The Safe Crossings Program will focus on improvements to crossing locations over the next 4 years.
Safe crossings are essential to community connectivity, safety, and livability. Each year the Safe Crossings Program upgrades pedestrian crossings across Edmonton. The program is a key action in the Safe Mobility Strategy 2021-2025.
Since Vision Zero was adopted in 2015 and has grown to upgrade approximately 100 pedestrian crossings per year.
View the status of each planned and completed project by visiting the Safe Crossings Dashboard or the Safe Streets Map.
The best way to notify the City about unsafe pedestrian crossings is to contact 311and report your experience or concerns about unsafe crossings. The City uses 311 information to identify and prioritize locations for the Safe Crossings Program.
To explore in depth information about the Safe Crossings Program, visit the Safe Crossings Dashboard. If you’re curious about finding out about what’s been improved and what’s planned around you, explore the Safe Streets Map.
Safe Crossings Program projects are funded through the Traffic Safety Automated Enforcement Reserve, which reinvests automated enforcement revenue in safe and livable streets improvements.
Approximate cost of materials and installation for various countermeasures:
- Full signal: $275,000
- Pedestrian half signal: $150,000
- Overhead flasher: $100,000
- Rapid flashing beacon (powered): $40,000
- Rapid flashing beacon (solar): $25,000
Curb extensions, two-stage crossings, raised crosswalks, and signal changes vary in cost from location to location based on the amount of materials, signage requirements, and design considerations.
Most often, these signals are on busy roads with many other traffic lights that are coordinated with one another. These traffic lights have specific timing cycles that people intending to cross will have to wait through before their light changes allowing them to proceed. This will happen most often during peak times.
Assessment & Prioritization
Using a GBA+ lens, the Safe Crossings Program uses an evidence based prioritization process to provide equitable access to safety. This is important because based on findings in the Safe Mobility Strategy, the City does not hear from residents in communities that experience the most crashes.
Crossing locations are carefully considered for upgrade, including community needs and feedback, equitable safety, future growth and existing infrastructure.
Seeking to account for residents’ needs so that the City can increase access to community gathering locations and essential services (such as schools, playgrounds, senior centres and hospitals).
This is done by noting bus stop locations, bus ridership, and census data that reflects the percentage of people who do not use a personal vehicle as their primary mode of transportation.
Considering how people are currently using the crossing and factors which impact their experience by seeking to understand the number of people walking, cycling, driving, and using mobility aids, crash history, proximity to other safe crossing locations, and roadway characteristics, such as the number of lanes.
Factoring in modelling and plans from the City Plan that identifies a predicted increase in population by 2030 and primary and secondary corridors to support safe streets and livable communities as we grow.
Reflecting on what we’ve heard from Edmontonians through public inquiries and public engagement.
Selecting the Right Tool
The tool used for each crossing upgrade is carefully selected. These tools provide protection for people walking, cycling, or rolling, encourage slower speeds, and provide drivers with more reaction time and visibility so all road users can feel safe.
The number of vehicles, number of lanes of traffic people need to cross, presence of a median, speed limit, and proximity to existing safe crossing tools, influence what kind of added measure will be selected. The City often goes above and beyond national safety guidelines in how crossings are upgraded to support our progress toward our goal of Vision Zero.
These aren’t the only tools used in the City when it comes to crossings. Visit Pedestrian Crossings to learn about other types of crosswalks.