THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s city council has voted to remove traffic lights at the intersections of Frederica Street at Brown Street and Donald Street at Vickers Street.
Both locations have long failed to meet provincial standards setting out when traffic signals are recommended, city staff reported Monday.
The lights are expected to be replaced with four-way stops.
The city will follow procedures for public notice and consider feedback from nearby residents before proceeding.
The city conducted traffic signal reviews for the intersection at Frederica and Brown four times between 2006 and 2018, assessing factors including traffic and pedestrian volumes, delay to cross traffic, and collisions.
The intersection fell short of recommended thresholds for traffic lights contained in the Ontario Traffic Manual each time.
The intersection at Donald and Vickers similarly fell short in all three reviews conducted between 2004 and 2020, a report from the city’s engineering division said.
Removal of unneeded lights will bring various benefits, the report stated.
“Unwarranted traffic signals result in unnecessary expense, pollution and inconvenience to motorists.”
Cost to remove the lights is estimated at roughly $10,000 to $12,000 each.
The average set of lights costs the city just over $5,000 to maintain each year, traffic technologist David Binch told city councillors on Monday.
Several councillors hoped to see more traffic lights identified for removal, saying traffic flow in the city was suffering from too many sets of lights that were not timed.
“I find them very frustrating, as many others do – some areas seem to not [require] traffic signals, they’re operating all night long,” said Coun. Mark Bentz. “It’s extremely frustrating for some drivers, and I think it is leading to some dangerous driving out there.”
Director of engineering Kayla Dixon said a review of the city’s traffic signal system, which includes 112 sets of lights, had been identified as a priority action in the city’s Transportation Master Plan and would unfold in the coming years.
Westfort ward councillor Kristen Oliver pointed out there were new businesses opening in the area of the Frederica and Brown intersection, wondering if the associated rise in traffic would impact the decision.
However, Dixon said traffic would need to double before signals would be warranted.
Council voted unanimously to approve the removal of the two sets of lights.
