Green lights at a number of key intersections in Toronto will be extended in an effort to reduce congestion.
According to city staff, the lights will last 15 seconds longer with five seconds of extra time for the left-turning lane and 10 seconds for traffic traveling straight.
“You should see about five to six more vehicles clear the intersection in that ten seconds,” Myles Currie, the city’s director of transportation Services, said.
Currie spoke with the media during a Monday morning press conference at Victoria Park Avenue and Finch Avenue East – one of the worst spots for congestion, according to third-party data received and analyzed by the City of Toronto.
The identified intersections have been changed, or will see changes, meant to keep traffic flowing. Along with extended green lights, duel left-turn lanes and priority left-turn arrows are being installed to keep vehicles flowing.
Top 10 Congested Intersections
- Eglinton Avenue West and Martin Grove Road (Wards 3 and 4)
- Lawrence Avenue West and Black Creek Drive (Ward 12)
- St. Clair Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Avenue (Ward 22 and 27)
- Finch Avenue and Yonge Street (Wards 23 and 24)
- Sheppard Avenue and Yonge Street (Ward 23)
- Bloor Street East and Parliament Avenue (Ward 27 and 28)
- O’Connor Drive and Don Mills Road (Ward 29)
- Eastern Avenue and Carlaw Avenue (Ward 30)
- Finch Avenue East and Victoria Park Avenue (Wards 33, 39 and 40)
- Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue East (Ward 43)
The announcement was part of the second phase of John Tory’s traffic mitigation plan. Earlier phase two announcements involved traffic signal re-timing, around-the-clock construction and police officers at key downtown intersections directing traffic.
READ MORE: Toronto police deployed at congested intersections to help ease traffic flow
Although data hasn’t been released proving the effectiveness of the changes, the mayor said he is confident the adjustments are having a positive impact.
“It’s not going to get rid of traffic in the city but it will make it flow better, which is what I think people in the city have a right to expect,” Tory said.
Most of the intersections that will see changes are in the inner suburbs, which is welcome news to Councillor Shelley Carroll.
“The traffic volumes here are so worrying because they’re at such high speeds,” she said.
“Three weeks ago we had a death just west of here, and a few months before that an injury in exactly the same spot.”
The new measures combined should save commuters between five and 10 minutes each way during their commutes to and from work, according to staff.
Currie estimated the total cost of modifying all ten intersections, or “hot spots,” should be just under $1 million.
“Depending on the street corner, I think that’s a great idea,” resident Julio Martinez said.
“We live right here near Bathurst and St. Clair, and it’s just 45 minutes of traffic havoc because of that stupid little corner.”
The city plans to launch a revamped traffic signal coordination system in 2017 that will monitor conditions in real time and adjust traffic signals more effectively than the current pattern-based system.