If you would like a traffic signal to be installed in your neighbourhood, all you have to do is pick up the phone.

One call to Transportation Services (or your local Councillor) is all it takes to start the process required to determine if a traffic signal can be put up in your community.

There are several reasons why a traffic signal might be requested.  One reason is if residents feel that a pedestrian crossover on a particular street is not safe.  Sometimes, residents express a concern about crossing a street where no crossover exists.  Occasionally, motorists will request a traffic signal when they are having difficulty entering traffic on a main street from a smaller street.

Once a call is received, Transportation Services begins an investigation into the situation.  A study of traffic volumes on the road is completed (including rush hour traffic).  This is often followed by a pedestrian study where all forms of pedestrian traffic (children, adults and seniors) is compiled.  Basically, the goal is to find out who is using the road and for what purpose.

Transportation Services also looks at speed of vehicles that travel the road and other land uses in the area such as TTC, school crossings, etc.  In addition, a collision history of the area from police records is compiled and a pattern of the type of collisions is investigated to see if a traffic signal might have helped to prevent such collisions.

Once the study is complete, Transportation Services staff evaluates the information and compares it to the provincial guidelines which determine if a traffic signal is warranted for the area in question.