National Pedestrian Safety Month: Uptown Village

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, and this is an issue that is very important to me as an avid walker. I live on the north side of downtown Vancouver, and I walk several miles every day. There are some street crossings in the city where I do not feel safe as a pedestrian due to excessive speed and lack of attention by drivers. Typical transportation design in our country is focused on moving cars quickly and efficiently through the roadway network. Driver speed and convenience is often prioritized over pedestrian safety. Vancouver is no different from other American cities in this regard; however, an exception to this is the Uptown Village section of Main Street.

Automobile drivers are more likely to travel at high speeds when there are fewer constraints on the road. Conversely, when structural limitations are added to a roadway, drivers will slow down. This article notes a correlation between lane widths and crash fatalities. Taking a look at Main Street north of Mill Plain, the travel lane is more than adequate to accomodate this SUV with plenty of width between it and the parking bay.

Because drivers feel less constrained on this stretch of Main Street, there is likely to be more speeding. I walk this stretch of Main Street several times a week, and I notice more speeders here than in the section of Main Street I will discuss below. The gentleman in the SUV appeared to be travelling at a safe speed, so kudos to him.

From 19th Street to 25th Street, the width of Main Street narrows by approximately three feet. In the photos below, you can see the newer pavement extending from the original curb line approximately 18 inches.

Additionally, smaller curb radii were added at the street intersections to slow down cars turning onto and off of Main.

I applaud the City for attempting to install a raised crosswalk at Main and 24th, but I do not think it is working as intended. Raised crosswalks are typically constructed at the same elevation as the adjacent sidewalk, with the roadway ramping up to it over a very short distance like this. This encouragers drivers to slow down when approaching the crosswalk. As designed, this crosswalk is only slightly higher than the roadway, making the ramp approaches too gradual. I have not observed many motorists slowing down here.

The City recently constructed a much better raised crosswalk at 9th and Broadway with the Broadway Corridor Improvement Project completed earlier this year.

Overall, these alterations have provided a safer and more pleasant streetscape by slowing down traffic and providing a wider sidewalk. The additional space has allowed several outdoor dining areas to open to further elevate the Uptown Village pedestrian experience.

I hope to see more thoughtful street design such as this in the walkable core of Vancouver in the coming years.