Pedestrian countdown timers could cost Windsor more than $22 million

Pedestrian countdown crosswalk

Windsor city councillors are taking a cautious approach to expanding pedestrian countdown timers at signalized intersections.

A report presented to the Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee found that Windsor currently has countdown timers installed at only 11 intersections, leaving approximately 284 intersections that could be retrofitted which would cost about $22.2 million.

Pedestrian countdown timers display the number of seconds remaining to cross an intersection. However, there are pros and cons. Some municipalities with the timers reported fewer pedestrian injuries, other studies found increases in both pedestrian-vehicle and vehicle-to-vehicle collisions.

Researchers also found that drivers adjust their behaviour by accelerating to clear intersections before the countdown reaches zero.

Since 2015, the city has been installing Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS). These systems include audible countdown features and by the end of this year, Windsor expects 61 intersections to be equipped with the APS systems.

With current budget funding, the city is able to complete an average of seven APS upgrades each year. To upgrade the remaining 234 intersection with the APS system would cost the city approximately $19.8 million.

Committee member and ward 8 councillor Gary Kaschak says while he likes the timers, the report highlighted concerns about their overall effectiveness.

“I think that’s good for the pedestrian. But as explained, the drivers sort of catch on to that as well, too, and it’s going to throws it off. So the AODA is audible is probably the better way to go, but very expensive as well. So I’m going to look at seeing if we can move this into certain key intersections. Obviously, all of Tecumseh Road, maybe all of Wyandotte, maybe places like Dougall, Howard, Lauzon Parkway.”

He says council will need to weigh the safety benefits against the cost.

“If you’re going to spend that much money you want to make sure you’re getting value out of that. So all for making the pedestrian crossing safer and moving traffic at the appropriate time. But there are certain implications here that might not be quite as good as I thought. I am one of the big pushers on council for Vision Zero as well, and that is an aspect of Vision Zero moving forward.”

Kaschak says he’d like to see more than seven upgrades a year, particularly at busy intersections.

“I’d like to see two in each ward at least. So I think that’s 20 a year. I think seven is a nice start. But I think if we could get about two in each ward, maybe even in the downtown ward, and maybe a couple more than that as well too, just to move on it a little bit faster.”

The committee received the report for information, with any future expansion of countdown timers expected to be part of a broader council discussion on pedestrian safety and Vision Zero initiatives.