Road safety

The City is committed to making our roads safer for everyone by developing clear local strategies and adopting global best practices.

Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a global movement dedicated to eliminating traffic deaths and injuries caused by vehicle crashes, while creating a safe and accessible environment for all.

London City Council has adopted the following Vision Zero principles:

  • no loss of life is acceptable
  • traffic fatalities and serious injuries are preventable
  • we all make mistakes
  • we are all physically vulnerable when involved in motor vehicle collisions
  • eliminating fatalities and serious injuries is a shared responsibility between road users and those who design and maintain our roadways

Road safety in London 

The City initiates a number of road safety campaigns to take measurable action and implement Vision Zero principals.

Active and safe routes to school

Educational videos, resources, and information for parents, students, and teachers are available online to help teach kids to walk, bike, and roll to school. 

Active school travel such as walking, biking, and scootering to and from school and the school bus stop, helps to:

  • Improve physical and mental health
  • Reduce traffic around schools
  • Improve air quality and the environment
  • Have students feel more connected to their community, is fun, and social. 

Active and Safe Routes to School is led by a group of community partners, including the City of London, working together to promote programs that encourage children and families to choose active transportation to travel to school.

Learn more

Leading Pedestrian Intervals 

As part of a new pilot project, the traffic signals at the Dundas Street and Wellington Street intersection have been updated with an advance “walk” signal. The advance “walk” signal provides pedestrians with an additional 5 seconds as a head start before vehicles receive a green light, called a Leading Pedestrian Interval.

Leading Pedestrian Intervals improve safety by:

  • Enhancing the visibility of pedestrians at intersections
  • Providing an earlier time for people with disabilities to start crossing
  • Reinforcing pedestrian’s right-of-way over drivers who are turning

Additional locations are anticipated. 

Automated Speed Enforcement

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) is an automated system that uses a camera and a speed measurement device to detect and ticket plate owners of vehicles travelling faster than the posted speed limit. It is a new road safety initiative designed to work in tandem with other speed reduction measures to improve safety in our neighbourhoods. The program is being implemented in School Zones and Community Safety Zones where London City Council has deemed that public safety is of utmost concern and where the current posted speed limit is 40 km/h.

Like other municipalities across Ontario, London is taking a data-driven approach to select and prioritize locations that will receive ASE based on local speed and collision data. An ASE unit may remain in one location for a duration of 1-3 months. New “Municipal Speed Camera” signage will identify active ASE sites for road users as the cameras move to different locations around London. There will also be “Municipal Speed Camera Coming Soon” signs installed at least 90 days before ASE begins issuing tickets.

Automated Speed Enforcement Locations
LocationStatusDate ActivatedDate DeactivatedLocation Code*
Thompson Road (east of Josephine Street)InactiveJanuary 2022March 2022P500
Second Street (north of Mardell Street)InactiveJanuary 2022March 2022P501
Lawson Road (between Blanchard Road and Banting Crescent)InactiveMarch 2022May 2022P502
Base Line Road West (between Robin Road and Southcrest Drive)InactiveMarch 2022April 2022P503
Glenora Drive (between Rideau Gate and Mclean Drive)InactiveApril 2022June 2022P504
Viscount Road (between Notre Dame Drive and Tavistock Road)InactiveMay 2022July 2022P505
Cheapside Street (east of Harley Street)​​InactiveAugust 2022October 2022P506
Gardenwood Drive (west of Ridgewood Crescent)InactiveAugust 2022November 2022P507
Quebec Street (south of Oxford Street)InactiveOctober 2022December 2022P508
Brydges Street (west of Spruce Street)InactiveNovember 2022February 2023P509
Nixon Avenue (between Southdale Road East and Ferndale Avenue)InactiveJanuary 2023March 2023P510
Chippewa Drive (between Pawnee Road and Oakville AvenueInactiveMarch 2023May 2023P511
Queens Avenue (between Maitland Street and Colborne Street)InactiveApril 2023June 2023P512
Viscount Road (between Wonderland Road South and Farnham Road)InactiveMay 2023August 2023P513
Baseline Road West (between Beachwood Avenue and Southcrest Drive)InactiveJune 2023October 2023P51
Limberlost Road (between Lawson Road and Fairfax Court)InactiveAugust 2023January 2024P515
Waterloo Street (between James Street and Oxford Street)InactiveAugust 2023January 2024P516
Viscount Road (east side south of Galaway Cresent)InactiveSeptember 2023January 2024P517
Cheapside Street (between Highbury Avenue to McNay Street)InactiveOctober 2023February 2024P518
South Wenige Drive (between Marigold Street and Sunningdale Road East)ActiveOctober 2023 P519
Mornington Avenue (between Curry Street to Oxford Street East)ActiveOctober 2023 P520
Waterloo Street (between Oxford Street and St James Street)ActiveNovember 2023 P521
Hunt Club Drive (between Radcliffe Cres. and Farm Manor Crt.)ActiveJanuary 2024 P522
Virginia Rd Westbound West of Viginia Cres (north intersection)ActiveJanuary 2024 P523
Southdale Rd E Westbund West of Millbank Dr (east intersection)ActiveJanuary 2024 P524
Colborne St, Southbound South of Dufferin AveComing Soon  P525
Elmwood Ave E, Westbound West of Wortley RdComing Soon  P526
Tokala Trail (between Dalmagarry Road to Brown Drive)Coming soon  P527
Cedarhollow Blvd (between Killarney Road and Cedarpark Way)Coming Soon  P528
Cedarhollow Blvd, Southbound Soiuth of Guiness WayComing Soon  P529
Glennwood Dr, Southbound South of Flora StComing Soon  P530
Frontenac Rd, Eastbound East of Silverdale Cres (east intersection)Coming Soon  P531
Lynden Cres, Southbound South of Commissioners Rd WComing Soon  P532

​​​​​*A Certificate of Accuracy can be found for each ASE location on the City of Toronto's website. Please use the Location Code listed above to find the Certificate of Accuracy you are looking for.

Visit ASEontario.com for more information on the program.

Protected intersections
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protected intersection with concrete barriers and green paint

The addition of protective concrete barriers at intersections provide more space for cyclists and pedestrians, reduce the distance to cross the intersection, and help reduce vehicle traffic speed. Together, these design elements create a safer experience for everyone. ​​​​​​The added space also positions cyclists further ahead in the intersection making people on bikes more visible to drivers waiting at a red light.


Protected bike lanes
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protected bike lane with planter barrier

Protected bike lanes are physically separated from motor vehicle traffic and distinct from the sidewalk. Protected bike lanes are narrower than traffic lanes and typically installed along a curb. There are a variety of methods used to provide physical protection for cyclists from passing traffic such as planters or concrete curbs with bright green bollards. 

Protected bike lanes make it safer and easier for everyone to get around, by providing clearly defined areas for cyclists.

Turning right? Yield to bikes
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A graphic that says "Turning right? Yield to bikes" next to a traffic sign that shows a yield sign across a bike lane.

Drivers turning right must yield to cyclists. With more people cycling along bike lanes in London, remember to look and stop to allow people to ride by before you turn right in your vehicle. 

As a driver, always remember to check for cyclists when crossing a bike lane to turn or park. Yield to cyclists when turning right, and never park in a bike lane.

Transit islands
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transit island alongside protected bike lane

Transit islands use a combination of tactile warning strips, pavement markings and signage to guide people across the bike lane to the transit island where they can wait, board and/or get off the bus. 

These new bus stops keep cyclists protected from vehicle traffic, allow more space for benches, shelters, and passengers waiting for the bus, and offer more room to pedestrians using the sidewalk. When cyclists approach the bus stop, they must stop to let pedestrians cross the bike lane.


Shared transit stops
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shared transit stop where bike lanes runs alongside transit stop and sidewalk

Shared transit stops combine a transit stop with a protected bike lane. These shared spaces are designed to keep cyclists protected from vehicle traffic while providing space for transit riders to get on and off the bus. 

Bicycle lanes ramp up to platform height before the stop, and then ramp down after. Cyclists approaching the bus stop must stop when passengers are boarding or getting off the bus, and should remain stopped until the bus signals that it is leaving the stop.

Area speed limits

The City is working to make our streets safer for all road users by lowering speed limits on roads with high pedestrian and cycling usage.

Learn more about area speed limits 

Green paint in bike lanes
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A graphic that says "Mind the Green" and shows a stencil of a bike surrounded by a green heart.

The City is painting some bike lanes green as a way to increase safety. These high-visibility lanes are designed to remind motorists to watch for cyclists and share the road. Mind the green is a campaign to help educate people about the presence of bike lanes in our community.

Learn more about Mind the green

Red light cameras

Motorists running red lights account for hundreds of collisions each year in our city. Red light cameras are one tool the City uses to help reduce collisions at intersections.

Learn more about red light cameras

Respect the limit signs

Respect the limit is a campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of driving too fast. 

Lawn signs are available at the main floor of City Hall for residents to place on their front lawns. 

Learn more about respect the limit

Roundabouts

A roundabout is a circular intersection where two or more roads meet. Traffic circulates through them counter-clockwise, to the right of a centre island. Roundabouts create lower speeds reducing the potential for serious crashes and injuries.

Learn more about roundabouts

Zipper merge

The zipper merge is a late merge strategy where all available lanes of traffic are used right up to the lane closure. Drivers then alternate into the open lane. The zipper merge strategy is most effective when there are high traffic volumes on the road, combined with low average speeds due to congestion.

Learn more about the zipper merge

Student silhouettes
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An image of the student silhouettes near the sidewalk along a street.

To help promote safe conditions and address driving behaviours in areas where students are often seen walking to and from school, the City of London is installing life-size student silhouettes to heighten drivers’ awareness that they are travelling within a school zone.

Student Silhouettes have been identified as an effective visual tool that reminds drivers to slow down and take extra caution in areas with lots of children.

Signs are placed alongside the road, at school zone entry and exit points. These entry and exit points also mark the beginning and end of the 40km/hr school zone speed limit.

Student Silhouettes are being used as one of many tools to raise awareness of residential speeding in London. Signs will be rotated to a new school zone location every 3 to 4 weeks.

For more information about Student Silhouettes, please contact Jeff Jongsma at jjongsma@london.ca or call 519-661-2489 x 4736

Pedestrian crossovers

Pedestrian crossovers are designated areas for pedestrians to safely cross the road while vehicles yield. They have specific pavement markings and crossing signs.

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Image of a Pedestrian Crossover

Pedestrians have the right of way at these crossovers. Drivers and cyclists must stop behind the yield line and wait until pedestrians completely cross the road before proceeding.

Drivers and cyclists may face a fine in the range of $150 to $500 for not yielding at pedestrian crossovers, and drivers may also face three demerit points.

 

Last modified:Monday, February 12, 2024