Pedestrians to get a head start at 80 Toronto crosswalks by end of year

Toronto is making changes at dozens of busy intersections across the city this year as part of its bid to increase pedestrian safety, Mayor John Tory announced on Friday. 

Lights at 80 intersections in Toronto proper, East York, Scarborough, Etobicoke and North York will be altered to give pedestrians an advanced walk signal.

That means pedestrians can enter the crosswalk earlier — the idea being that it will make people on foot more visible to drivers, in particular those attempting to make a left turn at a stop light. 

Advanced pedestrian signals are already in use at 12 intersections in the city. Forty more were set to be introduced this year. However, after a recent $22 million infusion into Toronto's Vision Zero road safety plan, the decision was made to double the number of new advanced signals to 80 by November.

"I am committed to doing everything possible as quickly as possible to make our streets safer," Tory said. He announced the roll out of the new signals at a morning news conference in Etobicoke.

According to the city, research suggests that advanced signals, often called "leading pedestrian intervals," can reduce collisions involving pedestrians by up to 60 per cent. 

Staff chose intersections for the roll out based on the "number of past collisions involving pedestrians and left or right-turning vehicles," the city said in a news release. 

There have been 19 fatal collisions between drivers and pedestrians this year in Toronto, according to police. 

The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan is a five year strategy aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto's streets. The plan prioritizes the safety of the most vulnerable road users, through a range of initiatives, and is set to be fully implemented by 2021.