The motion which was brought forward by Mayor Olivia Chow and passed almost unanimously directs the city manager to implement more aggressive active transit signal priority at surface portions of both the Line 6 Finch West LRT and the perpetually under-construction Line 5 Eglinton LRT. The move, which would give LRT vehicles priority in intersections over left-turning cars, is needed to get the line moving at a faster pace, Chow said.
Transit Signal Priority (TSP) helps buses get through traffic signals more efficiently by holding green lights or shortening red ones when a bus is approaching. Until now, most systems worked best for far-side stops, where buses stop after passing through an intersection. However, many transit agencies prefer near-side stops because they give drivers better visibility and reduce the need for passengers to cross in front of traffic. However, these safer configurations make it harder for signal systems to give the bus priority effectively.1