Signals to make corner friendlier

Three years after a local resident pushed city council to fix a confusing North Toronto intersection, the project was given the green light in early November.

Actually, it was given three.

The traffic light where Lytton Boulevard and Blythwood Road empty onto Yonge Street was upgraded to a three-phase system last month to make the offset intersection more user-friendly.

The intersection, where the east-west roadways don’t line up when they meet Yonge, used to both have the same traffic signals, which confused drivers turning onto Yonge as they would find themselves facing a red light.

A common problem at offset intersections, drivers would then clog up the road and frustrate those behind them. Calling the intersection a hazard for pedestrians and drivers alike nearby resident John Stratton decided to petition the city for a change, and he got it.     

Traffic will now see a separate green light for traffic on each street: Yonge, Lytton, and Blythwood.

“When I first thought about (the new system), I thought that it was awkward,” Stratton said. “But it’s the same way the intersection is set up down at Berwick and it does work.”

But the new set-up is not without its own hiccups.

Since having a three-phase system means longer wait times for a green light on Yonge, it’s possible traffic will become congested on the busy throughfare.

Decleir said once construction on the road is completed, the new system will be properly surveyed to see the impact on Yonge traffic.

Stratton, who’s lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years, had decided he’d finally had enough of the troublesome intersection three years ago when he was driving his daughter to her first day of school.

“I thought – this is nuts,” he said. “Do I have to face this for a whole new year?”

The recently retired Stratton began knocking on doors, gathering 400 signatures for a petition to have changes made to the intersection.

There are still other concerns that need to be addressed, says Decleir.

A single crosswalk between Lytton and Blythwood is ideal for drivers on both road, but it now confuses drivers travelling on Yonge.

The crosswalk is not aligned with the traffic’s stop line, so cars stopped at the red light on Yonge pull up to the crosswalk, blocking cars turning from Lytton and Blythwood.

“Drivers are used to stopping in front of the crosswalk,” Decleir said. “They’re not sure where to stop, but it’s part of the growing pains.”

He said a sign will be installed indicating to drivers where to stop when the light is red.

Decleir said there are about 30 off-set intersections in Toronto and about 10 have traffic lights that have been changed to the three-phase system.