This past week saw some long awaited good news on active transport infrastructure in Vancouver. On 29 May Vancouver City Council unanimously voted to direct staff to identify and then allocate additional funds and capacity to accelerate the installation of pedestrian safety measures across the city, particularly around schools, community centres, and parks. They directed staff to:
- Set specific targets to increase the number of pedestrian-controlled traffic signals and flashing pedestrian crossing beacons,
- increase the number of leading pedestrian interval (LPI) crossings which give pedestrians a head start crossing ahead of drivers moving in the same direction,
- restrict right turns on red lights at LPI-enabled intersections,
- implement “daylighting” of intersections (restricting parking close to an intersection to increase visibility),
- look at additional measures including road narrowing to reduce vehicle speeds, raised zebras crossings, curb bulges, accessible pedestrian signals, increased walk times, and other mechanisms that provide visual cues and signals for drivers to reduce speed at “pedestrian-driver interface points”.
The motion was amended during the meeting to also direct staff to seek opportunities to review the timing of pedestrian walk signals at all intersections within 250 meters of schools to accelerate the updating of these signals to comply with the Transportation Association of Canada guidelines (1.0 metres per second walking speed).
Staff were directed to report back to Council in June as part of the Mid-term Capital Update.
Council’s decision is a step in the right direction but there’s a lot more to be done. We’re hoping to see more investment and better decisions from the ABC majority on Council to install traffic calming infrastructure including separated cycling paths and automated enforcement infrastructure (speed and red light cameras). Many schools, parks and community centres are located on arterial roads and effective automated enforcement is required to compel drivers to stick to the speed limit in these sensitive locations.
The ABC supermajority on Council is clearly reacting to the huge groundswell of public pressure demanding action to make our streets safer. Community groups like the W16th Schools Safety Coalition and Vision Zero Vancouver have been very effectively applying pressure to compel ABC to take action on pedestrian safety, especially around schools.
ABC may also be reacting to the loud backlash against their decisions to remove the separated bike lane on Stanley Park Drive, not to install separated bike lanes on 8 kms of Broadway, to reduce the speed limit on Cornwall to 40 kms/hr instead of 30 kms/hr, to water down a motion to install speed and red light cameras at the most dangerous intersections in Vancouver and to reduce safety and induce traffic by restoring two-way motor vehicle traffic on Beach Avenue between Denman Street and Stanley Park.
We thank councilors Lenny Zhou and Lisa Dominato for engaging with us on this important motion. Hopefully this encouraging development on pedestrian safety is the harbinger of better decisions on traffic calming and active transport infrastructure rather than a one-off attempt to appease voters who have repeatedly expressed outrage at the public safety crisis on Vancouver’s roads.
About: Vision Zero Vancouver is a volunteer citizen advocacy group working to end traffic crashes resulting in death and serious injury in the Lower Mainland. We advocate for traffic safety changes, with an emphasis on safe-street design, diverse transportation options, and the prioritization of human life.
Media Inquiries: media@visionzerovancouver.ca
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Vision Zero Vancouver 