In an effort to improve pedestrian safety, the city is expanding the number of intersections where pedestrians will have a head start to cross the street.
Speaking at a news conference in Etobicoke on Friday, Mayor John Tory said the city plans to accelerate the roll out the Leading Pedestrian Interval Program, which gives pedestrians a five-second advanced green signal.
“This is something that has been a proven success in reducing the number of collisions between pedestrians and turning vehicles in other cities where it has been implemented,” the mayor told reporters Friday.
“The number that is used is an up to 60 per cent reduction in the number of such collisions.”
The initiative is part of the city’s Vision Zero Road Safety Plan.
So far, the city has implemented the program at 12 intersections, including the intersection of Dundas Street West and Mabelle Avenue, where Friday’s news conference was held.
The goal, Tory said, is to have the technology implemented at 80 intersections across Toronto by the end of the year.
Tory said the new intersections were selected based on the number of previous collisions between pedestrians and turning vehicles.
“One of the things that the experts… will tell us is that the visibility of children and seniors entering the intersection is going to be a big help so that drivers will actually see them,” Tory said.
“This is going to make a positive difference in terms of the safety of citizens.”
