[CDL.TO]

Seems to be more common in places like The Hague (which is less densely built than A'dam):

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/De...s!3m1!1s0x47c5b16ab621b8fd:0x1329092e7c6f871b

True. I think Utrecht's line is mostly on grass, too. It is a very common design. (Just not to much in Amsterdam.)

I have a dumb question about the transit signals. Why is it that there two identical transit signals always right next to each other. I don't think I've ever seen them indicate anything different…always double green or double red. I did some googling, but came up short.

Redundancy. If one lightbulb burns out drivers will still know what's going on.

 

[Tuscani01]

True. I think Utrecht's line is mostly on grass, too. It is a very common design. (Just not to much in Amsterdam.)



Redundancy. If one lightbulb burns out drivers will still know what's going on.

Aren't they LED? Presumably, if a bulb burns out, there are still more bulbs.

 

[smallspy]

Aren't they LED? Presumably, if a bulb burns out, there are still more bulbs.

Doesn't matter what they use to light them - it's dictated by the Highway Traffic Act. There must be at least two sets of lights.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Napoleon]

Redundancy. If one lightbulb burns out drivers will still know what's going on.

Wow, that is indeed the absolute last reason I would have expected. And absolutely useless...in the age of LED lights, they're almost certainly more likely to fail simultaneously due to common cause failures than anything else, as I'm sure the same controller controls them both.

 

[CDL.TO]

I guess the question is: Now that we have LED bulbs, should the Highway Traffic Act be updated?

I guess one "bulb assembly" could fail by shorting out or something, but the likelihood of a light now working has been greatly reduced from when the rules were written.

 

[Tuscani01]

I guess the question is: Now that we have LED bulbs, should the Highway Traffic Act be updated?

I guess one "bulb assembly" could fail by shorting out or something, but the likelihood of a light now working has been greatly reduced from when the rules were written.

Agreed. Its definitely something that should be looked into. I wonder if any municipality has requested it, as it would help reduce the cost of setting up new traffic lights.

If Quebec and other Provinces can do it, there's no reason Ontario cant.

Spot the signals in Montreal for example:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5018...!1e1!3m2!1sTb1j2BQQSkMdC_kk9G8MGQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

 

[nfitz]

Spot the signals in Montreal for example:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5018...!1e1!3m2!1sTb1j2BQQSkMdC_kk9G8MGQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

I'm missing something. I see two sets of lights everywhere.

 

[Tuscani01]

I'm missing something. I see two sets of lights everywhere.

Yes, but not two seperate lights for a left turn signal, along with two other sets of lights for a straight ahead signal, and another set of lights for the streetcar (mind you they don't have a streetcar on University).

The point is there are way too many lights. Reducing the clutter can help make things a bit clearer and less confusing. (Ie. adding a white line above one of the left turn lights instead of using a green light, on a completely seperate signal, and ditching the second left turn signal.)

Here's a better example from Montreal from an intersection with a dedicated left turn signal:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5652...!1e1!3m2!1sJzjlrsZFV768a5FZjBgF7w!2e0!6m1!1e1

 

[W. K. Lis]

Ontario refuses to use transit signals that are actually different.

And Ontario has to require verbage signs to explain it to everyone.


See link:

The signals mean (from left to right): "go straight ahead", "go left", "go right", "go in any direction" (like the "green" of a normal traffic light), "stop, unless the emergency brake is needed" (equal to "yellow"), and "stop" (equal to "red").

In Europe, they don't use verbage signs to explain that the signals are different.

Both signals above say "STOP"!

Even in other jurisdictions, they have bicycle signals that look different, and without verbage signs.

 

[DSC]

Ontario refuses to use transit signals that are actually different.

And Ontario has to require verbage signs to explain it to everyone.


See link:

You keep raising this and it does appear to be a good idea. Any idea WHY the Ontario government does not like the idea? Have you written to Minister of Transport?

 

[nfitz]

Here's a better example from Montreal from an intersection with a dedicated left turn signal:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.5652...!1e1!3m2!1sJzjlrsZFV768a5FZjBgF7w!2e0!6m1!1e1

Okay, I see.

And Ontario has to require verbage signs to explain it to everyone.

Are you sure? There's certainly not verbage signs at all locations where you have these signals.

For example easbound on Queen at Broadview - https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6588...m4!1e1!3m2!1sDGgoTtsYsU3mR6fdum9ivg!2e0?hl=en

 

[W. K. Lis]

At this intersection, they have useless verbage signs explaining the "left turn" signal and the "transit" signals.

See link.

Other jurisdictions wouldn't have them, but are required here

 

[Markster]

The recently passed revision to the Highway Traffic Act has officially sanctioned Bicycle traffic lights.

 

[Megaton327]

Rees was re-signalled today, however there are still no bicycle signals present. Everything else including turn signals and eastbound traffic seemed to be done when I went through this evening, but bike signals remained conspicuously absent--especially given that they were installed at most of the other intersections several days or even weeks ago. Odd.

Also, I've noticed that the left turn signals at York do not seem to have any sort of capacity to detect vehicles--I have observed the Queen's Quay advance green/left turn phase be skipped despite cars waiting in the left turn lanes on both sides, and I've also seen the left turn phase occur with no cars in those lanes but vehicles waiting to go straight. Strange.

Some pictures from today--first off, Rees is looking better as far as the mixing zone is concerned, meeting the paved MGT in the bottom right of this pic, though they still haven't started putting the roadway pavers in:

Here you see that the bicycle signals are missing--this was taken while the intersection signals were out, but surely enough I came back later when the work seemed finished and they still weren't installed:

And finally, on the earlier subject of traffic insanity, I saw this Nissan Cube that had been in an accident (doesn't come through great in the pic I'm afraid, but there's significant crumpling on the rear-left side) getting towed out of the Harbourfront Centre entrance at Lower Simcoe...wonder how that happened. Looked like it must have occurred at the intersection with someone doing something wrong, but I only saw it at this point evidently well after it happened, and there were no TTC hold/detour notices for the 509/510 in the area either.

 

[ksun]

I stand corrected -- although the quotes in that quote are a little weird. Did Mr. Glaisek say "The goal is to make it the signature street for Toronto", which is a laudable goal and might actually become true, or did they place the second quotation mark incorrectly and it should be after the Champs Elysees part of the quote?

As for QQ becoming like the Champs, there's no chance. They are completely different streetscapes and we're not actually going to build squares at each end to celebrate our Emperor's victories over the Americans at Queenston Heights and Vancouver Olympics.

However, QQ (in the summer time) has a shot of becoming like Las Ramblas in use, if not in form. Barcelona's main drag is where everyone goes for an evening walk before a late supper on a nice day. QQ -- particularly if/when the slip end bridges get built -- would be very much the perfect evening walk on a summer's night, before dinner at QQT or an ice cream somewhere. Don't write that part of your kvetching in stone quite yet.

las rambles have hundreds of stores, cafés and restaurants. It had at least two subway stops right on it. It is pedestrian only. It has a KFC in a building that's is prettier than any building in Toronto. QQ has nothing of theses. We have forgettable condos on the north with dry cleaners, and even worse condos on its southside. Where am I supposed to buy a ice cream there? In that soboeys? I don't see any patio restaurants or ice cream shops between Yonge and Spadina. People need to do more than just "walk" on a summer night.