The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 22 ,2 01 8 | 18 Smart traffic signals, clearing accidents quickly and opening up paved shoulders to vehicles dur- ing rush hour would im- prove congestion on GTA highways - a problem that is costing the average house- hold $125 a year, according to a report from the Toronto Region Board of Trade.One million tonnes - $3 billion worth of goods - are trucked through the region every day, according to the board. But congestion on the highways connecting the cities is creating delays that cost $500 million to $650 mil- lion per year in higher pric- es. "What surprised me the most I guess was that for a region of this size - Greater Toronto, Hamilton, Barrie, Kitchener-Waterloo - which we are calling the corridor - we currently don't have a re- gional strategy," said the author of the report, Na- tasha Apollonova, assistant vice-president, policy, To- ronto Region Board of Trade. "I think there needs to be someone who is co-ordinat- ing all of this and who has the responsibility for really driving the regional strate- gy. "The report points out that much of the road net- work in the corridor doesn't take full advantage of even existing technologies and could benefit from emerg- ing technologies like smart signals. Smart signals use cam- eras and sensors embedded in the pavement to respond to traffic patterns in real time, according to the re- port, for example, eliminat- ing an advance left turn sig- nal if no cars are waiting in line to turn left. Smart sig- nals can allow extended green signals for turning trucks trying to clear an in- tersection. Efforts should be made to maximize the existing in- frastructure, including per- mitting vehicles to use paved shoulders on the Don Valley Parkway in peak traffic; variable speed limits and rapid accident clear- ance, which would help avoid long unexpected de- lays, according to the re- port. The report cites as an ex- ample the Ontario Provin- cial Police and Halton re- gion, which are using drones to quickly record ac- cident scenes, reducing the clearance process from to 15 minutes from between one and two hours. The report also calls for smarter enforcement, in- cluding cracking down on vehicles that block traffic by making illegal turns.It suggests moving truck traf- fic to Highway 407 by pro- viding financial incentives to trucking companies. The solution would also include improving public transit in the region, to get more passenger cars off the roads. "It highlights a whole bunch of the work that we have on the go now," said Barbara Gray, general man- ager, transportation servic- es, City of Toronto, adding that the city is about to em- bark on a citywide look at freight and goods move- ment with stakeholders.In November the city an- nounced it was launching a pilot project to test smart traffic signals at 22 intersec- tions across the city. The project is part of a city initiative to modernize its traffic signal systems.It will take a few more months to gather data from those trials, said Gray."Smart sig- nal technology is really go- ing to be a game changer. I know that in those jurisdic- tions that have started some testing, they've seen some real benefits," she said. Gray pointed out that while Toronto was an early adopter of adaptive traffic technology when it first emerged, it's time for an up- date. Whether or not shoulder lanes on the DVP could be used as extra lanes during peak periods remains to be seen, said Gray: currently they provide a quick way for emergency vehicles to get to the scene of an accident or clear a stalled vehicle. NEWS Traffic congestion costs average GTA household $125 a year, report says FRANCINE KOPUN fkopun@thestar.ca Upper Credit Humane Society Thrift Shop - February auction The Upper Credit Humane Society February 2018 auction will take place on Saturday, February 24, 2018 with live bidding beginning at 4:30 p.m. Book bidding is available in advance at the Thrift Shop at 68 Main St. North in Georgetown, ON. Telephone bids are not accepted Diamond Ring Thrift Shop - 68 Main St. N., Georgetown (Moore Park Plaza) thriftshop@uppercredit.com | 905.702.8661 | uppercredit.com Charitable Registration #893738872RR0001 UPPER CREDIT HUMANE SOCIETY Featured items include: Diamond ring, guitar, game boy set, mantle clock, vintage books and more! Cell: 416-989-7809 Dave LoDuca • Ceramic & Porcelain Tile Installation • Bathroom Renovations • Kitchen Backsplashes • Heated Floors C C T I L EE RAM I Favourite Contractor 6 years in a row! www.leathertownlumber.ca LEATHERTOWN LUMBER LIMITED QUANTITIES. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. $199.99 WAS: $299.99 10-Pc. Insert Bit Pocket Set Manufactured with heavy-duty, cold-forged, high-grade steel. Black oxide finish resists corrosion. Includes Phillips, square & T25 torx bits in a case. 8787202 X-treme Pro Pneumatic Stapler 16 gauge, drives staples up to 2". 3/8" hose fitting, 7/16" standard crown. 160 staple capacity, 80 to 120 PSIG. 9448879 Dual Receptacle/USB Ports 2 pole, 3 wire grounding. Combination dual USB ports with a tamper resistant AC receptacle. Charge electronic devices directly from a standard outlet. 1452879 $8.99 WAS: $15.99 $24.99 WAS: $29.99 SERVICE AND QUALITY YOU CAN BUILD ON HOT BUY! …with up to 30%* in savings & discounts PLUS, save up to an additional 25% with our new smartphone app TELEMATICS!1 A convenient app to help you learn more about your driving habits, and potentially save. • Winter tires? Save up to 5%* • Multiple vehicles? Save up to 15%* • Hybrid or electric vehicle? Save up to 5%* • College or university student? Save up to 10%* • Additional savings* if you have multiple policies with State Farm® *Conditions apply. 1Certain products and services may not be available in all provinces and territories. The discount does not apply to certain endorsements and additional coverages. Please note that the savings will automatically be applied to the premium at renewal. Certain conditions and restrictions may apply. State Farm branded policies are underwritten by Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company. ® State Farm and related trademarks and logos are registered trademarks owned by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, used under Licence by Certas Home and Auto Insurance Company. Call me today. your auto insurance savings further… Start driving 1510024CN Lora Greene, Agent 211 Guelph Street Georgetown, ON L7G 5B5 Bus: 905-873-1615 lora@loragreene.ca