition to a regular green signal. What Toronto implemented is presumably just a software change that costs little to implement.

It really does seem to me the way this city implemented Leading Pedestrian Intervals is a joke:

It's just meant to slow everyone down unnecessarily.

The Ottawa implementation is way more logical. First a "Straight" arrow appears, then green:

This is in line with Quebec's implementations:

(Thank you at @reaperexpress for introducing me to Jackson Bourret!)

Ottawa did it right. Toronto instead penalizes all through-traffic (be it car, bus, or bike), as if the desire were to slow the city down as much as possible.

Three seconds at almost every traffic signal really adds up, and can be counterproductive itself.