The one and only major intersection in Vancouver where you can safely and legally cross diagonally is the intersection of Robson Street and Granville Street.
As of today, the newly installed pedestrian scramble at this downtown Vancouver intersection — one of the busiest intersections in the city for pedestrian traffic — has been activated, enabling pedestrians to cross diagonally.
The intersection’s traffic signals have been changed to incorporate a signal phase that stops all vehicle traffic movements in all directions. At this point, all digital walking person signs are illuminated to allow pedestrians to cross in all six directions — both horizontally and diagonally.
To establish the pedestrian scramble, City of Vancouver crews installed accessible pedestrian signals (APS) to provide audible and vibrotactile cues to alert people who are blind or who have low vision to the walk cycle. This includes installing four additional digital crossing signs, with each sign oriented to face the diagonal crossing, as well as special posted signage with the pedestrian scramble symbol.
When observed by Daily Hive Urbanized this afternoon, it was highly apparent that many people were unaware of the existence of the brand new pedestrian scramble and/or how to use it, especially since the diagonal paint markings had yet to be installed.
Granville-Robson pedestrian scramble’s launch on July 30, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Granville-Robson pedestrian scramble’s launch on July 30, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The pedestrian scramble design includes the installation of clear scramble paint markings, but this was not ready in time for today’s launch of the new signal phase. According to the City, the installation of the diagonal paint markings were delayed due to rainfall and will be installed Wednesday evening. An “X” for the diagonal crossing has already been lightly etched into the pavement in preparation for painting.
As a result of the pedestrian scramble, there are now more frequent signalized pedestrian crossing patterns at this busy intersection. Each pedestrian scramble phase lasts about 30 seconds, giving pedestrians ample time to cross. The scramble phase occurs every other cycle of the regular crossing pattern.
City staff previously indicated the intersection of Robson and Granville streets was chosen for the pedestrian scramble pilot project due to its high pedestrian traffic volumes and relatively low vehicle traffic volumes, apart from the frequent north-south movement of TransLink buses. This intersection is within the bus-only segment of Granville Street in downtown Vancouver.
The municipal government will monitor the intersection’s performance to guide potential modifications and future implementation at other locations.
Granville-Robson pedestrian scramble’s launch on July 30, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Granville-Robson pedestrian scramble’s launch on July 30, 2024. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
According to City staff, such pedestrian scrambles offer benefits that include prioritizing pedestrian safety and convenience, reducing crossing distance and time, and enhancing the intersection’s prominence, which contributes to a more vibrant and lively urban environment.
“I am excited to see the new scramble crossing move forward at this iconic downtown intersection. It will improve safety and increase convenience for pedestrians,” Vancouver city councillor Peter Meiszner, who moved a member motion in 2023 for such a pilot project, previously told Daily Hive Urbanized.
Up to $500,000 from the provincial government’s Growing Community Fund allocation of $26 million to the City of Vancouver was originally set aside for this pedestrian scramble pilot project, but City staff later lowered the cost to between $100,000 and $200,000 from the advantages of choosing the location of the intersection of Granville and Robson streets, which enables a lower cost from the ability to upgrade existing newer traffic signal equipment.
A pedestrian scramble was previously found at the nearby intersection of Granville Street and West Hastings Street between 1953 and 1970.
Some of the world’s most well-known pedestrian scrambles are at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, Oxford Circus in London, and Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. More locally, there has been a pedestrian scramble at the intersection of Moncton Street and No. 1 Road at Steveston Village in Richmond since 2011.
Pedestrian scrambles are different from an all-walk intersection, such as the intersection of Robson Street and Hornby Street, which has a signal pattern that enables pedestrians to cross horizontally, not diagonally.