A Wolfe Av & Tecumseh Av/W 16th Av Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) installation will help serve all pedestrians using the crossing, benefitting the vulnerable senior population of the Shaughnessy neighbourhood and the school children of École Bilingue Elementary the most. The project will include solar-powered pedestrian-controlled flashers on both sides of the crossing with accessible pedestrian signal push buttons and a repaint of the existing marked zebra crosswalk.
The existing crosswalk at Wolfe Av & Tecumseh Av/W 16th Av helps to connect Shaughnessy Park to the shops and buses on Oak St and school children to L'École Bilingue Elementary. W 16th Av is also a busy arterial street and the skew in the intersection can make it hard to navigate at times. With Vancouver’s increasing population, a crossing upgrade at this location is needed to help meet the City’s goal of increasing its active travel mode share safely and sustainably.
Past community feedback the City has received about this crossing include visibility issues and feelings of uneasiness due to a lack of vehicles yielding at the crosswalk. Some pedestrians have also reported they would rather take a longer detour at an adjacent signal over 300m way, just to avoid using the crossing at Wolfe Av & Tecumseh Av.
The existing crosswalk currently serves as one way for school children to commute to L'École Bilingue Elementary. Upgrading this intersection may encourage other families to choose more active modes of transportation when commuting to and from school.
An RRFB at this location will help pedestrians in choosing a shorter, safer route to cross W 16th Av.
Photo source: Pexels. Photo is shown for illustration purposes only and may not be an accurate representation of the project.
