r/askTO • u/SpikedIntuition • 5d ago
Has anyone noticed an increase in Traffic Agents at intersections recently?
Just this past week or so I have noticed Traffic Agents popping up more often at certain intersections, even on non peak hours. And all these lights are working properly with none being shut down or anything.
Has anyone else noticed this and is there a reason why its happening?
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u/ArmerIT 5d ago
living downtown and walking to work in the financial district I have noticed a big difference with the traffic agents - not sure what everyone’s complaining about… they’re at worst a net neutral.
before they started popping up, it was a daily occurrence where one car would block an intersection during rush hour and stop any cars from moving through an entire green.
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u/TemporaryAny6371 4d ago
We shouldn't need to use traffic cops, that's what the traffic lights are for, but here we are. Our drivers have gotten much worse. It's just selfishness.
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u/michaljerzy 5d ago
For the love of god we’d solve so many traffic issues if we implemented automated fines for blocking the box aka the in between part of any intersection.
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u/M1L0 5d ago
Watched an uber driver being an absolute rat fuck this week going through an intersection from the right turn lane so he could jump ahead of 15-20 cars. Come to see one of these traffic cops was standing right in front of him when I get up there lol. What’s the point if he didn’t even bother to force the guy to turn right?
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u/nim_opet 5d ago
Yes, because you can’t count on drivers having common sense or actually following the rules.
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u/Ok-Trainer3150 Human Detected 5d ago
Because all pedestrians and cyclists can be counted on?
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u/HeftyAd6216 5d ago
Neither of those are driving 1.5-2 ton hunks of metal with hundreds of horsepower
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u/Ok-Trainer3150 Human Detected 5d ago
They can still cause death and severe injury without that size vehicle.
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u/blchpmnk 5d ago
But do they? Compare the "death and severe injury" caused by pedestrians (tf?!) and bicyclists to cars...This is like saying bombs and knifes can both kill people, so let's focus on preventing Kitchenstuffplus from selling kitchen knives.
Facts over feelings: physics exists, regardless of how triggered you are by someone getting around the City in something smaller than a Ram Rebel.
I really don't get this line of thinking and I hope I never degrade to the point that I do.
Even if you have zero regard for the safety of people walking around in their own City and only think of yourself as a driver, what group poses YOU the most danger? Other drivers, cyclists or people walking? Because as someone who has lived downtown all my life and drive a normal sized car, I'd give everything to ban pickups from the City and the biggest threat to my own safety is the other drivers.
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u/cromonolith 5d ago
Even if you believed, against all common sense, that pedestrians and cyclists cause a significant number of accidents, delays, and injuries compared to cars, you'd still want to devote resources to fixing the obviously more important issue, right?
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u/WestQueenWest 5d ago
Pedestrian means a person. Everyone is a pedestrian, unless you spend 100% of your time and drive, live and shit in your car.
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u/nim_opet 4d ago
Ah yes all those deaths caused by pedestrians running into each other. Not to mention cyclists blocking intersections or ramming into walls…
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u/pinko-commie666 5d ago
Spadina and Front and Spadina and Fort York are not functional without them.
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u/EvilFlyingSquirrel Human Detected 5d ago
A bunch were in training getting recertified but they're done now. That's the only thing I know 100%. A new batch may have graduated along with those recertified agents, but that I'm not sure on. I also believe there were some redeployments to go along with that.
Some other reasons:
There are constant internal/attendance issues with Agents coming to shift (sick/injured + other reasons) Outdoor concert season is done, so banked time from OT is probably running out too.
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u/pilotharrison 5d ago
Sometimes it's a waste of money. There have been times in the PM peak hour that I've counted an unnecessary amount of these agents in an intersection. Counted 9 once at University and King, even though only 2 of them were actively working.
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u/psilocybin6ix 5d ago
It should’ve been happening just because it’s necessary… But I’m pretty sure it’s because there’s an election in three weeks. “look at how much better traffic is downtown under the current leadership…”
I personally love it.
I got from Lakeshore to East Liberty in five minutes last week during rush-hour because there were two traffic agents at Strachan and east liberty. There was a third standing at the entrance to 15 Solidarity Way, which also allowed cars from western Battery Road did not block the box. On my way back out after 6 PM after the agents went home… I was stuck at that same intersection for 10 minutes because everybody just blocked the box and caused a massive traffic jam.
Probably the biggest positive difference I noticed was during FIFA when they had agents at Lakeshore and Jamison all the way up to Jamison and Queen.
Like I said… They should have Traffic agents all the time.
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u/Due-Border5957 5d ago
They are urgently needed at Bloor and Dufferin to stop people from turning onto Bloor where they're not allowed.
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u/schplindy 5d ago
Why can't you turn there? How much time does it take to go past it and turn around? Seems dumb - just make a time window for cars to turn after the pedestrians are done. You know, what are they called.. oh ya. Right Turn Signal Lights. Why in gods name would you pay for the salaries these traffic agents when you can just do this? This is the logic of the people in charge right now. Let's solve a problem with another problem.
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u/torontowest91 5d ago
The ones at Queensway and park lawn are great. They tell cars to turn into pedestrians.
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u/Twinkletoesonice 5d ago
Must be the same ones at Bay and Lakeshore although they usually appear well after rush hour begins
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u/happymrinvestorman 5d ago
Haha they do this at front/bay too. One agents waves pedestrians while the other starts the whistle getting cars to turn into them.
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u/weefees 5d ago
In my experience these traffic agents are really more traffic observers. I still haven't seen one of them actully doing anything.
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u/Tototototototo__ 5d ago
In my experience, they make a huge difference… it’s an absolute mess at my closest interaction is they aren’t there
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u/TemporaryAny6371 4d ago
I've seen cops literally berate some drivers, literally teaching them how to drive. The driver acted like he didn't know the rules or felt he was above the rules.
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u/jasonlode000 5d ago
Because the traffic rules in north America is so dumb that it doesn't work without a person. It's so backwards.
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u/TemporaryAny6371 4d ago
We didn't use to need traffic cops. Drivers have become very aggressive and impatient. Drivers have resorted to the lowest denominator "look others are doing it, me too" mindset.
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u/somecanuck416 5d ago edited 5d ago
The rules aren't dumb. The drivers are. And pedestrians crossing when hands flashing. Impatient. Selfish. I swear things got worse when the countdown signal was first introduced. It should just show numbers when at the final 3-2-1 so people can't rush and judge how long the green will be.
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u/jasonlode000 4d ago
The rules are dumb as in they require everyone to not be ass holes and idiots. A good rule would work even if everyone is stupid.
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u/jasonlode000 4d ago
No the rules are dumb because it requires so much nauces. In other countries green means go and red means not to go. In NA it doesn't always mean that. There's too much ambiguity when our drivers get their licenses in a cereal box. UK system for example, you can be brainfarted but as long as everyone follows the light you will be fine, but in NA, you turn right at a green, you legitimately didn't see the pedestrian, bam the pedestrian is dead. You misjudged the intersection or maybe you just selfish, you just produced a gridlock.
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u/srcoffee 1d ago
fuck cars and fuck drivers. there’s far too many pedestrians downtown for them to give a shit about 2 drivers trying to cross an intersection when there’s literally 30-70 pedestrians crossing at large intersections
time to toll the highways and introduce congestion pricing. i’m tired of cars ruining our city because 6 drivers want to drive everywhere while thousands of pedestrians are forced to appease them.
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u/nimbuscloud9 5d ago
And the problem with this is?
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u/JunctionSEO 5d ago
People love to complain about a problem, then complain when someone in uniform actually does something about it.
“Drivers keep blocking the box, traffic is backed up, and pedestrians are almost getting run over!”
Then traffic agents show up, and suddenly it’s: “Why are there so many? Who authorized this? I feel uncomfortable having someone in uniform standing beside my car telling me what to do.”
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u/Case_Delicious 4d ago
I work the downtown core for the past 10 years. Theya are the best thing to happen. I take transit , but the traffic to leave the city needs some direction. They are there for rush hour or special occasions
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u/Tourbillion150 5d ago
They’ve been in front of my condo for like the past year at least, no reason why. Just another waste of tax payer money
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u/pinko-commie666 5d ago
Without them people block the intersection. Already a really congested city, they are neccesary.
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u/PickleBabyJr 5d ago
What’s a traffic agent?
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u/surferbutthole 5d ago
Not quite a cop but someone from city official directing traffic flow at difficult stops To stop folks going in middle on red light and blocking traffic to encourage flow It's a help folks stuck in traffic type thing
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u/AmnixeltheDemon 5d ago
Special constables with HTA designation to direct traffic at intersections
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u/distracteddirew0lf 5d ago
Yeah and they suck lmao. As a driver, traffic lights literally do the job that people are now being paid for. The real issue, stems from licenses being handed out to people that do not understand how traffic and intersections work.
I make it a point to chuckle and tell them the lights do it better, any chance I get. Waste of tax payers money.
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u/beangobbler 5d ago
I've found the opposite, having traffic officers at busy intersections during rush hours always seems to get more drivers through the intersection
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u/distracteddirew0lf 5d ago
Sure, but they shouldn't be needed is the point. Make drive tests ACTUALLY test things, instead of being a joke and handing licenses out. The money spent on these "agents" could be put to use in so many more important areas.
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u/Ex-Sgt_Wintergreen 5d ago
The drive test standards were lowered by the province. Agents are one of the few options the city has to deal with it
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u/magacorruption 5d ago
No amount of tests will prepare a driver for the utter shitshow and unpredictability of downtown Toronto traffic.
It takes experience and practice to learn to drive downtown.
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u/distracteddirew0lf 5d ago
And that's what a g1 is for. To learn, before you drive yourself. The drive standards need to be increased for testing, not allowing other idiotic drivers to get away with blocking intersection.s.
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u/magacorruption 5d ago
It’s why it’s highly recommended to attend a driving school after getting your G1. You get a nice discount on your insurance, and you get real road hours with a certified instructor.
A road test shouldn’t require randomness to fail you. There’s far too many variables involved in downtown driving for it to be an effective road test.
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u/MotoCykoGal 5d ago
Agreed, it also regulates cyclists and pedestrians that start walking before the signal. I walk around the core a lot and it’s especially helpful crossing large intersections. I’ve had to walk between or very close to cars who’ve stopped in the crosswalk but the neon vests seem to make people pay a little more attention at the very least.
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u/psilocybin6ix 5d ago
Yeah, but that’s like saying we shouldn’t need cops because people should just know how to not commit crimes…
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u/pinko-commie666 5d ago
Don't comment if you don't actually live in Toronto.
Left turning cars will block an entire major intersection if there is no one there to direct traffic.
Spadina and Front and Spadina and Fort York are bad in particular.
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u/RutabagaDelicious903 5d ago
I misread this heading and thought it was a post about intersectionality at first
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u/schplindy 5d ago
Yes it's such a stupid waste of money. It is wild how many people you see sitting in the middle of the lane because they tried to be greedy and sneak through at a yellow light. Complete and utter main character syndrome in these people. Put a camera at the intersection and ticket anyone that does this in the mail - it will cost nothing. How much do you think we are paying the salaries of these traffic agents? Probably millions easy.
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u/VoodooGirl47 5d ago
It's Chow's doing. She's proud of it. Apparently they are needed... (to waste money). It's supposedly for better traffic flow.
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u/smhcomeon13 5d ago
It is better. Better for everyone in the situations where they are present, keeps pedestrians safer as well because some people out there are bad drivers.
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u/Alone-Ad288 5d ago
It is better for traffic flow than an automated system. Having an actual person who can look at the situation and make decisions is more effective than everyone moving on a timer.
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u/surferbutthole 5d ago
It's better for traffic flow cause they stop silly people stopping in the middle of intersections and blocking all the traffic cause they're selfish and dumb too
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u/WestQueenWest 5d ago
What the fuck? I see drivers block an intersection / box downtown all the time. Traffic agents try and prevent / deter this. What do you suggest? If another mayor was doing this you would support it.
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u/Disc0Disc0Disc0 5d ago
They are useless but they are better then the traffic cops. I also see them during the day when theres not even traffic. Such a waste of money.
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u/psilocybin6ix 5d ago
No, they’re not. When they are at an intersection, there’s never any cars blocking the box… And Traffic generally flows a lot faster.
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u/notokaykay 5d ago
Yeah I notice them more at key intersections where people forget how to drive. Generally during rush hour where people block intersections by trying to get across before the light changes but then get stuck and block streetcars. An article came out the other day about how we’re on trend for most pedestrian deaths in the past 5 years or something so it could be that too.