The verdict appears to be in about the new countdown signals. The Toronto Star (full PDF article) is reporting that pedestrian fatalities are down this year, and city staff are placing much of the credit on the new pedestrian countdown signals. With 14 pedestrian fatalities so far in 2007, Toronto is on track to setting a ten year-low. (The high was 50 in 2002 and the low was 26 in 2000). Road-safety groups have provided very positive feedback to the conversions. Back in July we asked you your thoughts on the signals, of which most of it was very positive.
There was no additional cost in adding the countdown signal with the conversion to lower-energy LED lights from the older dual-box incandescent signals, as LED-lit pedestrian signals required only a single aspect, compared to the signal heads.
Seniors appear to be a primary beneficiary of the countdown signals, and there is a greater understanding of the “flashing hand” phase for both motorists and pedestrians, and indicates that pedestrians can be in the crosswalk up to the zero-second mark, where the simple flashing hand had more ambiguity. One of the biggest concerns has turned out to be moot. According to police, motorists have not been speeding through intersections to make the light with seconds left on the timers.
There are other initiatives that have gone unmentioned in the article but may also contribute to the low fatality rate this year. These include the replacement of many yellow-flashing pedestrian crossover signals with full traffic lights. Other crossovers have been improved with larger signal aspects and additional lights mounted on poles in addition to the ones hung over the crosswalk.
10 comments
I like them, even when I am driving. Not sure about the City’s claim though because if the low was in 2000 what changed in two years to the high, 2002? It seems a bit unscientific.
I forgot to ask this in one of the Walk21 articles, but what is the advantage of switching from the flashing hand to the flashing walking dude? It was brought up at the conference and I can’t think of a good reason for the switch.
As both a pedestrian and an occasional downtown driver, I’ve found the countdown very helpful. As a pedestrian if I see the countdown is close to zero I don’t make a run for it, and I’ve seen others do the same. There are still those risk-takers who run out even when it’s down to zero, but there may be fewer. I’ve also found that when I’m part of a pedestrian mob waiting to cross at a light, many people are watching the countdown for the other direction and jump the gun when they see the counter hit zero, forgetting that the zero only means that the traffic signal has turned amber and cars may still speed through the intersection.
It’s my understanding that the countdown was adopted from Oakville where it’s been in place for at least five years. The difference there is that the countdown starts as soon as the walk signal starts, and not just when the red hand starts flashing. Seems to work just as well that way.
All in all, a great idea.
I think it is probably safer for cyclists too. Having more information never hurts.
I understand that in Manhattan, it will always flash 8 times at every crosswalk. That’s not as good as a countdown, but it beats the ambiguity of a flashing hand.
According to police, motorists have not been speeding through intersections to make the light with seconds left on the timers.
Both as a driver and cyclist I find the countdown timer extremely useful. I am much more apt to slow down than speed up while approaching an intersection, knowing I’m not going to make it. In the past, I was more likely to speed up in the face of a stale green of uncertain future.
For bikers, the countdown signals are great because it gives you time to figure out if you need to cycle like crazy to beat the light, or whether you should just relax because there’s no way you’re going to make it through!
For bikers, the countdown signals are great because it gives you time to figure out if you need to cycle like crazy to beat the light, or whether you should just relax because there’s no way you’re going to make it through!
For me that’s the number one benefit. A lot less wasted energy and a lot more coasting…
I hope they can stop doing weird things like this “crosswalk” in Etobicoke:
http://vic.gedris.org/pics/2007-10-03/
The article in the Star was interesting, but I don’t see how the decline in pedestrian fatalities in itself proves anything about the countdown timers’ effectiveness. Sure, pedestrian fatalities are down, but there are numerous other potential factors at work, including the new crossover treatments, the zebra crossings, even statistical fluctuation (2007 could be an outlier year).
The City publishes a traffic fatality brochure each year including specific locations and types of fatalities. In fact, the proportion of pedestrian fatalities at signalized intersetions (compared to intersections with stop signs, or crossovers, or away from an intersection) actually increased in 2007 — the decrease in pedestrian collisions was across the board, not just at signals.
The comment from the City strikes me more as an opportunity to get good press on an initiative than an indication of a direct cause and effect. To prove anything conclusively, they’d need to show that fatalities are down (a) proportionally (b) at signals (c) in locations where countdowns have been installed (d) on a sustainable basis, not just a one-year blip. And (e) that the “before” collisions were collisions where the timers would have had an impact (vs., say, the out-of-control truck that killed a ped or two after crashing into a transit shelter in Scarborough earlier this year).
And statistically, they’d be much better off using all pedestrian collisions, not just fatalities. As the annual stats show, fatalities appear to show much more variability simply because the numbers are low and don’t hide anomalities well, whereas pedestrian collisions numbering in the thousands would be a better indicator of trends (and you could dig down better to a before/after of areas where the timers have been installed).
Much as I like the new pedestrian initiatives, my first reaction to this article was similar to Brent’s – it seems a stretch to attribute a definitive drop to the new measures at this stage.
Only a portion of fatalities in recent years can be attributed to situations where the countdown would make a difference. And the zebra stripe and crosswalk improvement programs have only affected a small number of locations so far.
There is considerable annual fluctuation in deaths, too. What might be the case is that a low year was made a record year by a few averted deaths thanks to the new measures. The key will be coming years, as the new zebra stripes and crosswalks are rolled out – is there a consistent drop in both deaths and injuries?
The one, non-measurable factor that might have made a significant difference is suggested in some of the above comments – the countdowns might have made motorists psychologically more aware of their speed and of pedestrians, leading to more careful behaviour and slower speeds at intersections generally (and, perhaps, making pedestrians more careful too). Vehicle speed is one of the crucial factors in making accidents fatal.