Adaptive Traffic Intersections to Cut Toronto’s Congestion
Kurtis McBride
For decades, the methods used to manage urban traffic have remained largely unchanged. It was this observation that prompted Kurtis McBride to co-found Miovision in 2005, driven by a vision to modernize traffic management through computer vision, artificial intelligence, and advanced modeling. This proposal for Toronto's infrastructure is informed by nearly two decades of dedication to making roads more efficient and safer for all users globally.
Summary
This memo proposes that Toronto upgrade every traffic light in the city so they work in real time instead of running on old timers. The upgrades would give lights cameras that can see cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, connect signals along major streets so they stay green in sequence, and add adaptive systems downtown and near busy routes so timing changes when traffic is heavier. Arterials and major streets should be prioritized first, since they carry the most people and vehicles every day.
The cost is about $50,000 per intersection, or $125 million to upgrade all 2,500 lights across the city. That is small compared to the $45 billion1 Toronto Region loses each year to congestion. Cities that have made these changes cut delays by up to 30 percent, improve travel times by up to 20 percent, and make their streets safer and more predictable for everyone.
Bold Goal
Upgrade every traffic light in Toronto by 2030, with arterials and major streets prioritized for early adoption by the end of 2028.
Background & Motivation
Toronto’s traffic problem is visible every day, but it is also deeply expensive. The Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis estimates that congestion costs the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area more than $45 billion each year in social and economic costs combined2. That figure shows up in the real economy as trucks missing delivery windows, buses running behind schedule, service vehicles unable to complete daily routes, and workers losing hours to commutes that stretch unpredictably. For individuals, the reduced life satisfaction from hours stuck in gridlock amounts to $5,900 per commuter in the GTHA and making up 77% of the region’s total congestion costs.
Much of this waste comes from how the city’s 2,500 intersections are managed. Most still run on fixed plans written years ago, unable to adjust to the patterns of today. Traffic engineers describe two main types of failure that result. Split failures occur when a green phase is too short to clear the demand that has built up, forcing some vehicles to wait through another full cycle. They also happen when green time is assigned to a movement that isn’t there—like a pedestrian phase running with nobody in the crosswalk. Coordination failures occur along corridors when signals don’t “talk” to each other: a driver leaves one intersection on a green only to be stopped at the next, creating a red wave that repeats block after block. Both failures are familiar to anyone who drives, walks, or takes transit in Toronto, and both are sources of wasted time baked into the system.
It doesn’t have to be this way. In the Netherlands, signals are designed to be responsive3. Pedestrian walk phases are triggered only when a person is actually waiting; if nobody is there, the phase does not run, preventing unnecessary delay. Vehicle and bicycle detection systems shorten or lengthen greens based on the traffic that has actually arrived, and corridors are coordinated so platoons of vehicles can pass through multiple intersections without being stopped. The system adapts to reality on the ground rather than forcing the street to conform to a rigid schedule. The result is a network that feels safer, faster, and more predictable for all its users.
Toronto’s network, by contrast, cannot adapt. It cannot adjust to sudden construction detours, to traffic surges when a Leafs game ends, or to unexpected incidents on the Gardiner or DVP. It serves phases that may be empty and fails to coordinate phases that are overloaded. That rigidity is what produces the stop-and-go experience that defines daily travel across the city.
The evidence from elsewhere is consistent. Where intelligent, adaptive systems replaced fixed plans in 97 Chinese cities, idling time fell by half, peak hour travel times improved by 11 percent, and CO2 emissions fell around 16 percent4. Qingdao, a Chinese port city with a similar population as the Greater Toronto Area, saw trip time reductions of ~20% after adaptive traffic systems were introduced. Because Toronto’s current system is so outdated, the city would almost certainly land at the higher end of those ranges. The benefits come quickly: fewer wasted greens, fewer red-wave corridors, smoother flows for transit and freight, and safer intersections with fewer last-second maneuvers.
The cost of achieving this is modest. At around $50,000 per intersection, a full upgrade of Toronto’s 2,500 signals would total about $125 million5. That investment is tiny compared to the $45 billion annual drag of congestion, and the payback will likely be realized within a few years. About 6 percent (~155) of signals already have intelligent systems today6, proving the model works, but progress has been piecemeal. What Toronto needs now is a deliberate commitment: to modernize the entire network, with adaptive systems prioritized downtown and at major event corridors and highway ramps, and camera-based detection standardized across the city. The technology is proven, the costs are low, and the city can no longer afford to lose the time.
Real-World Solutions
The Netherlands – Smarter detection for all users
Dutch cities have led the way in designing intersections that respond to actual demand. Pedestrian walk signals are triggered only when someone is waiting; if no one is there, traffic keeps moving. Vehicle-actuated systems shorten or lengthen greens to match the traffic that has arrived, and corridors are coordinated so platoons of vehicles can pass through without constant stops. The result is a system that eliminates wasted phases, reduces stop-and-go driving, and improves predictability for everyone.
Singapore – Adaptive control at the network scale
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority operates one of the most advanced adaptive traffic control systems in the world. Signals are networked to respond to live data, adjusting phase splits and offsets minute by minute to balance demand across the city. During peak hours, signals are tuned to maintain target travel speeds on arterials, while off-peak, the system prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists. This flexibility is what makes the network feel reliable even as patterns change daily.
Florida – Funding support to accelerate upgrades
In Florida, the state government has made it easier for municipalities to upgrade by providing annual subsidies tied to eligible signal technologies. Local operators choose from a defined menu—such as adaptive timing, transit priority, and detection upgrades—and receive predictable funding support per intersection. This structure ensures that every jurisdiction can modernize without waiting for large capital surpluses, while also standardizing what “intelligent infrastructure” means across the state.
What Must Be Done
Modernize Toronto’s traffic signals
The majority of Toronto’s intersections still run on outdated fixed-time plans. Intelligent signals that respond to real users are essential to reduce congestion and improve safety. Updating the system requires both City and Provincial authority to treat signal modernization as core infrastructure.
- Amend the City of Toronto Act to give Council explicit authority to designate and fund a citywide intelligent signal program
- Direct Toronto Transportation Services to develop a capital plan for citywide signal modernization
- Establish a Provincial commitment through the Ministry of Transportation to support municipal upgrades with shared funding
Adopt clear technology standards
Toronto needs consistency in how signals are upgraded. Camera-based detection is now the global standard, capable of recognizing vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians at once. Networked controllers are required for corridor coordination, and adaptive control must be prioritized in high-variability zones.
- Update the Toronto Municipal Code to require camera-based detection and network-ready controllers for all new or retrofitted signals
- Establish a City of Toronto technical specification for adaptive systems to be deployed in downtown, event districts, and highway approaches
- Require Metrolinx and TTC to integrate transit signal priority into City standards for coordinated and adaptive corridors
Create a joint funding model
Predictable funding is essential to deliver modernization at scale. A City–Province partnership fund can ensure every intersection is upgraded without overburdening municipal budgets. Support should be linked to a defined menu of eligible technologies so that standards are consistent across the network.
- Amend the City of Toronto Act to authorize Council to enter into cost-sharing agreements with the Province for signal modernization
- Establish a dedicated Intelligent Infrastructure Fund through Provincial legislation with per-intersection subsidies for approved upgrades
- Define eligible improvements in regulation including camera-based detection, corridor coordination, adaptive systems, transit priority, and emergency pre-emption
Measure and report results
Public trust depends on transparency. Intelligent infrastructure generates the data to prove its value through reductions in stop delay, faster travel times, and fewer conflicts. Publishing these results demonstrates accountability and ensures the program continues to deliver.
- Require Toronto Transportation Services to publish annual performance reports on upgraded intersections under the Toronto Municipal Code
- Direct the City Auditor General to include signal modernization outcomes in regular value-for-money audits
- Establish a requirement in Provincial regulation that future funding is tied to demonstrated improvements in congestion and safety
Common Questions
Isn’t this too expensive for the City to take on
Upgrading every signal in Toronto would cost about $125 million. That is a modest investment compared to the $45 billion annual drag that congestion imposes on the regional economy. The payback will likely be realized within a few years through reduced delays, shorter travel times, and fewer collisions.
Will drivers be confused if signals keep changing
Intelligent signals are designed to make the system more predictable, not less. Corridor coordination ensures that green waves are consistent, and adaptive systems are deployed only in areas where traffic is highly variable. The result is smoother, more reliable trips.
Do cameras raise privacy concerns
Camera-based detection does not record identifying information. The systems classify vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians in real time, then discard the image data. This is now the global standard because it captures all road users and provides the most reliable basis for signal control.
Why not just retime the signals we already have
Retiming helps for a short period but cannot solve the underlying problem. Fixed plans cannot adjust to changing patterns from construction, special events, or shifting demand. Intelligent systems make adjustments in real time, so the fixes last.
What about safety for pedestrians and cyclists
Modern detection improves safety by making sure pedestrians are only stopped when there is no one waiting and by giving more reliable crossing times when demand is present. Coordinated and adaptive corridors reduce the sudden stops and unpredictable movements that lead to collisions, creating safer conditions for everyone.
Conclusion
Toronto cannot afford to keep running a twentieth-century signal system in a twenty-first-century city. Every day, residents, businesses, and transit riders lose time to avoidable delays that add up to more than $45 billion in economic losses each year. Split failures, red-wave corridors, and unresponsive phases are not inevitable — they are the result of infrastructure that has not kept pace with the city it serves.
The solution is straightforward. Intelligent signals that can see and respond to actual demand eliminate wasted greens, coordinate flows across corridors, and adapt in real time where patterns are most variable. The technology is proven, the costs are modest, and the return will be realized within a few years in faster travel, safer streets, and more predictable commutes.
Toronto has already begun to modernize a handful of intersections, but piecemeal progress will not solve the problem. The City and Province must work together to standardize technology, share costs, and commit to upgrading the entire network. By making every intersection intelligent, Toronto can cut congestion, improve safety, and build a city that moves.
This commitment will not only address current challenges but also position Toronto as a leader in the data and intelligence-driven future of traffic.
