City of Winnipeg Road Signing and

Amber Light Issues

By: Chris Sweryda
Why Have Traffic Enforcement?
Police claim its to make the roads safer and save lives,
but is that really what its for? In six months, Winnipeg
Police spent $860,000.00 on traffic enforcement
overtime. Are we getting our moneys worth?
Purpose of Fines
Unlike taxes, fines are not meant to be a revenue
generator for government. They are meant to deter
undesirable and unsafe behaviour. Manitoba has the
highest speeding fines in the country. Winnipeg issues
3X more tickets per capita than Saskatoon where the
fines are a fraction of those in Winnipeg. So, why do
people in Winnipeg get so many speeding tickets?
Poor Traffic Infrastructure
Winnipeg routinely installs speed and other
signage outside of compliance with the
engineering standards. When attempting to
fill quotas police largely target those locations.
Winnipeg budgets on receiving a high level of
ticket fines and therefore has no incentive to
fix signing. There are many locations where
police and photo radar are seen on a daily
basis.
McPhillips and Inkster
The mandatory turn for the right lane on McPhillips SB at
Inkster is heavily enforced by police. This location only gives 25
m of advance warning for the upcoming lane drop which is just
over 1 second for traffic traveling at the speed limit.
Other Locations
Other locations similar to McPhillips and Inkster give drivers
up to 800 m of advance warning. The normal is usually
around 100-150 m.
Overhead Signs
Many locations have overhead signs as well as side
mounted.
Sign Quantity
Every intersection with turn control signs has
anywhere from one to four signs. Four signs is
excessive and one is under signed. Police are most
commonly found at the under signed locations.
Enforcement
The part-time no left turns at the intersection of
Empress NB and SB at Ellice is heavily enforced by
police. Unlike other intersections the near side and
advance signs are missing.
Non Enforcement
The intersection of Ellice WB at Berry uses a near side no left
turn sign and has an advance warning sign.
Right of Way Control
Stop signs should be reserved for intersections with high
volumes, sightline obstructions or high collision rates.
Otherwise the basic right-of-way rule applies or a yield
sign can be used. This is the national standard and
practice in other cities such as Saskatoon (above).
Overuse of Stop Signs
In Winnipeg, all un-signalized intersections have stops
signs with a huge number being all-way stops. This
creates unnecessary delay, disrespect for stop signs and
more enforcement opportunity.
Speeding is one of the highest contributing
causes of collisions in Manitoba.
An overall reduction in driving speed CAN
and WILL make a difference - WPS.
Higher speeds increase stopping distance,
increases accident severity and reduces
control - MPIC
Speeding (Numerous Locations)
How to Control Speeding
The most important part of preventing speeding is to
properly post speed limits. Unfortunately, Winnipeg
has numerous issues with signing related to:
1 Sign Placement
2 Dual Mounting (Signing)
3 Speed Reductions
4 Proper Maintenance
Horizontal Placement
Speed signs are very often found much farther off
the road than permitted by the engineering manual.
Vertical Placement
Signs at extreme heights will not fall
within a drivers line of sight. The
above are both speed reduction
signs and are not compliant with
standards.
1/5
Dual Mounting
The standards manual states, There are cases where it is
advisable to place a second sign on the left side of the
road to supplement the primary sign. This practice
consists of placing a second sign on the median of a
divided or the left side of a one-way street.

Across Canada
All major western Canadian cities (except Winnipeg) have
dual signed speed signs. This includes Calgary (above-right),
Edmonton, Regina, Victoria, Vancouver Saskatoon (above-
left). US traffic authorities will also dual sign speed limits.
Dual signing is most common at speed changes, but most
cities will do it on all large divided roads.
Now You See It
Now You Dont
Multiple Lanes
Not one speed reduction in Winnipeg is dual signed
including NB Main at Assiniboine (above) which has four
lanes of through traffic. This is before the most
profitable speed camera at Logan. Winnipeg has 58
speed reductions on divided roads where dual signing
should be done.
Other Signs in Winnipeg
For almost all other signs, dual mounting can be
found for as few as one-lane of traffic (left) and
most often for two.
Existent Sign Posts
Even when an existent median pole is available, the speed limit
reduction is still not dual signed such as on Taylor EB approaching
Harrow where traffic also enters a school zone. The median sign
will also distract median traffic from the speed sign on the right.
Within Manitoba
Top - MIT (Highways Dept) consistently uses dual signing and doesnt neglect the
speed reduction. Bottom In Winnipeg, many locations such as Kenaston that
have dual signing are immediately before or after a speed reduction that is
single signed. If Kenaston is so large or busy that a left side curve sign is needed,
then speed reduction should be treated the same.
Statistics
Using enforcement data compared to traffic flow, we
showed 400% more speeding after speed reductions on
50 km/h roads. The citys response was:
Reflectivity
Some speed signs in Winnipeg have little to no reflectivity
while other signs, often on the same pole, are fully reflective.
The first two of the above examples were before photo radar
locations that are utilized for night time enforcement.
Speed Signs With Other Signs
Speed signs should be as equally important as
other signs. On many roads, every other sign is
reflective except the speed sign. This includes
the route markers which serve very little safety
advantage.
Provincial Signs
All signs outside Winnipeg are fully compliant
with reflectivity standards.
Speed Reductions
Sixty-nine out of ninety-eight speed reductions in Winnipeg fail
to comply with national signing standards. Every speed
reduction signed by the province was within MUTCD
compliance. The above sign is minimum sized, too high, too far
off the road and as always, not dual signed.
Moray Example
The speed reduction sign leading into a playground zone is
hidden by trees. Also, the truck route markers are dual
signed but the speed reduction is not. This location
receives daily photo radar enforcement.
Brookside Example
The speed reduction sign on Brookside Blvd was reported
missing to the city in June 2011. Despite repeated attempts
to notify the city, the signs remained missing. The problem
was fixed in October when the province installed the signs.
Transition Zones & Increases
Winnipeg speed enforcement often will target areas
where the speed limit increases by targeting traffic
that is 1 m before a speed increase sign. In many
cases, these drivers have just come off of a cross
street and this is the first sign that they are seeing.
Transition Zones
Many police agencies will simply not enforce traffic
that is approaching a speed limit change. Above is a
part of Albertas photo enforcement guidelines as an
example.
Speed Changes - Ontario
Under Ontario Law all speed changes
(increases or decreases) must have a
BEGINS tabs below the speed limit
sign. This tells drivers that they cant
prematurely accelerate to the higher
speed.
Proper Maintenance - Winnipeg
Over time, untrimmed trees will
grow to the point that signs are fully
covered. Many signs will be left to
lean on a 45+ degree angle for
years. They eventually over and lay
in the ditch for months before being
stolen.
2/5
More Disrepair
This speed sign on Ravenhurst was observed in Jan with a
broken mounting strap which caused it to turn away from
traffic. By mid summer it was still facing away from the road
and had fallen upside down.
Unless Otherwise Posted
The City of Winnipeg claims:
Following this claim, 50 km/h signs must not
be used anywhere but at speed reductions.
Selective Signing
Winnipeg has 122 selective 50 km/h speed postings that are
not at speed reductions. Selective signing is found in all other
major cities across Canada. The problem is that Winnipeg
rarely uses these signs on major roadways or at problem
speed areas where enforcement is continuous.
Other Cities
Every other major Canadian city uses selective 50 km/h
signing to control speeding on major roadways. MIT and
other communities in Manitoba do the same. Some cities
such as Saskatoon (above) dual sign selective 50 km/h
postings on divided roads.
Speed Limit Confusion
Some 50 km/h zones look so much like 60 km/h zones
that even the citys own sign crews get confused. The
sign above is on a 50 km/h road.

Photo Radar
(School and Playground Zones)
In addition to the police, photo radar units
routinely take advantage of inadequate speed limit
signing. Photo radar is only allowed in school,
playground and construction zones.
Creation of New Zones
Winnipeg did not have
school zones at high
schools and only created
them in 2002; the year
photo enforcement
arrived. These new zones
greatly increased the
number of photo
enforceable areas. Other
cities such as Edmonton
and Calgary still do not
have school zones at high
schools.
Dual Signing at Schools and
Playgrounds
Many school and playground zone signs are not
dual signed. The left picture is from a major
arterial road that has daily photo enforcement. The
picture on the right is a residential street with no
enforcement.
Many Signs are Missing While
Enforcement Continues
The median sign on Henderson Hwy has been missing for
over two years despite repeated attempts to have the sign
fixed. The speed sign is also missing at this location and has
seen greatly increased enforcement after the signs went
missing.
3/5
Winnipeg School Zone Sign Presence
Many (166) of Winnipegs school zone signs are missing and
have been for over 3 years. Traffic on Concordia WB has no
sign advising of the upcoming school zone at London Street.
School
When Signs Are Present, Obstructions Are Common
Redundant Signs
Some (32) school zone signs are found on
roads that do not have schools. This creates
an unnecessary expectation of a school and
creates disrespect for these signs. Six of
these areas are being used for school zone
photo radar enforcement.
Winnipeg School Zone Sign Placement
School zone signs are found at random distances
from the schools. In 50 km/h zones, this
distance ranges from -75 to 323 m.
School School Not In Picture
Where are the Speed Signs?
The City claims that they cannot post speeds in 50 km/h zones
and the examples given were all before enforcement. Only 7
out of 122 selective signs in 50 km/h zones are before photo
radar. By avoiding placement of speed signs before photo radar,
the city is actually avoiding speed signing before schools and
playgrounds. Overall, 86% of photo radar occurs in 50 km/h
zones with almost all being unsigned.
Double Dipping
When photo radar finds a good spot, they often
double dip by issuing multiple tickets over as little as
1 block.
Speed Signs Do Work
There is only one school zone in Winnipeg that has a
pair of speed signs dual signed. It is the only zone
on Grant not photo enforced and is used in the
press for stories regarding school zone safety. The
mayor himself held a conference there regarding
school safety.
Speed Limit Sign Removal
Hespeler Ave is a 50 km/h major
roadway, truck route and numbered
city route. It runs between
Henderson and Main which are both
60 km/h zones. It has a high
producing speed camera and daily
photo radar. A request was made to
have Maximum 50 km/h signs added
which referenced Springfield and
McLeod which already have signs; but
no enforcement. Even though the city
claims to be begging people to just
slow down, the citys response was
to remove the signs from Springfield
and McLeod so that comparisons are
no longer possible.
Grant Ave Sign Removal
In regards to the radar accuracy issue on Grant, Winnipeg
Police stated that, "They're still speeding like crazy. It's a big
problem speed area. It's a huge complaint area. A lot of the
people from all the residential apartment blocks phone us on
a regular basis, saying they can barely get across the street at
the crosswalk because of all the speeders. Despite this, signs
also got removed from Grant.
Photo Radar
Sign Removal and Higher Speeds
After starting the sign removal on 50 km/h roads, this
project moved into higher speed zones. To date 110
signs have been removed including all that were added
in front of photo radar cameras and many from photo
enforced school zones.
Sign Removal in Progress
4/5
Intersection Cameras
Intersection cameras are
as strategically placed as
photo radar to avoid
speed limit postings.
Fifteen out of 18
cameras in 50 km/h
zones have no speed
signs preceding them.
The camera on
Provencher (left) is
placed a half block
before the only speed
limit sign.
Newly Missing Signs
Many speed signs go missing for extended periods of time
while ticketing continues. The speed reduction sign on Grant
(above) has been missing since July 12, 2012 before one of
the citys top producing cameras.
Courts and the Highway Traffic Act
All seven of the above speed reduction signs are
compliant with Manitobas HTA.
D4 Photo Enforcement Warning Signs
At the start of the photo enforcement
program in 2002, the province created
the Conditions of Authority which
Winnipeg had to follow in order to run
photo enforcement. In the conditions,
Winnipeg had to install permanent
warning signs on the approaches to
intersections enforced by cameras.
Dual Mounting
To warn traffic in median lanes, all divided
approaches to photo enforced intersections had a
sign placed on the right and left side. This is
especially useful because faster traffic is usually in the
median lane Slower Traffic Keep Right.
Signs of Safety
In 2005, Winnipeg Police launched a PR campaign for
the cameras. The focus was on the camera warning
signing acting as a deterrent and referred to these
signs as Signs of Safety.
Recess on Speeding
Radio adds featured a school principal ,
construction worker , paramedic and a new
driver who all talked about the success off the signs of
safety. It was claimed that since photo enforcement
signs went in at Kenaston/Corydon speeding went
down by 84%. It was also stated that citywide, areas
where these signs were installed saw a 66% drop in
speeding.
Median Sign Removal
In the summer of 2009 during e-mail exchanges
between Public Works and Winnipeg Police, it was
concluded that the camera warning signs on medians
would be removed as a sign clean-up effort. This
project was conducted immediately and only
involved photo enforcement warning signs. A total
of 78 out the 87 median signs were removed
throughout the city. Of the original total of 257
signs, 179 remained (30% of the signs were
removed).
Kenaston at Corydon
The intersection of Kenaston and Corydon where photo
enforcement warning signs were claimed to have reduced
speeding by 84% was included in the sign removal project. Of
the 8 signs at that intersection, 4 ( of the signs) were
removed.
Before and after views of Corydon EB approaching Kenaston.
The Dilemma Zone

A yellow light should be timed for a motorist to either come
to a safe and complete stop or proceed into an intersection
before the red light is displayed. Improper timing creates the
dilemma zone. This is the zone where drivers are unable to
come to a stop or clear the intersection before the red light.
How are Ambers Timed?
Proper calculation of an amber time is based
on three variables: Intersection width, speed
limit and grade.
Proper Timing
Proper amber times are calculated by
engineering formula. Below is the formula
used by the city of Calgary.
Higher Speed = More Time
It is a proven engineering fact that timing
must be based on intersection design and
speed. Higher speeds must have more time.
Winnipeg is now using a universal 4.0 second
amber which is inadequate for many higher
speeds (80 zones).
Across Canada

The table to the right shows amber
times used in 80 km/h zones by major
cities across Canada. Winnipeg does
appear alone in using a 4.0 second
amber in all speed zones.

The proof is in the ticket counts. In 2010, Winnipeg cameras in 50-70
km/h zones issued 164 tickets/camera while cameras in 80 zones
produced 979 tickets/camera. Unless Winnipegs red light runners stick
to driving in 80 zones, the problem is the timing and not the drivers.

Effects of Proper Timing
It has been proven that 80% of red light violations occur
during the first 1 second of the amber light and will disappear
when the amber is timed properly. Winnipeg will not release
their data to check this statistic locally. Above shows the
decreases in violations at sites where ambers had one second
added to comply with formula.

Other Issues Not Covered
Improperly/Politically Set Speed Limits
Radar Inaccuracy
School Zone Speed Reductions
Removal of Warning Signs at Camera Intersections
Traffic Court
Construction Zone Enforcement
Manipulation of Collision Data
Eroding the 50 Unless Otherwise Posted Rule

What Needs To Be Done?
Rather than seek out the most opportunistic enforcement
locations, police should be working with the city to identify
problem areas and seek engineering improvements.
Regulations need to be implemented controlling the use of
speed limit and other signing.
Amber durations need to be legislated with minimums rather
than being optional.
Standards need to be followed for school and playground
zone signing.
Speed signs should be posted on all major roadways
regardless of the speed limit.
Conclusion
If the city wants more safety and lower costs, it should invest in
more and proper signs. Compare the cost of a sign to the cost
of a police cruiser team. Use the speed traps as a means
of identifying signage problems.
Signing Mistakes - Examples
Route Marker Confusion

Sign first said South but was on the northbound
direction. When informed, the city put North on
upside down. It took a second complaint to get it
fixed.
Lane Closure Problems
Forcing People To Disobey The Sign
Sign should be a keep right with left turn allowance.
Left turning traffic is forced to disregard the sign.
Crosswalk Ahead Sign With No
Crosswalk
Incorrect Truck Route Signs
Above sign says McPhillips Casino Parking
Lot is a truck route.
Signing Conflicts
Some locations have two conflicting signs
posted. Although yield and merge signs
should never be posted on the same right turn
channel, some locations are signed like this.
Overuse of Yield Signs
Many locations that are obvious merges or
even have a lane added are signed with yield
signs. This restricts traffic flow and creates
disrespect for proper yield locations.
Missing Merge Signs
Many merge locations have no sign. The Pembina Hwy
overpass at Bishop has four onramps to Bishop from Pembina.
All four are merges, but only one is signed. The one that is
signed has three signs, not one of which is in the location
where the sign should be.
One-Way Streets
One-way signs are necessary to indicate
streets where only one direction of travel is
permitted but many are unsigned.
Truck Route Marker Pointing Wrong
Way Down Unsigned One-Way Street