KeriBlog

Cars, Security & a Peek into my Life

The Worst Traffic Lights in Toronto

The light is green. Really tough to tell eh, and we’re not far from them even.

The sidewalk sign is easily seen, and when the light changes to yellow it’s obvious too, but not the green.

Here, I’ll blow up the photo:

Located at the Yonge and Richmond Street, a one-way road travelling west.

They’re not in need of replacing, they’ve been like this for years. This makes no sense! Every other green light downtown can be seen from far, why are these ones so dim?

Maybe it’s intentional? Like, keep the lights faded so I don’t know what I’m driving into, and naturally slow down.

Then I remembered a story I wrote for the paper in 2013. Maybe these lights have to do with that?

60 intersections in downtown Toronto
are equipped with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence was added to traffic lights so they could talk to one another, and adjust their timing. When tested, gridlock was reduced up to 40% and travel time was reduced up to 26%.

To instal AI into each intersection costs between $20,000 – $40,000, and the city that was chosen to be the test city is… Toronto.

Read it on Autonet here.

 

 

Had to Go Into the City Today, Twice

Since I moved July 25, bet I’ve been downtown maybe 5 times in total.

So today was a lot. Don’t miss it. This helped.

So fun to drive, the Mazda MX-5.

It’s just my size too, a rarity. Together we can fit anywhere.

Dentist. Again.

Still have never had a cavity, ever.

It took me almost 3 hours to get out of the city. That’s not sitting on the DVP either, that’s using creativity, back ways, and still.

Not happy; being trapped in a car, that’s trapped on a road surrounded by cars, is one of my least favourite feelings.

Have a post about Toronto traffic building in my mind. I think about traffic a lot actually.

Least when I returned this evening, I didn’t have to drive.

Let’s pose.

kk I’m done.

Today’s weak blog update courtesy of the traffic that sucked it all out of me.

Back to enjoying the best night of the week #ThursdayNight

Hope yours is good too TTYT

 

 

1/3 of Traffic is Caused by People Looking to Park

Read it online at Autonet.

The average time spent looking for
a curb parking spot is 8 minutes.

Favourite line:

Cities need to find the sweet-spot price of curb parking. If the price is just right, about 1 of 8 spots will be vacant, reducing search time, and therefore congestion.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Change your Perspective on Traffic

A handful of ways to change your perspective on being stuck in traffic.

f

Favourite line:

Getting worked up about rush hour traffic makes no sense.  How else is rush hour supposed to be?  You knew it was there, and still you pointed your car at it and drove right in.

Made it to the cover this week! I like when they say “our.”

It’s been so fun being part of a team, email threads and group jokes; blogging’s a solo sport, you know? I’m 7 weeks in now, and have a not-bad rhythm and system happening.

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

Just Some Things

Did you have a great weekend, too?  Hope so.

As I said in a video last week, I’m making sure to fit in as much fun as humanely possible before the conclusion of Summer ’11, which is this week.

Your time is your only non-renewable resource, remember that.

I spent most of Sunday afternoon like this. Daydreaming, plotting, thinking.

Do you do that, too? It’s important.

This is me last week.

Note the Bluetooth headset.  But bet I get more done than you.

Check out the top screenshot, BOOM BOOM.

You know the ads that appear on YouTube videos? That’s a program you have to be invited into, and that there is my invitation.

The bottom two screenshots are a video upload in progress (note the minutes OMG) and then what I did to it. Ugh to me.

Been compliling another video.

I realize it sounds dry and boring, it won’t be.

Kay I’m off to dinner with a BFF, TTYT