How we are improving transportation safety

Fatality rates in Vancouver are low compared to other peer cities, but there is still room for improvement.

To reach zero traffic related fatalities and serious injuries, we are:

Evaluating hospital and ambulance injury data to understand traffic related serious injuries and make decisions based on that data
Identifying priority intersections and corridors
Piloting new safety strategies and devices
Engaging with the public to travel safely
Continuing to work with our safety partners, such as the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and the ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC) to:
- Develop targeted enforcement programs to tackle dangerous behaviours at priority locations
- Inspect commercial vehicles with other municipalities, as well as provincial commercial safety and enforcement agencies
- Cost share infrastructure upgrades that improve safety through ICBC’s Road Improvement Program , Translink's Local Government Funding Program , and Vision Zero BC .

New tools we are piloting

We’ve introduced 4 safety measures that have worked well in other cities.

Pedestrian scramble
A pedestrian scramble is a signalized intersection that has an exclusive pedestrian-only phase. The crossing allows pedestrians to cross simultaneously in all directions, including diagonally, while vehicles in all directions are stopped.

Scrambles help pedestrians by:
- Increasing their opportunities to cross
- Allowing them to cross an intersection without any conflicting vehicle movements
- Shortening their crossing distances
- Increasing area placemaking
There is one pilot location at Granville Street and Robson Street, which permits pedestrian to cross during the pedestrian scramble phase and concurrently with vehicle movements during other phases.

Next steps

We will monitor and evaluate the pilot to guide us on any modifications that it might need and following evaluation, we may recommend scrambles at other locations.
Flashing beacons
Flashing beacons are high-intensity lights at crosswalks that people activate to alert drivers to stop.

Progress to date
- Drivers yielding to pedestrians increased from 50% to 98%
- Audible tones and voice messages installed at flashing beacons, based on recommendations from the Disabilities Advisory Committee
- Since 2016, we've installed 78 flashing beacons across the city
Next steps
- Install flashing beacons at 5 to 15 new locations each year
Accessible pedestrian signals
Accessible pedestrian signals use sound and vibration to help people who are blind or have low vision know when to cross at signalized intersections.

We developed the requirements for accessible pedestrian signals in consultation with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB ) and Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers (ASIC ).

Progress to date

Since 2021, we’ve installed 66 accessible signals across the city.

Next steps
- Install new accessible pedestrian signals at new signal locations
- Upgrade existing signals going into rehabilitation
- Develop a prioritized list of locations
Leading pedestrian intervals
Leading pedestrian intervals give pedestrians a 5-second head start to enter an intersection with a green signal in the same direction of travel.

This improves visibility and reinforces the right of way over turning vehicles, especially at higher-risk locations.

Progress to date

Since 2021, we've installed 87 LPIs across the city.

Next steps
- Install leading pedestrian intervals at 10 to 30 new locations each year.

Effectiveness of safety upgrades: Studies and findings

We investigate how safety upgrades reduce collisions and fatalities at priority locations using before and after, near-miss, and collision studies. These findings help us decide where and how to prioritize safety funding.

Near-miss studies involving pedestrians and cyclists

Studies completed between 2016 to 2022

Safety upgrades	Study locations	Who it affects	Change in near misses
Protected intersections	Burrard St and Pacific St	Pedestrians and cyclists	-95%
Protected right turn phase	Beatty St and Smithe St Quebec St and E 2nd Ave	Cyclists	-67% -86%
Leading pedestrian intervals (LPI)	Granville St and Smithe St Thurlow St and Pacific St	Pedestrians	-12% -20%

Marked crosswalk study

Study completed in 2025

A before and after conflict rate study was done for each upgrade across 11 locations.

Safety upgrades	Change in pedestrian near misses
Converted parallel to zebra crosswalks at signals	-66%
Converted unmarked to zebra crosswalks at unsignalized intersections	-73%
Added zebra crosswalk in front of a stop sign at unsignalized intersections	-16% to -18%
Added zebra crosswalk in front of a stop sign at a pedestrian signal	-31%

Collision studies

Studies completed in 2026

Safety upgrades	Study locations (count)	All collisions (fatal, injury, and property damage)	All collisions (fatal and injury)	Notes
Pedestrian and cyclist-actuated signal (with existing crosswalk)	20		-33%	Pedestrian and cyclist collisions: -43% Pedestrian collisions: -75%
Countdown timers	8	-13% to -30%	-20% to -30%
Corner clearances	6	-31%	-42%
LED lighting	8	-14%		-24% for all collisions after dark

How we are improving transportation safety

New tools we are piloting

Pedestrian scramble

Flashing beacons

Accessible pedestrian signals

Leading pedestrian intervals

Effectiveness of safety upgrades: Studies and findings

Near-miss studies involving pedestrians and cyclists

Marked crosswalk study

Collision studies

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