The City of Portland optimized traffic signal timing at 135 intersections on 16 streets in Portland. This optimization work has resulted in saving motorists over 1,750,000 gallons of gas each year. This reduction in gasoline consumption is equivalent to 15,460 tons of CO2 each year.
I wonder how much gasoline we waste idling at horribly timed traffic lights and Milton’s aversion to right-turn-lanes (seriously, why do we not have dedicated right-turn lanes?)
As if it wasn’t bad enough to have major arterial roads where traffic doesn’t flow, neighbourhood roads like Scott Blvd have no traffic calming devices whatsoever. When taking a neighbourhood road, like Scott Blvd, from Derry to Main is faster than traveling on major arterial roads then we know that planners messed up. After two close calls on Scott Blvd I now drive my children to village square, which kills the purpose of having village squares that people can walk to.
I have been asking for traffic calming devices and signalled crosswalks near schools and parks. Recently a 7 year old boy was hit by a vehicle while he rode his bike (and the vehicle promptly fled the scene, shame on the driver). Fortunately the boy’s injury was not major but Scott Blvd is a disaster waiting to happen.
I went up to the council on May 10th asking for different things. One of them were traffic calming devices. We must figure out how to make traffic flow on major roads (by synchronizing traffic lights and putting dedicated right-turn-lanes) and we must figure out how to make neighbourhood roads pedestrian friendly (by adding traffic calming devices and signalled crosswalks). It is borderline criminal to build high-density neighbourhood with busy roads and put parks and schools next to those roads without doing anything to make them safe for pedestrians.
Driving on Scott Blvd, with no traffic calming, is noticeably faster than driving on major arterial roads. People should leave Scott Blvd to drive on Derry and Bronte, not the other way around. I truly believe that we’ll have a pedestrian death on Scott Blvd unless something is done to control traffic.
One of the first things I intend to do if I am elected is to make neighbourhood roads like Scott Blvd safe for pedestrians and to make arterial roads (like Derry) better for traffic flow.
Zeeshan
Couldn’t agree more with your comment. Thompson Road from Main to Derry is almost impossible to drive without stopping at every intersection. It is of course most efficient when all construction work is completed. I am hoping that once Derry is finished we will see those signals synchronised!
Also we should not be installing traffic signals that operate on timing only. There is a new one on Steeles that apparently has no trigger on the intersecting road. I have been stopped there twice needlessly!
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