Abstract Manager

This presentation will highlight the key elements of the new Guidelines for Pedestrian Crossings, developed by Parsons, as part of the City of Vaughan's Pedestrian Enhancement Plan. These guidelines are intended to enhance pedestrian safety and connectivity across the City's transportation network, aligning with the City's MoveSmart Mobility Management Strategy, which aims to improve road safety, traffic management, data management, and sustainable mobility, focusing on active transportation through pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

The City of Vaughan, recognized as one of Ontario's fastest-growing municipalities, is presented with an opportunity to develop clear guidelines for the implementation of Pedestrian Crossovers (PXO) and Mid-Block Pedestrian Signals (MPS). These guidelines aim to develop policies, assessment criteria, warrants, and design standards for PXO and MPS to ensure pedestrian safety, particularly for vulnerable groups like children, seniors, and persons with disabilities. The guidelines are structured to cover various aspects, including different types of pedestrian crossing treatments, implementation strategies, updates to existing guidelines, and assessment procedures for new and existing crossings.

The guidelines recommend enhancements to the current approach outlined in Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) Book 15, to address gaps and provide additional details for pedestrian crossing treatments. Key enhancements include adopting first-principles thinking to assess pedestrian safety, considering hourly vehicle and pedestrian volumes instead of daily volumes, using Equivalent Adult Units (EAUs) to account for vulnerable pedestrians, and adjusting pedestrian delay criteria to improve responsiveness to pedestrian safety needs. Further, implementation of new treatments at existing locations, new treatments in future developments, and upgrade and downgrade of existing treatments are all explored separately, capturing the nuances of each situation. Lastly, the guidelines also touch on the interaction of pedestrians and cyclists at crossings and provide recommendations to ensure that both travel modes can co-exist safely.