Abstract Manager

The intersection of Sixth Avenue and Second Street in New Westminster, adjacent to Herbert Spencer Elementary School, serves as a vital connection within a residential neighbourhood and a daily route for hundreds of students and families. Recurring curb-mounting incidents and a notably high proportion of injury collisions underscored the need for road safety improvements. These concerns were further amplified by local residents describing incidents not documented in collision records. In response, the City of New Westminster conducted an internal investigation and subsequently retained ISL Engineering and Land Services to undertake a comprehensive Road Safety Review.

The primary objective of the RSR was to identify the underlying factors contributing to pedestrian-vehicle conflicts and injury collisions, and to develop practical, evidence-based countermeasures to improve pedestrian safety, driver behaviour, and overall intersection operations in a school-area context.

The study combined multiple data sources and analysis methods, including collision data from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and police reports, field observations, qualitative perspectives informed by the local community, operational performance modelling, speed studies, and AI-based Video Conflict Analysis using TrafxSAFE technology. Over 60 hours of intersection footage revealed frequent pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, particularly at the east and north leg crosswalks adjacent to the school, along with aggressive turning movements, queue spillback, limited sightlines, and non-compliance with the 30 km/h school zone speed limit. These findings reinforced the need for targeted road safety interventions.

Guided by Vision Zero principles and the Safe System approach, ISL developed a suite of achievable, data-driven countermeasures to reduce collision risk and enhance safety for all road users. Recommended improvements include converting the existing pedestrian-actuated signal to a full traffic signal with LPIs and no right-turn-on-red, installing speed feedback signage, enhancing school-zone and decorative crosswalk pavement markings, constructing curb extensions and speed tables, and improving intersection lighting.

A qualitative risk assessment found that the proposed measures collectively reduce the risk of KSI collisions from high or medium to low or medium levels, with the most significant safety benefits associated with speed reduction, intersection formalization, and enhanced pedestrian priority.

Many of the recommended improvements can be implemented as pilot projects using modular materials to test their effectiveness prior to permanent construction.

Overall, this project demonstrates how evidence-based analysis, community collaboration, and adaptive design – supported by conflict analysis technology – can create safer school environments and provide a replicable model for municipalities seeking to translate VZ principles into practical, human-centered design outcomes.