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The maximum seen in the first two weeks of LRT operation was 10-minute waits at Princess Elizabeth and 106th Street and at 109th Street, as well as 111th Avenue at 106th Street, the equivalent of three light cycles.

The longest wait was five minutes at Kingsway Avenue and 104th Street and at 105th Street, as well as 107th Avenue at 105th Street, or two light cycles.

Craig Walbaum, the city’s director of traffic engineering, said one reason for the improvement is people are finding other ways around the area.

He’s pleased at how well the opening weeks have gone.

“We have been monitoring every day over the month … We have been looking at tweaking our traffic signals where we can.”

However, he doesn’t expect strategies such as ensuring trains travelling in opposite directions arrive at lights at the same time will shave more than a few seconds off the current wait times.

Big improvements will only come when the full signal system goes into service, allowing trains to go 50 kilometres per hour instead of the current 25 km/h, he said.

“We understand fully that people are frustrated with the extra delay,” he said. “We fully respect that it’s different and taking longer. We’re doing everything we can.”

He couldn’t say when the line will start regular operations. The Metro Line was supposed to open in April 2014, but has been held up repeatedly by concerns about the Thales signalling system.

Frustration over the handling of the delays was considered one factor in the firing of city manager Simon Farbrother three weeks ago.