This project will upgrade the existing traffic light signal cabinet at Seventh St and Beacon Ave in Sidney to allow for additional signal operations to improve pedestrian safety. Town staff have received complaints about the pedestrian movements at this intersection as well as reports of near misses between pedestrians and vehicles. However, the old existing signal cabinet has limited signal operation control options, and all of these control options are already in use for basic intersection operations. To allow for signal adjustments to minimize the conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, such as Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI), the signal cabinet must be upgraded.

The Town’s existing traffic signal cabinet at Seventh and Beacon is old, and the signal operation controls are fully subscribed for the basic traffic movements required at this intersection. The current signal timing, which includes advanced left turns from both westbound Beacon onto Seventh and northbound Seventh onto Beacon, is based on a traffic movement study that was completed by the Town in 2013. This study was largely vehicle focused, with little consideration for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly at this intersection. At the time of this study, Beacon and Seventh was identified as the worst intersection for collisions in Sidney. This intersection is also the busiest intersection in the community being the gateway to Highway 17. This may also be exacerbated by the proximity of this signal to the Highway 17 signal at Beacon Avenue, as well as the ‘transition’ from highway speeds to the lower speeds required in Sidney’s urban environment.

According to NACTO, 'LPIs have been shown to reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions as much as 60% at treated intersections'. According to ICBC data from 2017 – 2021, the intersection at Beacon Ave and Seventh St has the second highest collision rate in Sidney, with the highest being Beacon and Hwy 17, which is owned and operated by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Anecdotally, staff have heard of many other near misses where pedestrians are nearly hit by vehicles turning quickly to try to beat the traffic light. The local RCMP detachment also confirmed that there is a high level of activity at this intersection in terms of accidents and traffic-related complaints.

Photo source: Pexels. Photo is shown for illustration purposes only and may not be an accurate representation of the project.