Committe pushes to speed up installation of 'chirping' traffic signals across Toronto

Print

E-mail

Text

Those chirpy traffic signals that tell the visually impaired when it's safe to cross the street in downtown Toronto could be coming to an intersection near you sooner rather than later, if Toronto's public works and infrastructure committee approves a staff plan to accelerate their installation.

The audible signals, known as Accessible Pedestrian Signals, have been on Toronto streets since 1994, when the former City of Toronto installed them at the intersection of Lawrence Avenue and Chatsworth Drive. As of Dec. 31 of last year, 188 signalized intersections of the 2,082 across the city have had the signals installed.

The signals make a distinctive chirping sound when it's safe for pedestrians to cross so that the visually impaired can cross unassisted. Toronto has been installing the signals on an as-requested basis, but it's been slow. And in 2003, a Toronto resident complained about it to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The city only addressed the issue four and a half years after the request was made.

As part of the settlement in that case, Toronto would put more money - a total of $1.35 million - into dealing with the backlog of 51 intersections and dealing with 30 new requests by 2010.

Committee chair Glenn De Baeremaeker is in support of the plan.

"We've been doing this very slowly across the city - but you'll be hearing them in more places and a lot faster," said De Baeremaeker. "This is in response to a complaint filed with the Human Rights Commission, and in the end, the city agreed with the gentleman. Every person who made the request will get their signals sooner rather than later."

The matter will be coming to the Friday Feb. 8, 2008 public works and infrastructure committee meeting.