The Star: Jarvis St. must change with evolving environs

[Blovertis]

As a corridor out of the city, Jarvis is overrated. As noted, it's a bottleneck south of Queen; going north, once you're past the Mount Pleasant "mini-expressway" at Merton, you're back on a congested midtown city street.

If I'm in a car downtown on the east side and I want to go north, I'm going to find the fastest way to the Bayview extension.

Jarvis can be narrowed without a significant increase in congestion. There are plenty of alternatives.

 

[GraphicMatt]

I drove Jarvis from Shuter to Bloor (and then took Mount Pleasant all the way to Lawrence) today for work.

The touted 'reversible' lane is little more than a glorified left-turn lane. In fact, left turn lanes at major intersections would probably work better than the current set-up.

The reversible lane 'lights' are really ugly, too.

"Do nothing" doesn't seem like a good option here. Even if you're worried about losing traffic 'capacity', it's an ugly street with crappy sidewalks.

 

[Whoaccio]

I would like to see better street lights throughout the City. The yellow ones are ugly and intrusive. If nothing else, black casings would be nicer. Would it be possible to design a traffic light with just one light? So, one light that chanes color, maybe with an advanced signal where appropriate.

 

[Hipster Duck]

I like your black traffic lights idea. With respect to having just one light change colour, I'm sure it could be done, but people psychologically associate a traffic light with three separate casings for red, yellow and green and may get confused at an intersection. Typically, when I see a one casing light from far away I automatically think that it's a 4 way stop or a flashing yellow and drive into the intersection accordingly.

 

[ShonTron]

Also, the red-yellow-green combo pattern is standard for both vertical and horizontal traffic lights (red at top on on left). This is important for colour-blind people, as well as the expectation that it could be just a beacon as HD mentions above.

Black traffic lights, or at least casings (or not bother with casings where high-visibility - like slow-speed downtown areas - is not needed) is certainly welcome, as are black (not grey-metallic) poles.

 

[Whoaccio]

Also, the red-yellow-green combo pattern is standard for both vertical and horizontal traffic lights (red at top on on left). This is important for colour-blind people, as well as the expectation that it could be just a beacon as HD mentions above.

Ahh yes, the color blind, arch-nemesis to my ideas... I suppose using LEDs you could have glyphs (i.e. Red/X, Yellow/|, Green/O) but that would probably be less easily identifiable from distance and might confuse out of towners.

Well, anyways, I don't like how these projects we launch every now and then ignore practical design changes (cough, hydro poles, cough) in favor of launching these kulturekampfs against whoever.

 

[waterloowarrior]

I think changing the scale and colour of traffic lights would be nice

more of this (Sweden

less of this

 

[MisterF]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the black traffic signals? The yellow ones look just as good to me.

 

[Archivist]

No, Mister, I am indifferent to the colour of the lights. I would be fine if they changed them to black, but I am also fine with yellow.

 

[MBS]

The thing I don't like about the yellow is that the same ones are found all over Ontario. It would be nice if Toronto would have a distinct style. This goes for any street clutter / furniture.

 

[Whoaccio]

By themselves, I could probably live with the yellow lights. Taken in conjunction with the wires they are suspended from, the poles the wires are suspended from and all the other clutter that usually accompanies them (hydro poles, TTC stop poles, hydro wires....) it makes me long for something sleek like this.

That could be hot pink, I would prefer it to what we have.

These commie street lights are nifty.

 

[Archivist]

Traffic lights in Quebec have different shapes for the three lights (though don't for the moment ask me what they are - one is a circle, one is a diamond, I guess the third is probably square). Maybe we could use those, though Whoaccio's version is to me very evocative of the meaning of the light.

 

[Jonny5]

The "Don't Jam Jarvis" crowd were out protesting along Mt. Pleasant between Merton and St.Clair this morning. They were handing out flyers to all the cars, ironically, stuck in traffic.

Someone was also counting southbound cars passing south of St. Clair. I don't know if he was affiliated with the group or not as he wasn't wearing a t-shirt (yes, they all have protest t-shirts).

 

[GraphicMatt]

Haha, I wish my life was so singularly focused that I had the kind of inclination it would take to protest the removal of a single lane of traffic.

 

[TKTKTK]

Haha, I wish my life was so singularly focused that I had the kind of inclination it would take to protest the removal of a single lane of traffic.

Yeah, you're right dude, it's insane - but be thankfull, it would otherwise totally eat into your UrbanToronto time.