To: Nancy Rickford Date: April 3, 1998
Urban Environment and Development Committee
Fax #: 392-2980 Pages: 1, including this cover sheet
Subejct: Request to remove traffic signal coordination
Danforth Avenue - East Lynn Avenue to Woodbine Avenue
Attached for your perusal is a copy of a letter dated February 25, 1998, from Ms. Jacqueline White, Acting Manager, Central Traffic Region, Metro regarding the above-noted matter.
Please be advised that I do not agree with this report. Therefore, I request that it be placed on the upcoming agenda for me to address this matter.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this request.
The Urban Environment and Development Committee also submit the following communication (February 25, 1998) from Ms. Jacqueline White, Acting Manager, Central Traffic Region, Transportation Department:
We are writing further to your request of November 14, 1997, in which you requested adjustments to traffic signal co-ordination in response to public complaints about speeding on this portion of Danforth Avenue. We have completed our investigation and have concluded that adjustments to signal co-ordination on this section of Danforth Avenue will not necessarily result in safer or overall slower traffic operations.
The speed limit on Danforth Avenue is 50 kilometres per hour. We conducted radar speed studies on this section of Danforth Avenue during a weekday off-peak period in order to observe free-flow speed conditions. We recorded 85th percentile speeds of 47 and 52 kilometres per hour for the eastbound and westbound directions, respectively. The 85th percentile is the speed at, or below which, 85 percent of all traffic is travelling. Based on these findings, we conclude that traffic on this section of Danforth Avenue is operating at a generally acceptable level for a major arterial.
A review of the Toronto Police Service collision records for Danforth Avenue between East Lynn and Woodbine Avenue reveals no collisions related to speeding in the five year period ending December 31, 1996. However, there were two collisions related to vehicles travelling too fast and/or following too closely for the whether or traffic conditions. The details of these collisions are as follows:
- westbound rear-end type collision in wet conditions (mid-block); and
- westbound loss-of-control type collision involving a vehicle braking too hard, losing control and colliding with a parked vehicle (mid-block).
An arterials considered to be co-ordinated if each successive traffic control signal along that route turns green for the approaching "group" of vehicles. The quality of co-ordination is judged by the potential number of vehicles which can travel through a series of traffic signals. Effective co-ordination reduces stops, delays, fuel consumption and, consequently, exhaust emissions.
It should be noted, however, that co-ordination is calculated based on the speed limit. Vehicles operating at speeds in excess of this limit will experience poor co-ordination, higher number of required stops, and an overall increase in delay. Frustration caused by frequent stops may also lead to increased acceleration rates. Motorists tend to try to make up for "lost time" they encountered earlier in their trip. In this way, co-ordination tends to benefit (and even promote) motorists obeying the speed limit and hinder those travelling at higher speeds. Consequently, no changes are recommended to the existing co-ordination at this time.
If you have any questions regarding this investigation, do not hesitate to contact met at 397-5021.
