Description
Due to bridge work on lakeshore just west of Long Branch transit station, traffic backs up during evening rushes (around 5pm). There is an unusually long space between the legal stop bar and the cross walk to allow buses to enter and leave. During rush hour drivers (a good dozen) end up stopped past the stop bar but before the crosswalk. None should have entered the intersection (green or red) if they can't clear the intersection but many do anyways. Stuck in the middle when the light turns red, many proceed even with pedestrians legally crossing at the light. Someone will be struck due to impatient/confused drivers. In a 10 minute period I witnessed about 20 traffic violations, raging drivers and cars failing to yield to pedestrians. The intersection either needs revised lighting/signage or traffic direction.
2 Comments
Long Branch Guy (Guest)
I certainly concur with the original submitter, this location has been a problem for a long time, current bridge work notwithstanding.
The sets of lights are very close together and not properly timed which either lets vehicles clear the area allowing transit buses to enter/exit or jams up the area blocking the buses.
The street cars entering the loop (originally the western terminus of the Toronto Radial Railway I believe) have to force their way from the centre track lane across the curb lane (with vehicles trying to pass it) while also crossing / blocking the no-need-to-stop west-bound "ramp" lane from Browns Line southbound. As TTC streetcars have very poor "turn signals", it's always a game of chicken with unaware drivers.
The city needs to seriously look at, a) removing the west-bound signals at this "middle intersection" to allow vehicles to continue proceeding and clear the area, b) creating new signals to the east at Browns Line to give the street cars a clear priority (like at Lakeshore & Bathurst), d) better scheduling as the long length street cars often bunch up in the loop causing them to block Lakeshore and Browns Line by being stuck out across the west-bound lanes, d) rip out the entire loop and relocate it to the south side of Lakeshore in the north edge of Marie Curtis Park or further over into Mississauga. (as Miss. Transit is also a heavy user of the terminus, but sadly the bridge work in place now means re-doing it to install tracks)
Finally, a full set of always functional Red Light cameras is needed and would bring in substantial revenue. Trust me, I see violators almost every time I come through that intersection, mostly due to the poor and confusing staggered stop points for the 2 lanes. (and I live nearby, so it's quite often)
Closed JVL (Registered User)