New fully protected left-turn signal on Thickson Road in Whitby

Whitby, Ontario – In support of Durham Vision Zero, The Regional Municipality of Durham is modifying the northbound to westbound left-turn signal at Thickson Road (Regional Road 26) and Consumers Road (Regional Road 25) in Whitby.

Where: Northbound at the intersection of Consumers Drive (Regional Road 25) and Thickson Road (Regional Road 26) in the Town of Whitby.

Why: In an effort to reduce road collisions at this intersection, a separate, fully protected left-turn signal has been installed to improve safety for motorists making a northbound left-turn from Thickson Road onto Consumers Drive. Vehicles will only be permitted to turn left when they have this left-turn signal.

This intersection was selected to pilot a northbound fully protected left-turn phase due to the following:

• Collision patterns at this intersection show 24 per cent of collisions occurred with northbound left-turns, from 2013 to 2020.
• Close proximity to Durham College and increased pedestrian traffic in the area, as well as, aggressive driving behaviors likely related to the proximity to Highway 401.
• Left-turn phases are shown to reduce left-turn collisions by 70 to 80 per cent.
• Significantly reduces the number of conflicts with pedestrians as vehicles are no longer permitted to turn left when pedestrians are crossing.

Note: New traffic signal indications will be installed specifically for this movement to ensure motorists only turn left when the green left-turn arrow is visible. Pedestrians waiting to cross at the intersection must push the pedestrian button to trigger the traffic control device and start the “walk” display. This fully protected left-turn signal is for the northbound left lane only and motorists are only permitted to turn left by this signal.

This initiative is in support of Durham Vision Zero, a long-term plan to ensure a safe transportation system that sees no lives lost or serious injuries on Durham’s roadways. Learn more at durham.ca/VisionZero.

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For more information, contact Corporate Communications.