This video is not intended to be an all-encompassing explanation of Dutch traffic signals, it's merely an explanation of clearance time calculations.
You are absolutely correct that the various features are interconnected. Precise clearance time calculations are most efficient when phases can be fully independent from each other, which requires a traffic signal controller able to handle that, and fully-protected left turn signals. But we don't like implementing fully-protected left turn signals in Ontario, because they aren't efficient. But the reason the aren't efficient is that we don't use precise clearance time calculations and we don't have traffic signal controllers which can independently handle signal phases. It's a vicious cycle.
For this reason, I am making a
series of 9 videos which each cover a particular feature of Dutch signals which is uncommon or non-existant in Ontario. Any one of those features would provide some benefit on its own, but combining them will provide more than the sum of the parts. One of the last videos in the series will be "fully-protected turn signals", in which I link together how the various features affect each other, referring to the detailed videos on each topic.
Many of the other features of Dutch signals
are already being brought to Ontario. Ottawa has
already built many Dutch-style protected intersections, and Toronto is about to build some. But their efficiency is severely hampered by the lack of two-stage crossings (topic of my first video in the series), the long clearance time for left turn phases (topic of this video), and the lack of flexibility to provide additional green opportunities when possible (topic of my next video in the series).
The funny part about the "smart" signals from the Netherlands is that they've already worked this way since the 90's when personal computers became affordable. It's far from cutting-edge technology. Mostly what the new advancements have done is to make them cheaper. For example nowadays instead of a bajillion metal detectors, you can monitor traffic conditions with a handful of cameras with AI image recognition, and GPS positions sent by connected vehicles (mostly buses nowadays, but also an increasing number of cars).
Jason from Not Just Bikes has been making videos covering the non-signal-related list of essential Dutch traffic engineering/planning methods, such as
removing stop signs,
disentangling car and bike networks,
bicycle parking,
continous sidewalk crossings, etc. so I don't feel the need to cover those myself.
Again, each one of those methods can be implemented on its own incrementally. It is not necessary to overhaul everything at once. Trying to do so would be overwhelming and daunting to the point we'd never start, just like how I was daunted by and eventually dissuaded from make one single video about all the features of Dutch traffic signals.