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Charlottetown looking to expand nighttime traffic light pilot project

Back in April Coun. Mike Duffy said the city began a pilot project to cut down on wasted time at red lights during the early morning hours and cut down idling exhaust fumes billowing into the night.

From 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. 8 intersections using flashing traffic lights to reduce wait

Tony Davis · CBC News ·
The eight intersections located in the northern part of the city that were part of the pilot project will stick with the flashing light system permanently, says Coun. Mike Duffy. (CBC News)

A pilot project to reduce time spent waiting at red lights in Charlottetown between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. may be expanded.

Back in April, the city began a pilot project switching eight intersections to flashing red or amber lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., Coun. Mike Duffy said, to lower wait-times at red lights, and reduce emissions from idling cars. 

Duffy said yellow lights are meant to be treated as yield signs and red lights are to be used like stop signs.

"It works great," said Duffy, who also chairs the public works committee.

"We ran it for two months. The police department was quite pleased with it. We at public works were quite pleased with it."

Now, the city is looking for more intersections to change.

"As soon as we identify those corners, those intersections, we will be advising the general public that 11 p.m. till 6 a.m. those will go into flashing mode at that period of time," Duffy said.

Searching for intersections

Duffy said the city is trying to identify routes people travelling in the early morning hours actually use, so the city can pilot the flashing system at those locations.

"Maybe on the way to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital or to a place of work where they have 24-hour shifts," Duffy said. 

Duffy said the old system frustrated people because they may be, "sitting there for 35 or 40 seconds for a red light and actually no one in sight — it's kind of very tempting to slip on through."

A few intersections Duffy said could be looked at for the pilot are the corner of Euston Street and University Avenue as well as Grafton Street where it connects to Queen Street and Great George Street. (Jane Robertson/CBC)

Duffy said he hopes to have the seven or eight new intersections selected by the next council meeting in September.

"The actual selection would be left up to the police department staff and public works staff working in conjunction with each other," he said.

A few intersections Duffy said could be looked at for the pilot are the corner of Euston Street and University Avenue as well as Grafton Street where it connects to Queen Street and Great George Street.

The eight intersections in the initial pilot that will permanently use the flashing light system are:

  • North River Road at Nassau Street, Beach Grove Road, Belvedere Avenue and Buchanan Drive.
  • University Avenue at Enman Crescent, Nassau Street and the Charlottetown Mall.
  • Capital Drive and Sandstone Road.

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With files from Angela Walker

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