Pascal Abboud chair of the Junction BIA with Councillor Bill Saundercook and Martin Lennox of the JRA cutting the ribbon
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new traffic lights at was held today at lights with Councillor Bill Saundercook and Martin Lennox of the Junction Residents Association along with Pascal Abboud chair of the Junction BIA cutting the ribbon.
Of note in the new lights enlivened intersection our the are the zebra strips painted on the roadway in the pedestrian crossing area. When speaking to one the City of Toronto raffic light designers at the ceremony the blog was told that one of the occurring issues at “T” intersections is the need for left turning cars drivers to be aware of pedestrians crossing the roadway.
Take a cross at the intersection now and get a feel of how the lights have knitted the intersection further into the Dundas st west streetscape.
While the blog has been promoting this event for a while now, everyone should know that Bea Mozdzanowski Constituency Assistant to Mr Saundercook, has kept the blog and this author up to date on the city timeline for the lights arranging a multiple of necessary items for the event to happen.
It would be great if the lights along this portion of Dundas W. could be timed a bit better!
At the ceremony this morning we were told the timing with the Pacific Ave lights has not occurred yet. Also the demand people cross requesting buttons need to be completed
Great! Anyone else notice that the pedestrian lights at Annette and Pacific aren’t consistently working either?
I noticed a long string of traffic last Thurs. & Friday evenings while out walking, between the new set of lights and Keele/Dundas. “No projected traffic build-up” my butt!
I said it before and I’ll say it again, this was a bad idea. I know it’s not the popular stand to take but there are now way to many lights in a 5 block span. Once people realize that you can no longer drive through the neighbourhood people will find another way to get where they are going thereby blowing holes in the theory that people will stop and shop.
as the stop and shop is good for the community _ the best benefit is the increased ability of people to make contact of more than a wave. There was a time in the Junction as late as 1981 and 1983 that most days were incredulity busy with people socializing, and on a Sat morning storekeepers had trouble not getting pushed out of the way when setting up their outside displays.
Won’t the traffic lights slow down the in and out travel in the Junction?
Won’t the traffic lights slow down the in and out travel in the Junction?
Not if the stop and go traffic gets tired of stop and go and just goes.
As a side note, won’t the residential traffic increase as people are desperate to find an alternate route that is not bogged down with traffic? I’ve seen this before, and the result of that is “No Turn” signs along Dundas West that further bog down traffic.
GREAT point Rodger… last night is a perfect example. There was a head-on accident at Keele and Vine, and the car coming off Vine turning left (north) onto Keel was trying to skirt around the lights @ Dundas (his own words).
People will continue to drink the kool-aid on the blog here, but this is just another point that proves adding the lights at high park was a terrible idea. More traffic, more impatience, more of a reason to avoid the Junction if you’re just “passing through”.
Going along Vine to avoid the lights at Keele and Dundas when making a left-hand turn onto Keele seems like a bad idea. This has nothing to do with the lights at High Park.
I said it before and I’ll say it again….
I agree that lights are needed at High Park and Dundas, but I can’t help but be a bit skeptical that the lights will be timed and balanced to facilitate both traffic and pedestrian flow. The skepticism is reinforced by the fact that TTC vehicles are equipped with transponders that keep the light green longer or switch the lights to their favour when approaching..
The conspiracy theorist in me is that the council has an all out war against the car and rather than focusing on how various modes of transportation can better co-exist (car, public transit, bikes, pedestrian etc)…but enough of being a cynic.
There are other neighbourhoods in the city (I’m thinking Queen’s Quay between Bay and York) where there is a concentration of signal lights in a short distance (Specifically, 3 sets of lights within a comparable distance between Clendenan and Pacific). When the timing of the lights are off, it creates a situation of blocked intersections, horns honking, and increased frustration among drivers. Furthermore, there is a real possibility that this would only increase the amount of traffic on Annette as drivers look for alternatives to avoid the stretch between Jane and Dupont. Which in turn, will increase the north south traffic along those streets that connect the two (e.g. Quebec, Medland, Mavety)….
If the city decides to remove a set of lights at either Clendenan or Pacific may offset the issue however, the I think my odds of winning the new Lotto MAX jackpot are better…
The signals should be timed. There’s no need to complicate this issue with conspiracy theories or histrionics.
Junction Resident says
Going along Vine to avoid the lights at Keele and Dundas when making a left-hand turn onto Keele seems like a bad idea. This has nothing to do with the lights at High Park.
Ummm… sure it does? The person who caused the accident was avoiding the wait in traffic, which is being compounded by the new set of lights @ High Park, to turn north on Keele. Fed up, he decided to go around the Keele lights by taking Pacific, then Vine (east). He was too fed up with traffic on Dundas W. to even give the stretch of road from Pacific to Keele a chance.
Thanks you Theirry, you took the words out of my mouth.
The blog will support anyone who to the community,
Bill Saundercook is tireless working for the Junction.
That said I also like the efforts Sarah is making in her campaign.
Who will help the community, or who helps your vision of the community?
That set of stop light was, is and will forever be a bad idea.
We have enough Politicians looking for photo ops in this city, it’s time we get someone who can stand up to the “community advocates” and say this is a bad idea.
Hey Bob, if politicians don’t listen to the community who should they listen too?
As a community advocate I believe these lights are and always will be a great idea. I also should point out the light was the TTC’s idea to help the bus turn from HPA onto Dundas.
Here’s a link to a Facebook Group called “Toronto Says Stop” that speaks to the traffic light issue. If the link doesn’t work and you’re a Facebook user, search for “Toronto Says Stop”
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144257797070&ref=search&sid=727870149.2481199194..1
Saundercook cuts a ribbon… way to go champ!