Hamid Adem
Assistant News Editor
After a request was made on behalf of Village residents, North York Transportation Services installed traffic lights at the intersection of Cook Road and Sentinel Road.
The new traffic lights are
intended to provide an improved, safer environment
for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic as Sentinel Road provides a primary south access route
to York.
According to a report drafted by the City of Toronto, the area residents initially requested a pedestrian crossing signal at the intersection. Transportation officials conducted a number of traffic studies examining turning movement counts, pedestrian volumes, and collision history.
The initial test warranted the installation of a pedestrian crossing would prove useful, but after an environmental audit was conducted, which looks at the geometric conditions of the roadway, sight lines, traffic flows, and vehicle speeds, transportation officials concluded that a crosswalk was unsuitable, the report says.
Transportation officials then decided the best decision would be to install traffic lights, as it would provide pedestrians with a protected crossing area, and create an increased level of control for vehicle traffic at the intersection.
The traffic lights have been in use since September 19.
