Direction is required on whether the pedestrian recall signal timing established at the outset of the COVID-19 response should be altered or discontinued. Council was presented with the following options:
1. Business as usual
This strategy attempts to provide the least delay to all users of the intersection regardless of mode. This is the standard practice that has been employed by the City historically. Pedestrian recall is used only where required based on pedestrian volumes or infrastructure needs. Note that individual signals are often placed on pedestrian recall temporarily during the winter if the pushbuttons are inaccessible due to snow accumulation.
2. Select locations
One approach would be to identify geographic areas of the City, or select locations, where pedestrian recall is used. (Or, conversely, identify areas to return to business as usual.) For example, one suggestion that was received was that areas “inside” Elizabeth Avenue toward downtown would be placed on pedestrian recall and areas outside this limit would be returned to business as usual operation.
A determination at each intersection based on pedestrian volumes or other quality is the most subjective strategy and therefore most difficult to implement without clear direction from Council. The business as usual case has a technical evaluation for when pedestrian recall is justified. If a different threshold or set of characteristics is to be used to determine what intersections remain on pedestrian recall, then it is necessary to define those criteria. This has the potential to be inconsistent and/or inequitable in how it is rolled out. Given that the City does not have the data needed to make a pedestrian-volume based determination at every intersection it would be a potentially large undertaking to collect this information.
If this strategy were implemented, either based on geography or defined characteristics, it would eliminate the additional delay users experience at the locations selected to return to business as usual at the cost of requiring the pushbutton be pressed.
3. Time of day
Another option would be to apply pedestrian recall during the periods of the day most likely to see pedestrian traffic. For example, from 6AM to 8PM have pedestrian recall on, and overnight turn it off.
To accomplish this, signs would need to be changed to communicate need for button to be pressed during the overnight period. Technical work required to implement is about 2 hours per intersection if no programming issues are identified. For 108 signals, this type of changeover could easily take 1 to 2 months to implement. (Plus, a similar amount of work to roll back change at end of program.)
This would eliminate the additional delay users experience overnight when volumes are lowest and conflicting vehicles/pedestrians are less frequent at the cost of requiring the button be pressed.
4. Full time pedestrian recall
The City is currently operating with pedestrian recall operated full time at all intersections. This has the largest impact to vehicle traffic and user delay but requires no pedestrian buttons to be pushed. (This approach does not apply to pedestrian only signals and exceptions were made for accessibility as noted above)
The City currently has 108 full traffic signals operating and another 31 pedestrian signals (overhead flashers, RRFBs or pedestrian signal). The pedestrian recall approach only works at full traffic signals. Pedestrian recall at all 108 intersections was approved by Council in May of 2020. Following implementation a few signals were reverted to normal operations to accommodate a person in the area with a visual impairment. Small signs advising people that they should no longer use the pushbutton were posted at each push button location as part of this implementation.
Councillor Burton requested that Council express priority for pedestrians and keep pedestrian recall in operation full time at intersections for the winter months. Multiple members of Council agreed with this position. Following the loss of Councillor Hickman's motion it was agreed to maintain the current status quo until the Spring when this matter can be reviewed again.