Placing Pedestrians First at Placing Pedestrians First at Toronto’s Signalized Toronto’s Signalized

IntersectionsIntersections

Bruce Zvaniga, P.Eng.Bruce Zvaniga, P.Eng.

Manager, Urban Traffic Control SystemsManager, Urban Traffic Control Systems

January 11, 2009

Outline

1. Toronto Context

2. Transportation Plan for Sustainable Growth

3. Recent Improvements to Pedestrian Signal Operations

4. Wish List for Future Improvements

January 11, 2009

Toronto’s Population

• Population 2.5 Million (5.5 Million in Region)

• One-seventh are over 65 years of age (fastest growing age group)

January 11, 2009

General Characteristics of Toronto’s Signal Operation

• 2100 traffic signal-controlled intersections• Roughly one-third fixed-time operation and two-

thirds semi-actuated• Transit signal priority at one of every six

intersections• All signalized intersections are connected to

central systems: 64% in-house time-of-day, 20% TransSuite and 16% SCOOT

January 11, 2009

Transportation Growth

• 75% growth in both AM inbound and outbound vehicle flows to entire city over past 20 years

However,

• 66% of inbound trips during the AM to the central area are by transit …the vast majority of these trips include some walking

January 11, 2009

Transportation Plan for Sustainable Growth

*

1.1Pedestrian Zones and

Streets

1.2Pedestrian

Enhancements at Intersections

1.4Pavement Narrowings

2.1Bicycle

Stations and Parking

2.3East-West Bike Route Thru Core

3.2Off-Street Parking

Standards

3.1Extend Peak Hour Parking Restrictions

3.3 *Peripheral Commuter

Parking Lots

4.1Additional

Turn Restrictions

4.2Reserved

Bus Lanes

5.2GPS-related

Transit Technology

5.1Proof of Payment

4.3Enhanced

Enforcement

5.3Additional

Transit Vehicles to

Improve Service

2.4 *Major Bicycle

Trail Corridors

1.5Green

Corridors to the

Waterfront

6.TDM

Initiatives

7.Other

Initiatives

6.1 *

Region-wide SMART

Commute

6.4Car

Sharing

7.1Time

Management for Deliveries

6.2 Local

Employer- Based TMA’s

6.3 City’s

Employee Trip

Reduction Program

7.5*Intelligent

Transportation Systems

7.2Educational Programs

Short Term (0 - 2 years)

Medium Term (3 - 5 years)

Long Term (5+ years)

5.Other Transit

Improvements

4.Transit Priority

3.Parking

2.Cycling

1.Pedestrians

2.2Bicycle Sharing

1.3Improvements

to the Pedestrian

Public Realm

7.3Promoting Taxi Use

7.4*

Review of HOV Lanes

May Require Metrolinx Support, Coordination or Funding

6.5 *Road-User Charges

Sustainable Transportation Initiatives – Summary ChartPedestrian Enhancements at Signalized Intersections

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Countdown Timers

• Addresses confusion/uncertainty• Council approved 3 year city-wide

implementation to be completed June 2009 concurrent with LED Conversion

• Countdown of clearance (flashing don’t walk) phase only

• Issues with variable clearance timing where rail, fire hall, and transit pre-emption present

• Public, political, media and police reaction very positive

January 11, 2009

Leading Pedestrian Interval

4 second headstart for pedestrians before vehicle green

Status:• Removed quickly at “normal” intersection

• Retained and highly successful at intersection of one-way street with heavy left-turning traffic to a two-way street

• Plan is to “try” another 5 to 10 locations in 2009 - looking for intersections with similar unopposed turning movements, and heavy pedestrian movements on conflicting crosswalks

January 11, 2009

Accessible Pedestrian Signals(aka audible pedestrian signals)

• Council policy decision to include APS at all new traffic signal installations and to target retrofits within a year of receiving a request.

• 250 intersections currently equipped• 60 additional retrofits targeted in next 2

years• Questions remain about how to handle

complex intersection geometrics

January 11, 2009

Increased Pedestrian Crossing Time

• Old method:– Walk speed 1.2 m/s or 1.0 m/s– Ped clearance was timed for 5/8ths of the minimum total

time • New method:

– 7 second minimum walk, full clearance distance at 1.2 m/s walk speed … walk plus clearance time must allow for 1.0 m/s walk speed

• New method only applied after installation of countdown timers

• Impact on transit priority infrastructure – due to relationship between loop detector placement and time to decision point – somewhat less efficient

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority

• Barnes Dance

• Exclusive Pedestrian Phase

• Pedestrian Scramble

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority Perceived Benefits

• Clear message that pedestrians are important

• Increase pedestrian comfort level

• (May) improve safety

• Low cost, easy to implement ?

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority Challenges

• APS

• PCS

• Signs & Markings

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority Blind and Visually Impaired Peds• Issue of audible tone

– “Walk Sign is on for all crossings”• Concerns expressed about confusion

– Lack of parallel traffic sound– How does a visitor detect the difference ?– Confusing for guide dogs … who do you follow– Need for tactile way finding– Concern about crowding around APS buttons– Lack of distinct north-south vs. east-west tones

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority Countdown Signals Display

• Issue caused by concurrent and priority phasing

• PCS count down the clearance time

• Crossing clearance on the diagonal is greater than the orthogonal

• PCS devices use simple logic – count down time based on the previous display time

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Signal Priority Signs

Signs:• To sign or not to sign• Are the signals intuitive or

susceptible to misinterpretation?

Markings:

• Full diagonal or stub

January 11, 2009

Pedestrian Wish List for Traffic Signals

1. Pedestrian Detection SAP SAC issue

3. PII – pedestrian infrastructure integration …. low cost handheld device using DSRC to communicate information to peds (particularly visually-impaired)

January 11, 2009

For Further Information:

Bruce Zvaniga

Manager, Urban Traffic Control Systems

City of Toronto Transportation Services

703 Don Mills Road, 5th Floor

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M3C 3N3

Phone: 416-392-8826

E-mail: bruce_zvaniga@toronto.ca

http://www.toronto.ca

January 11, 2009