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Streetcar and light rail signals

W. K. Lis

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Red means stop, green means go (except EXIT signs, but don't get me started), that much I do know.

I always wondered about the streetcar signals on the right-of-ways and what it meant. Since I was never given instruction (must have missed the public information message), because of my age, I decided to look it up. I maybe wrong, if so please post a correction.

I think Toronto was trying to copy European tram signals for its streetcar and light rail signals. However, they are just using one transit signal, period. The online driver's handbook only has one transit signal listed.

From the Ontario Driver's Handbook:

Transit priority signals
Traffic and pedestrians must yield to public transit vehicles at a transit priority signal. The round signal is on top of a regular traffic signal and shows a white vertical bar on a dark background. This allows transit vehicles to go through, turn right or left, while all conflicting traffic faces a red light.
3-2-9.jpg

Apparently, the Europeans went further than just the white vertical bar.

From Wikipedia:

744px-Public_transportation_traffic_lights_in_NL_and_BE.svg.png


The Netherlands use a distinctive "negenoog" (nine-eyed) design shown on the top row of the diagram; bottom row signals are used in Belgium and France. The signals mean (from left to right):
"go straight ahead", "go left", "go right", "go in any direction" (like the "green" of a normal traffic light), "stop, unless the emergency brake is needed" (equal to "yellow"), and "stop" (equal to "red").

Now, if only we could get real transit priority signals. Ones where the streetcars and light rail vehicles actually move first before the left turners.
 
Nearside vs farside stops

By the way:

If an LRT or BRT line runs in a street-median ROW, are nearside stops mandatory for transit priority to function?

I can think of a way to introduce transit priority to intersections with farside stops. The detector that spots an LRV (or bus) is located at the previous traffic signal. Once the automatic control system knows that a transit vehicle is approaching, it calculates the ETA.

If it is expected to arrive a little later (say up to 30 s or 1 min) than the end of green phase, the control system extends that green phase. The vehicle crosses the intersection and reaches its stop just before the green ends.

If it is expected to arrive too late to hold the green for it, then the control system should shorten the green phase. Then, the next green will start sooner. So, the transit vehicle might have to wait some time, but not as much as if there was no priority management.

Sounds good in theory, but I do not know whether such type of system has been implemented somewhere.
 
The streetcars already to that. They transmit a signal that extends greens and creates greens for farside stops. Nearside stops are preferred in mixed traffic for buses because it creates a passing lane on the shoulder that puts it in front of other vehicles. In a ROW farside stops are more commonly used because the vehicle can signal the light from further out to ensure green on arrival.
 
If you look at Spadina/QQ, Bathurst/QQ and Bathurst/Fleet, you will see white bar telling the streetcar driver they can turn.
 
The streetcars already to that. They transmit a signal that extends greens and creates greens for farside stops. Nearside stops are preferred in mixed traffic for buses because it creates a passing lane on the shoulder that puts it in front of other vehicles. In a ROW farside stops are more commonly used because the vehicle can signal the light from further out to ensure green on arrival.

The streetcars on the Queensway have to wait during the red light, then wait again for the left turners, then get their "go straight ahead" at the same time as the green signal for the motor vehicles beside them. Then they can move into the farside stop, where they stop for passengers. Not very transit priority to me.

They should move on their own signals, while everyone else is red. The only exception would be if the streetcar is already approaching with a green signal for the motor vehicles beside them, then they can delay a signal change if needed.

Same non-transit priority on St. Clair Avenue West, between Bathurst and Yonge.
 
would it be possible to use transit priority signals on the TC lines to also maintain proper service gaps? So, after a tram went through a light, the signal wouldnt allow another through for the next 3 minutes (or whatever time).

The idea would be to prevent bunching and maintain headways, but it might get frustrating if your tram had to wait for several minutes at an intersection for no apparent reason.
 
The streetcars on the Queensway have to wait during the red light, then wait again for the left turners, then get their "go straight ahead" at the same time as the green signal for the motor vehicles beside them. Then they can move into the farside stop, where they stop for passengers. Not very transit priority to me.

They should move on their own signals, while everyone else is red. The only exception would be if the streetcar is already approaching with a green signal for the motor vehicles beside them, then they can delay a signal change if needed.

If the streetcar is clear to proceed, it's also clear for motor vehicles beside them to proceed. Why make the cars wait?

Of course, the left turn signal thing makes less sense, but that's another story.
 
Now that you looked at the European tram signals, take a look at these video links to see if you have a little understanding of what signals you are getting from them:

Link One. You should note when the cars can make their left turn.

Link Two.

One last one, Link Three.

Link one shows trams having to wait for through traffic to go before being allowed to turn left (which is the way that the tram tracks go). Traffic turns left at the same time as the trams turning left. So really no different than what we have on Spadina or St. Clair.

Link two is in someone's bedroom and implies no more than some sort of traffic signal fan-boyism.

Link three is an independent right-of-way, not running in the median of a street (which makes it much, much easier to provide real signal priority for transit). It looks like what the Eglinton LRT could look like if it ran in the Richview corridor. Sadly, those in power say that this couldn't work in Toronto.
 
...
They should move on their own signals, while everyone else is red. The only exception would be if the streetcar is already approaching with a green signal for the motor vehicles beside them, then they can delay a signal change if needed.

I would think of the latter option - delaying the signal chance if a streetcar or LRV is approaching. Then, it crosses the intersection just before the light turns red, and stops just once - for passengers.

Everything else does not have to be red in that case. The through movement on Queensway and right turns from it do not interfere with the streetcar movement, so they may occur simultaneously with it.
 
The streetcars on the Queensway have to wait during the red light, then wait again for the left turners, then get their "go straight ahead" at the same time as the green signal for the motor vehicles beside them. Then they can move into the farside stop, where they stop for passengers. Not very transit priority to me.

They have almost perfected it on Queens Quay. They moved the streetcar detection wires further from the stop light which has improved things although they didn't move them far enough because often they need to slow down for a brief wait of a few seconds. There is no greens for other traffic when the streetcar has a green on Queens Quay. It could be tuned a bit better, especially when vehicles going the other way pass.
 
They have almost perfected it on Queens Quay. They moved the streetcar detection wires further from the stop light which has improved things although they didn't move them far enough because often they need to slow down for a brief wait of a few seconds. There is no greens for other traffic when the streetcar has a green on Queens Quay. It could be tuned a bit better, especially when vehicles going the other way pass.

so QQ does have signal pirority?
 
At some intersections, the pedestrian crossing won't turn green without the pedestrian triggering it ... but they don't get any priority ...

Streetcar priority isn't simply streetcar triggered lights ...
 

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