Improve Winnipeg's Traffic Lights

 

For the last couple of years, there has been a persistent and growing argument in the City of Winnipeg regarding the length of traffic lights. Please read our solution, and should you agree, please sign the petition at the bottom of the page.

Inadequacy vs. Greed

Certain groups have been lobbying for longer ambers, as they claim that we have the shortest ambers at major intersections in Canada or some provinces. Other groups do not want to make them longer, as it will invalidate their red light camera schem…sorry, program. On one hand is the concern for safety and on the other hand is the concern over the legality of red light cameras.

Here is what we propose

The amber light blinks for a certain amount of time while the green light is solid. After several seconds, the green light disappears and the amber turns solid. After the amber is solid for a few seconds, it disappears and the red light turns solid.

And the all traffic lights in Winnipeg live happily ever after (in other words, they are uniformed and consistent).

Say What?!

You may be asking yourself why and/or how our system is way better than the current and proposed traffic light system.

The Logic Behind the Madness:

There are two types of drivers.

1. Those who go through amber lights because they do so by accident, hesitation or just by having no other choice.   2. Those who go through amber lights on purpose.

In order to eliminate the first type of drivers, ask yourself what is the cause. There are many causes. The driver could be older, have bad reflexes or unable to make split-second decisions. It could be the driver is in the dilemma zone. It could be that the driver has a sleeping baby in the backseat or a hot cup of coffee in their hand. In order to eliminate the second type of driver, well, that’s a whole other discussion.

What is the common denominator?

It is that all drivers have to make a decision in a very short time, without any warning.

There is a position on the road (the dilemma zone) where you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. This is where if you continue to drive through, you’re running a red light and potentially putting yourself, your passengers and other motorists and pedestrians in danger. If you decide to stop, you are stopping hard, and potentially getting rear ended, or spilling your coffee, or making your sleeping kid’s head whiplash, or this, or that (possibilities are endless). Unofficially, in the City of Winnipeg, the pedestrian walk/don’t walk light dictates when the green is going to change to amber. Here are the problems with that. Not all intersections have pedestrian lights Some ambers appear after a 10 second solid don’t walk hand; some ambers appear after less (or more) than 10 seconds of a solid don’t walk hand; some ambers appear when the sign says walk; some ambers appear when the don’t walk sign is flashing; sometimes the don’t walk sign flashes for 10 seconds; sometimes the don’t walk sign flashes for less than 10 seconds and sometimes for more. There is no uniformity or consistency. Our system will make every traffic light the same, therefore making the excuse of not being familiar with the neighborhood invalid. Pedestrian lights are not located in the middle of the road, and may take the attention away from drivers who are looking for the pedestrian light. The system we propose keeps the driver focused straight ahead of them. Our system will give drivers advance warning of any change in the light ahead of them. No more split second decisions for drivers who may already be nervous driving. No more putting your arm in the backseat with the intent of trying to keep your child’s head from whiplash. Since the driver would have a fore warning, they would be able to brake softer, thus saving on maintenance and fuel costs. No more excuses. No more, “Sorry judge, I didn't know the light was going to change and didn't have time to react therefore running the light and killing that person,” or “I don’t deserve this ticket because it wasn't my fault that I didn't have time to stop and may or may not be familiar with the traffic lights in the area.” With this system in place, drivers would have very, very few valid excuses as to why they went through a red light. Drivers and pedestrians will be a little safer. This system will save lives, reduce accidents and lessen the risk of minor injuries by taking away the “guess” factor.

Why don’t we just make the solid amber lights longer?

Well, we’re very glad you asked that question. Here is the answer. Longer amber lights will give drivers more time to run a traffic light. Instead of slowing down because they know that the amber is going to change, drivers will speed up as they know now that they have a few more seconds to make it, thus increasing the risk for injury and accident (as some studies have suggested).

Other Solutions

Some people have said, probably without thinking, why don’t we just add a countdown to the pedestrian light or make it so that the pedestrian light is solid for 10 seconds and then have the amber change. Well, when was the last time you were 10 seconds away from an intersection, driving at speed limit, and able to clearly see and count at the same time, the seconds of the solid don’t walk? It might be possible if you’re driving 30 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.

Some people have criticized that our system may be too much for a solution; that it’s too overboard; that it’s a solution for down the road. We say to them that if our system was put in place a long, long time ago, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now because these problems would simply not exist in the proportion they do today.

In Conclusion

The problem is not only the length of the amber; the problem is that there is no warning. Our solution takes care of both at once.

With the system we propose, the (solid) amber light can actually be shortened. Put more of the time in the flashing amber. This system is very similar to the flashing light system used on the Perimeter.

Obviously amber lights would differ between major and minor intersections, such as Bishop Grandin @ McGillivray versus Main Street @ Inkster.

If the average amber light now is 4 seconds, we propose that the new system could be 4 seconds of flashing amber and 2 seconds of solid. For those of you who failed math, that would be a total of 6 seconds.

By doing this, we are pleasing the group that wants to add a second to the amber lights and the City of Winnipeg by not invalidating the red light camera program. “Red light camera program?” you ask. Sorry to confuse you. You probably know it as “cash grab”. “Cash grab?” you ask. Sorry again to confuse you, as there are several of these in existence. You probably know it as the “red light camera cash grab”.

Thank you for reading our idea on how to finally, once and for all solve the traffic light problem in Winnipeg. If you agree, sign our petition.