GM traffic lights go dark
Q: Could you explain how to approach and use an intersection that has only a flashing yellow light? One has been installed at the corner of Ontario Street and Pleasant Avenue in St. Catharines, and people seem to have no idea what to do, just stopping as if it were a flashing red and slowing down traffic to a great extent.
A: Those traffic lights — which have seen some changes in recent days — are unusual for a regional intersection.
They are privately owned even though they’re on Niagara Region’s road allowance.
Supervisor of traffic systems for Niagara Region Rick Rosati said the signal was formerly installed, owned and maintained by General Motors.
GM, which had plants on both sides of Ontario Street, needed a signal to be able to move trucks across busy Ontario Street and get employees from the parking lot on one side of the street to the other.
When the property was sold to Bayshore Groups, that company inherited the traffic signal.
Recently, the traffic light detector on Pleasant Avenue broke, causing the lights to change for no reason and back up traffic on Ontario.
Rosati said the region is now working with the new property owner to determine the future of the lights and if they’re still required at the intersection.
In the meantime, the region switched the lights to the yellow flashing — which means drivers should approach and move through the intersection with caution.
On Wednesday, they bagged the signals, installed a stop sign on Pleasant Avenue and allowed free flow of traffic on Ontario until they determine the next step.
Q: I’m sitting in an ER room at the new hospital in St. Catharines visiting my ill father, and we both got to wondering (idle minds) as to how many clocks the new hospital purchased for this facility. We understand if you have better ideas to research.
A: Nope, we’ve got a second or two.
Search Engine checked with Niagara Health System spokesman Steven Gallagher, who provided a timely answer.
After checking with the electrician who changes the clock batteries, he reported the St. Catharines site has 643 clocks.
That of course, doesn’t include desk clocks or other timepieces people may bring with them to work.
That got us to wondering about other general hospital trivia facts.
Turns out the hospital cleaned up on hand sanitizer dispensers. It has more than 2,500 of those to keep patients, staff and visitors healthy.
It also has 1,400 hand-washing sinks, 183 refrigerators and 13,000 electrical receptacles.
Other illuminating figures include
over 17,000 light fixtures.
Q: Why are there metal orange posts with reflectors on top on Vine Street from Lakeshore Road to Lake Ontario in St. Catharines? They line the street on both sides.
A: The posts help guide snowplows in the winter from hitting the curbs.
Dan Dillon, director of engineering and transportation services, said the posts are put up on streets where “rollover” curbs exist — those without six-inch barriers.
Dillon said sometimes because of drainage issues, the city can’t install the six-inch barriers so the posts are used in the winter to guide plow operators. They are used on other streets in the city as well, such as on Grantham Avenue.
“It’s a low-tech solution,” Dillon said. Send your queries to Karena Walter by email at kwalter@postmedia.com; by Twitter @karena_ standard or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/karenawalter