http://www.leaderpost.com/Downtown+Regina+traffic+signals+makeover/2931274/story.html
Downtown Regina traffic signals to get makeover
By JOE COUTURE, Leader-PostApril 21, 2010 2:30 PM
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A makeover is on its way for downtown Regina traffic signals.Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post filesREGINA — A makeover is on its way for downtown Regina traffic signals, the city's public works committee heard on Tuesday.
Norm Wong, senior traffic and signals engineer for the city of Regina, said residents can expect to see a lot of signal work in the downtown core this summer. The work will happen on 11th and 12th Avenues between Broad and Albert Street and on Albert Street from 11th Avenue to 15th Avenue, subject to city council's approval of the 2010 budget.
The work is being done on 11th and 12th Avenues because those streets are being converted from one-way to two-way as part of the city's downtown plan city square project, Wong explained.
"Currently, with the one-way, the signals are set up for one direction," he said. "With the conversion to two-way, we have to have signals going the opposite direction to accommodate the traffic going the other direction. The majority of (the work) is adding additional signals so we can accommodate (that)."
One factor is ensuring the bases, which were installed years ago, are sound. Some of the bases might need replacement.
That work is expected to be completed by mid-June, he said. Coun. Sharron Bryce, committee chairwoman, said the work on other parts of the downtown plan city square project, which includes changes around Victoria Park, is to continue through the summer.
The changes on Albert Street involve a new system — taking the light poles out of centre medians and replacing them with a cantilever system in which signals hang over intersections.
"It will look much cleaner at the intersections, where you will see four poles — one in each intersection quadrant — and nothing in the centre medians," Wong continued, noting that work will be the focus once the work on 11th and 12th Avenues is done.
In total, about 25 signals are on the to-do list, Wong said.
After the meeting, Bryce reflected on the city's approach around traffic signals, which the committee discussed in detail on Tuesday.
"Ultimately, we want to be able have people smoothly go to work and come from work, so however we design things, it's based around that," she remarked. "We also use transit, walking routes, biking routes — all that — in conjunction, to make sure that it's smooth however people want to get to and from work. And, the majority of people work downtown."
She noted lights are synchronized to improve traffic flow — for example, in and out of the downtown at certain times of the day. That attempt at synchronizing lights and flow is why some lights can feel long, she said.
Sometimes lights can get out of sync, Bryce said, noting that can be due to factors like pedestrian crossings (where a light changes because of people crossing) and traffic signals that sense whether a car is a specific lane (and where there are adjustments to the timing accordingly).
The city does regular maintenance to ensure lights stay in sync, Bryce added.
The committee asked city staff provide more information in an upcoming annual report about the options available for improvement, including new technologies.
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