Toronto Crosstown LRT | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | Arcadis

[W. K. Lis]

What is the reason provided? Safety doesn't sound like the full picture.

The Transportation Services of Toronto is using "safety" as an "excuse" to sabotage public transit in favour of the all-mighty automobile. Same reason for giving left turning single-occupant motor vehicles priority over buses, streetcars, and light rail (to sabotage public transit).

 

[Coolibop]

I'm just curious as to what safety means in this context.

 

[Bordercollie]

The Transportation Services of Toronto is using "safety" as an "excuse" to sabotage public transit in favour of the all-mighty automobile. Same reason for giving left turning single-occupant motor vehicles priority over buses, streetcars, and light rail (to sabotage public transit).

Of course conspiracy theories.

Ultimately the mayor is the ultimate authority. The buck stops with him. But I don't see any of the other candidates being more pro transit than Tory.

 

[crs1026]

I'm just curious as to what safety means in this context.

It’s hard to fathom.
One theory would be that going slow simply lessens the impact of any collision that does happen.
The second would be pausing the tram’s entry into the intersection so that any vehicle driver who makes a mistake gets far enough into the intersection that their error becomes obvious, so the “blame” is unambiguous and does not get passed on to the TTC by investigators.
The problem (aside from creating delay) is the slow movement actually emboldens impatient motorists. The tram behaviour should correlate to the indications of the signals, and when the transit signal is green, the tram should be proceeding without delay.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

It’s hard to fathom.
One theory would be that going slow simply lessens the impact of any collision that does happen.
The second would be pausing the tram’s entry into the intersection so that any vehicle driver who makes a mistake gets far enough into the intersection that their error becomes obvious, so the “blame” is unambiguous and does not get passed on to the TTC by investigators.
The problem (aside from creating delay) is the slow movement actually emboldens impatient motorists. The tram behaviour should correlate to the indications of the signals, and when the transit signal is green, the tram should be proceeding without delay.

- Paul

I foresee a lot of collisions for the first year.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Toronto needs to replace the farside traffic signals with nearside traffic signals. That'll force motorists to stop BEFORE the nearside signals to be able to read them. With farside signals, motorists edge past the stop line and into the crosswalk at the intersections. Sometimes blocking the crosswalk from pedestrians using the crosswalk. The motorists will then be able to see the light rail vehicles entering the intersection.

See link.

Near Side Signals: Thinking Outside the Pedestrian Box​

 

[T3G]

Far side traffic lights are definitely not the reason why motorists "don't see" light rail vehicles.

Source:

The user in question, from Prague, Czechia, has a playlist compiling all such videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsBLotWJdXk9iREFfqk9wl670RHTWdk94

The reason why motorists "can't see" them is because the average person in a car has no business operating a bike, never mind a motor vehicle. If there were standards for getting a license in this country, the roads would be safer and there would be no traffic congestion.

 

[afransen]

Far side traffic lights are definitely not the reason why motorists "don't see" light rail vehicles.

Source:

The user in question, from Prague, Czechia, has a playlist compiling all such videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsBLotWJdXk9iREFfqk9wl670RHTWdk94

The reason why motorists "can't see" them is because the average person in a car has no business operating a bike, never mind a motor vehicle. If there were standards for getting a license in this country, the roads would be safer and there would be no traffic congestion.

I think the only way you'd be getting your wish is with robotaxis, and very few/no one getting licensed.

 

[Bordercollie]

Toronto needs to replace the farside traffic signals with nearside traffic signals. That'll force motorists to stop BEFORE the nearside signals to be able to read them. With farside signals, motorists edge past the stop line and into the crosswalk at the intersections. Sometimes blocking the crosswalk from pedestrians using the crosswalk. The motorists will then be able to see the light rail vehicles entering the intersection.

See link.

Near Side Signals: Thinking Outside the Pedestrian Box​

The problem with this is that if the light turns red before the street car moves then it has to wait for the light. If it had traffic signal priority it might work. Why not have a button for the operator to push to hold the light green? Similar to a railway crossing.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The problem with this is that if the light turns red before the street car moves then it has to wait for the light. If it had traffic signal priority it might work. Why not have a button for the operator to push to hold the light green? Similar to a railway crossing.

In Ontario, we have...

Which can be messed, until we have more verbage clutter signs in all the languages in the world.

While the rest of world uses...

Without verbage signage.

 

[Bordercollie]

In Ontario, we have...

Which can be messed, until we have more verbage clutter signs in all the languages in the world.

While the rest of world uses...

Without verbage signage.

LRT's might have it but regular street cars don't. That's the problem.

 

[imerk]

Quick update at the south leg of the Yonge and Eglinton intersection from yesterday, October 22nd.

 

[felix123]

Far side traffic lights are definitely not the reason why motorists "don't see" light rail vehicles.

Source:

The user in question, from Prague, Czechia, has a playlist compiling all such videos.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsBLotWJdXk9iREFfqk9wl670RHTWdk94

The reason why motorists "can't see" them is because the average person in a car has no business operating a bike, never mind a motor vehicle. If there were standards for getting a license in this country, the roads would be safer and there would be no traffic congestion.

Czechia has a higher traffic-related mortality rate than does Canada: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.TRAF.P5

Canadian provinces do have high standards for getting a licence, with Québec being one of the toughest jurisdictions in the world.
otoh Alberta is planning to pull away from graduated licensing however (because of course Alberta is), and I do think we need better enforcement of the rules.

 

[T3G]

Canadian provinces do have high standards for getting a licence

If this is true, it definitely doesn't cover Ontario, where it feels like the only criteria that exists for having a license is being alive.

 

[Bordercollie]

If this is true, it definitely doesn't cover Ontario, where it feels like the only criteria that exists for having a license is being alive.

Have any of you driven in the GTA recently? The skill level of drivers is certainly not getting any better. Constantly hogging both lanes driving at the same speed preventing people from passing holding up traffic.

Not moving forward into the intersection when making a left turn.

Blocking lanes of traffic even though there is a left turn lane.

Blocking people from changing lanes by accelerating into their blind spot.

Not turning on an advanced green.

Blocking the bus lane or bike lane on purpose

I can keep going. This is why we need better transit.