[txlseries4]

Presentations from yesterday's board meeting. Linked the pdfs below but they really don't do the presentations justice which aren't long to watch. Some interesting Q&A after each

Opportunities to improve Transit Signal Priority in Toronto from Narayan Donaldson, Integrated Mobility Consultant:

slide deck: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2026/ttc/bgrd/backgroundfile-264729.pdf

Developing a Surface Transit Revitalization Plan from Jonathan English, Founding Principal, Infrastory Insights

slide deck: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2026/ttc/bgrd/backgroundfile-284274.pdf

 

[turbanplanner]

That's good. Consecutive green lights encourages drivers to drive far too quickly than they should be able to. If Sherbourne/George/Jarvis on Richmond are all Green drivers are guaranteed to be driving far, far too quickly.

I encourage anyone who disagrees to stand on the SE corner of Adelaide/Jarvis or Adelaide/George and tell me that you feel safe as cars whizz by mere feet away.

IMO it's the opposite, people speed MORE when they realize going 20 over might mean the difference between 5 red lights in a row vs 0.

Same as when they lowered speed limits without re-timing lights, you went from cars going 5 to 10 with a small delta between cars to half aggressively speeding to half following the limit meaning people try to pass more dangerously to squeeze into a gap.

 

[daptive]

IMO it's the opposite, people speed MORE when they realize going 20 over might mean the difference between 5 red lights in a row vs 0.

Same as when they lowered speed limits without re-timing lights, you went from cars going 5 to 10 with a small delta between cars to half aggressively speeding to half following the limit meaning people try to pass more dangerously to squeeze into a gap.

I agree with you based on behaviour that I’ve seen. Once the daily drivers realize the “Green Wave” happens when you drive exactly at 40km/hr they’re more likely to just go that speed rather than race towards the next red light.

I don’t know if Toronto’s signal network is sophisticated enough to manage consecutive greens at a consistent speeds while accounting for transit signal priority.

 

[TRONto]

I'd have to disagree. I've never been in the car with someone who has been driving to time the green lights (although I do it!). Generally, people are driving according to road conditions/layout.

 

[innsertnamehere]

If you drive in Hamilton regularly, a place that does time it's lights on King/Main St, you will notice that people do generally do the 50km/h speed limit as they hit the light timing that way.

When it breaks down is in significant volume as average speeds drop and people drive more aggressively in gaps to try to "catch up" to the green wave.

 

[Undead]

The way to slow drivers down is by narrowing the lanes, not introducing more lights, of which we already have too many (someone did an analysis here on UT showing that we have triple the number of lights per capita as Holland).

 

[turbanplanner]

The way to slow drivers down is by narrowing the lanes, not introducing more lights, of which we already have too many (someone did an analysis here on UT showing that we have triple the number of lights per capita as Holland).

Depending on how it's done I'm not a fan of lane narrowing. They did it on a street I'm on often and it lead to cars just crossing the line, and snow/rain events make it effectively a 1 lane road.

 

[Mihairokov]

Depending on how it's done I'm not a fan of lane narrowing. They did it on a street I'm on often and it lead to cars just crossing the line, and snow/rain events make it effectively a 1 lane road.

But it slows you down, which is the point.

 

[reaperexpress]

Will be anxiously waiting for the first driver who is so used to the original signal timing they turn straight into a streetcar!

The left turn phases already get skipped sometimes if the driver didn't arrive early enough. And yet there is no carnage from drivers driving through red lights.

Obviously using white bar signals instead of green/yellow/red signals would resolve this issue but that will take a long time to implement dur to the legislative changes required

 

[reaperexpress]

The way to slow drivers down is by narrowing the lanes, not introducing more lights, of which we already have too many (someone did an analysis here on UT showing that we have triple the number of lights per capita as Holland).

The City policy is already to narrow lanes as part of road work so there's no point in advocating for it

 

[reinventingthewheel]

The left turn phases already get skipped sometimes if the driver didn't arrive early enough. And yet there is no carnage from drivers driving through red lights.

Obviously using white bar signals instead of green/yellow/red signals would resolve this issue but that will take a long time to implement dur to the legislative changes required

I suspect the TSP pilot intersections (Spadina x College, Dundas, King) may have been chosen as they have white bar signals installed already, whereas most dedicated transit signals I can think of are green/yellow/red only.

 

[Undead]

The City policy is already to narrow lanes as part of road work so there's no point in advocating for it

Physical narrowing, not just painted lines!

 

[reaperexpress]

I suspect the TSP pilot intersections (Spadina x College, Dundas, King) may have been chosen as they have white bar signals installed already, whereas most dedicated transit signals I can think of are green/yellow/red only.

The white bar signals are for turning left or right. They have nothing to do with rotating the phases to proceed straight earlier.

 

[reaperexpress]

Physical narrowing, not just painted lines!

Please read the City of Toronto Lane Width Guideline for more information.