One downtown Vancouver intersection will be operating a bit differently this summer.
An “all-walk” crosswalk opened up on Robson Street and Hornby Street Thursday, allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions while traffic is brought to a halt.
The trial program is set to last until the end of August, during which the city will measure its effects on pedestrian safety and traffic flow.
“We found that left turns off Robson and onto Robson is one of the highest reasons for collisions between pedestrians and vehicles,” the city’s manager of traffic and data management Winston Chou said at the crosswalk’s unveiling.
“We think giving pedestrians as much time as possible to cross is important.”
Roughly 2,500 pedestrians make their way through the area in a typical hour, the city estimates, making it one of the busiest crossing points in the downtown core.
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The all-walk crosswalk differs from the more common scramble crosswalk seen in communities like Steveston, where pedestrians can cross diagonally.
The city said diagonal crossings may be considered for the Robson and Hornby intersection during the trial.
For now, Chou said the number of turning vehicles within the intersection make installing a scramble crosswalk difficult.
He added it could only work if pedestrians are barred from crossing while vehicles are given turn-only signals, further slowing traffic. But he didn’t rule that option out.
“We will study this throughout the next few weeks and make adjustments as necessary,” he said. “Our number one priority here is pedestrian safety.”
The trial comes ahead of this fall’s construction of the revamped Robson Plaza, which will set in place a permanent social gathering area outside the Vancouver Art Gallery building.
That includes blocking off the 800-block of Robson to vehicle traffic, replacing it with a paved area complete with seating and public art.
Construction is set to wrap up by spring 2020.
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