This project will improve user equity by adding a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) signal to improve driver compliance and pedestrian safety at a location in the downtown Chilliwack that crosses one of the busiest arterial truck routes in the city, is close to the downtown transit exchange, and is frequently used by vulnerable and marginalized community members.

The City will install a RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon) crosswalk at the intersection of Yale Road and Kipp Avenue in downtown Chilliwack. The crosswalk is currently marked with signs and parallel markings, but residents feel the crosswalk is unsafe due to low vehicle compliance, speeding, and heavy vehicle volumes.

Yale Road is a major arterial road and truck route through the heart of the City. It was originally designed as the first Trans Canada Highway before the current freeway alignment was built. With over 14,000 vehicles per day as per 2021 traffic counts, Yale Road is extremely busy for a two lane road cross section.

This location is in the core of the City, is within the downtown transit exchange, crosses one of the busiest arterial truck routes in the City, and is frequently used by vulnerable and marginalized members such as the houseless, seniors, new immigrants, and urban Indigenous persons. While there is high pedestrian demand now, this will only increase as the downtown land use and development plan comes to fruition.

The goals of this project are to decrease collisions, increase compliance, improve equity, increase pedestrian traffic, and encourage pedestrians to cross at this intersection. RRFB installations, as documented at several other locations throughout the City, will help improve these safety measures.