Council votes to move forward with improving traffic lights in Thunder Bay.
The decision Monday means the budgets between 2022 and 2025 will have funds to implement traffic light synchronization across the city, which would reduce travel times and make the flow of traffic more efficient.
The four-year plan will cost an estimated $4-million, and do more than just synchronize the system according to the Director of Engineering and Operations Kayla Dixon.
“This new system will provide new functionality, but it will also provide that full remote access to each of our controllers so that we are aware of issues happening in the network and can have them resolved more quickly,” says Dixon. “Some of that new functionality does allow us to time intersections, so for example if you’re driving down Arthur Street, if you’re travelling at the speed limit and that is a priority corridor, that we look at timing that you would get green lights moving forward. Of course, this helps with traffic flow and reduces greenhouse gases.”
Dixon says that much of their knowledge about problems with traffic lights and intersections comes from the public, meaning it is difficult for the city to determine these issues otherwise.
She goes on to mention the $4-million price tag is not set in stone.
“This is something we are still looking at,” explains Dixon. “As far as cost for implementation, certainly there is the possibility that we see operating costs go up as well, so we will certainly bring that information back to council for approval.”
Dixon concluded by saying the system is currently accessed by dial-up internet when explaining the need to modernize.
Northwood Ward Councillor Shelby Ch’ng questioned the price of the project and whether this is a significant enough issue to put the effort into.
“I do find myself struggling a little bit with this one,” remarked Ch’ng. “Spending millions of dollars to shave 30 seconds of time off Arthut Street. I understand we have traffic lights and people complain about them a lot, and people don’t follow the rules and it leads to a number of issues, but we have these rules we need to follow. I have a hard time spending $4-million dollars on something I just see as a minor convenience.”
The four year project is set to begin next year.
