Abstract Manager

The City of Surrey is steadfast in its commitment to enhancing street safety, particularly for pedestrians, aligning with the Vision Zero objective of eliminating all fatalities and severe injuries on city streets. Despite constituting only 3% of the transportation modal share, pedestrians account for over 33% of individuals involved in killed or seriously injured (KSI) collisions in Surrey. This alarming overrepresentation underscores the critical need for a comprehensive study to understand trends, causes, and inform targeted policies and safety initiatives.

The Pedestrian Safety Study aims to answer key questions about collisions involving pedestrians within the City's road network. Utilizing a data-driven and evidence-based safety analysis, the study explores where these collisions occur, what happens at these incidents, why they happen, who is involved, and when they occur. The approach includes GIS systems for data management and mapping, utilizing geospatial analysis and socio-demographic data from Census Canada. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods, such as t-tests and multiple regression, identify correlations between pedestrian collisions and various variables.

Key findings highlight that pedestrian KSI collisions are concentrated around high-population density neighborhoods, intersecting with areas of elevated pedestrian activity and major intersections involving arterial roads. The majority of incidents occur at intersections (53%), with 34% at mid-block locations, predominantly during fall and winter months. Specific demographic groups, such as young adults and single-parent families in low-income and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, are identified as being at higher risk.

The study recommends countermeasures, including localized interventions for collision-prone areas and comprehensive systemic actions addressing broader risk factors. This includes a countermeasures toolbox and a decision-support tool, which can be applied based on specific pedestrian collision types. Additionally, it advocates for the development of a tailored pedestrian data collection program for Surrey to facilitate future safety studies. The insights gleaned from this study offer a robust foundation for targeted policies and initiatives aimed at achieving safer streets for all.

The study recommends countermeasures, including localized interventions for collision-prone areas and comprehensive systemic actions addressing broader risk factors. Additionally, it advocates for the development of a tailored pedestrian data collection program for Surrey to facilitate future safety studies. The insights gleaned from this study offer a robust foundation for targeted policies and initiatives aimed at achieving safer streets for all.