SOUTHBOUND ADVANCED GREEN FEATURE AT JANE STREET

AND PRITCHARD AVENUE

Ward 27 York Humber

Director, Transportation Services, District 1

(September 27, 1999)

Purpose:

To advise Community Council of the impacts of its motion to install a southbound advanced green feature at the intersection of Jane Street and Pritchard Avenue.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

An advanced green feature would cost an estimated $5,000.00 to be installed at this intersection.

Recommendation:

That a flashing southbound advanced green not be installed at the Jane Street/Pritchard Avenue, intersection based on the technical information in this report.

Background:

York Community Council at its meeting of July 15, 1999 approved a motion to install a flashing advanced green for southbound traffic on Jane Street at Pritchard Avenue. (Clause No. 15(o) of Report No. 7 of York Community Council)

Comments:

The decision to install a flashing advanced green feature for southbound left-turning traffic on Jane Street at Pritchard Avenue was made at York Community Council without a staff report on the impact of a modification to the signal operation at this location. We have since completed a review of this matter and determined that an advanced green feature for southbound left-turning motorists would provide very little benefit. As well, the funds available for signal modifications are limited and the estimated cost of $5,000.00 for this proposal would be better spent at other locations where a definite need has already been identified.

An advanced green feature would not be effective at this intersection for the following reasons:

(a) There is currently a very low demand for southbound left turns from Jane Street to Pritchard Avenue at all times of the day. We recorded 53, 10, and 40 vehicles making this turn during the a.m. peak hour, an average off-peak hour, and the p.m. peak hour, respectively. There was, on average, less than 1 vehicle making this turn per signal cycle. All vehicles were able to clear the intersection during the first available green or amber signal indication.

(b) At locations that have a variable demand for left turns we install a detector, in the pavement of an exclusive left turn lane, that will only actuate an advanced phase when there is a left-turning vehicle present. Jane Street at Pritchard Avenue is not wide enough to provide an exclusive left turn lane. Therefore, the advanced green phase would have to be served every cycle, unnecessarily delaying northbound traffic even when no motorists are making a southbound left turn.

(c) With no exclusive left turn lane, an advanced left turn phase is wasted when through vehicles are in front of the left-turning motorists in the median lane. During our studies, a left-turning vehicle was at the front of the queue only 15 per cent of the time.

(d) The Toronto Transit Commission 79 SCARLETT ROAD bus makes this southbound left-turn movement and stops on the south side of Pritchard Avenue, immediately east of the intersection. When the bus is stopped, left-turning vehicles have nowhere to go even if they have an exclusive phase. The one or two delays that we did observe were the result of a stopped TTC bus.

(e) The signal operation at Jane Street and Pritchard Avenue is semi-actuated. This means that the signal stays green for Jane Street unless a vehicle is detected on Pritchard Avenue, or a pedestrian presses the pushbutton. This volume of vehicles and pedestrians is also very low. The advanced green phase can only be served after the sidestreet phase. If the signal does not cycle to sidestreet because of the low demand, the advanced green signal will not be served for southbound motorists.

(f) The combination of all of these factors make the effectiveness of an advanced green phase for southbound traffic on Jane Street at Pritchard Avenue highly questionable.

(g) It should also be noted that a review of the collision record for this intersection for the five-year period ending December 31, 1998 indicates only one incident involving a southbound left-turn motorist.

Conclusion:

The proposed advanced green feature for southbound left-turning traffic on Jane Street at Pritchard Avenue would not be effective and should not be installed. The installation of this feature will divert funding from a location where a signal modification is warranted.

Contact Name:

Jacqueline White

Manager, Traffic Operations

District 1

Phone: 397-5021

Fax: 392-8504