Narrative:

We arrived in toronto. While on approach we were sequenced 3 miles behind air carrier Y and about 3 miles in front of air carrier Z. After landing on runway 6L; we were told to expedite off the runway at taxiway C1. It was dark and I was trying to decipher the confusing array of taxiway signs to determine which taxiway was the correct one. As I was exiting the runway; the first officer started telling me to stop as I was about to hit something. I came to a stop very quickly and that was when I noticed a group of light posts directly in front of the aircraft. They were not lit so you could see them from the runway. After turning the aircraft to avoid them; we taxied to the gate. The next morning we were assigned departure off of runway 24R so we were able to observe the lights from the previous night. These lights are located directly in the middle of taxiway C1 and are only visible from the taxiway side of them. They are a set of 2 'wig-wag' runway guard lights and two red lights. All of them are only visible from the taxiway side. This island is not depicted on the charts; either. If it hadn't been for an assertive and vigilant first officer; I would have run into these and damaged the airplane. I feel these lights need to be either moved or lit from behind so you can see them from the runway. This 'island' also needs to be depicted on the chart so you know it is there prior to arrival.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that while the taxiway is not physically elevated; it is painted around the lights as if it is an island. At night when told to expedite runway clearing; that particular location comes up very quickly and unexpectedly. The reporter suggests the lights should be referenced on the airport chart so that crews know what to expect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ PLT RPTS ENCOUNTERING ABOVE GND RWY GUARD LIGHTS ON CYYZ'S TXWY C1 AT THE RWY 6L EXIT. RPTR STATES THAT THE LIGHTS ARE VISIBLE ONLY FROM THE TXWY SIDE AT NIGHT.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN TORONTO. WHILE ON APCH WE WERE SEQUENCED 3 MILES BEHIND ACR Y AND ABOUT 3 MILES IN FRONT OF ACR Z. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 6L; WE WERE TOLD TO EXPEDITE OFF THE RWY AT TXWY C1. IT WAS DARK AND I WAS TRYING TO DECIPHER THE CONFUSING ARRAY OF TXWY SIGNS TO DETERMINE WHICH TXWY WAS THE CORRECT ONE. AS I WAS EXITING THE RWY; THE FO STARTED TELLING ME TO STOP AS I WAS ABOUT TO HIT SOMETHING. I CAME TO A STOP VERY QUICKLY AND THAT WAS WHEN I NOTICED A GROUP OF LIGHT POSTS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. THEY WERE NOT LIT SO YOU COULD SEE THEM FROM THE RWY. AFTER TURNING THE ACFT TO AVOID THEM; WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE NEXT MORNING WE WERE ASSIGNED DEP OFF OF RWY 24R SO WE WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE LIGHTS FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. THESE LIGHTS ARE LOCATED DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF TXWY C1 AND ARE ONLY VISIBLE FROM THE TXWY SIDE OF THEM. THEY ARE A SET OF 2 'WIG-WAG' RWY GUARD LIGHTS AND TWO RED LIGHTS. ALL OF THEM ARE ONLY VISIBLE FROM THE TXWY SIDE. THIS ISLAND IS NOT DEPICTED ON THE CHARTS; EITHER. IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR AN ASSERTIVE AND VIGILANT FO; I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THESE AND DAMAGED THE AIRPLANE. I FEEL THESE LIGHTS NEED TO BE EITHER MOVED OR LIT FROM BEHIND SO YOU CAN SEE THEM FROM THE RWY. THIS 'ISLAND' ALSO NEEDS TO BE DEPICTED ON THE CHART SO YOU KNOW IT IS THERE PRIOR TO ARR.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT WHILE THE TXWY IS NOT PHYSICALLY ELEVATED; IT IS PAINTED AROUND THE LIGHTS AS IF IT IS AN ISLAND. AT NIGHT WHEN TOLD TO EXPEDITE RWY CLEARING; THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION COMES UP VERY QUICKLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THE RPTR SUGGESTS THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE REFERENCED ON THE ARPT CHART SO THAT CREWS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.