To help improve pedestrian safety at signalized intersections around the city, traffic signals are no longer programmed to operate in amber/red flash mode at night, in the early morning hours, and on weekends. The change went into effect October 1, 2020.
“When these traffic signals were in flash mode the pedestrian signal, including the visual walk sign and audible sounds, were inactive,” said Greg Blatz, Supervisor of Traffic Signal Timing.
“This made for potential difficulties and safety issues for pedestrians wanting to cross the roadway.”
The flashing lights were initially used when traffic volumes were low to reduce delays for motorists.
The change impacts 185 intersections around Winnipeg. The majority of these signalized intersections will be reprogrammed with traffic signals cycling through green, amber, and red phases.
“At a small number of locations where traffic volumes are particularly low, we will be programming a red/red flash mode, depending on the characteristics of the intersection,” said Blatz.
“A red/red flash mode will show a flashing red light to all directions of traffic, and should be treated similar to a 4-way stop.”
In the coming months, new overnight traffic signal timing plans will be fine-tuned based on traffic data collected from the traffic controllers at these locations.
The full time operation of the traffic signals is a balance between safety and efficiency for all road users.
The changes will be made using cellular connectivity and the technology in the centralized Transportation Management Centre.