It looks like scramble pedestrian crossings may soon be coming downtown Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver is considering scramble crossings at the 800 block of Robson Plaza.
Two proposed intersections for these new pedestrian crossings include Howe and Robson and Hornby and Robson.
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“These locations are suitable trial candidates for this type of signal operation due to their high pedestrian and vehicle-turning volumes” says city staff in an email.
“As part of the 800 Robson re-design, this type of signal would improve safety for all road users” continues the email.
A pedestrian scramble is an exclusive pedestrian phase at a signalized intersection where vehicular movements are prohibited at all approaches while pedestrians are permitted to cross diagonally and longitudinally. The separation of vehicular and pedestrian movements is intended to reduce conflicts between the two modes.
In 2012, the City of Vancouver conducted a pedestrian-safety study that showed that pedestrian scrambles are moderately-high in costs, but highly effective.
Additionally, a 2010 UBC study evaluating pedestrian scrambles implemented in Oakland, California found “a significant reduction in the number and severity of pedestrian vehicle conflicts (approximately 50%) following the implementation of the scramble”.
Numerous studies have concluded that scramble pedestrian crossings offer the greatest safety benefits at intersections with large volumes of both vehicles and pedestrians.
The City of Vancouver is actively looking into a construction timeline. More details are expected to be announced in the near future.
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