AS of today (Thursday), people making their way around or through the four corners of Robson and Hornby Street will notice a new traffic signal operation, as the City of Vancouver launches a trial of the all-walk crosswalk.

An all-walk offers the greatest safety benefits at intersections with large volumes of both pedestrians and turning vehicles.

“Our aim is to address some of the turning conflicts with vehicles as left turns are one of the highest incident collisions,” says Winston Chou, Manager of Traffic and Data Management with the City of Vancouver. “We’re looking at the all-walk phase as a way to deal with that conflict and improve safety for everyone.”

With approximately 2,500 pedestrians on a typical busy hour passing through the area, the trial will provide the opportunity to assess the impacts of the new signal operation during the busy summer months of July and August when pedestrian volumes are at their highest.

All-Walk versus Scramble

An all-walk is a traffic signal operation where all vehicle traffic is stopped and pedestrians from any corner can walk within the existing painted crosswalks at the same time. In contrast, a traditional scramble allows diagonal crossing.

The City will be analyzing the intersection operation during the trial to assess whether the longer-term roll-out would also include diagonal crossing.

800 Robson – Upcoming Plaza Construction

Construction of the permanent plaza for 800 Robson is scheduled to begin this fall. Pedestrian access through the plaza will be maintained during this work.

For more information and to view the final designs, visit vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/robson-plaza-consultation.