Abstract Manager

The BC Active Transportation Guide provides a comprehensive framework for designing streets that prioritize safety, comfort, and accessibility for people walking, cycling, and rolling. While much of the focus of Complete Streets initiatives is often placed on geometric design, land use, and corridor planning, a critical yet frequently underrepresented component is the role of traffic control devices. RRFBs, Special Crosswalks, and traffic signals and their associated operational strategies play a fundamental role in shaping user experience, influencing behaviour, and determining safety outcomes at intersections and along active transportation corridors.

Presenter Amy Hunter contributed to the recent updates to the Guide released in 2026 which places a renewed emphasis on the operational and control elements that support active transportation networks. These updates were strongly informed by alignment with Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) principles and by key learnings from the Dutch CROW manual, which are widely recognized for their leadership in bicycle- and pedestrian-oriented design. Rather than directly adopting international practices, the Guide translates these concepts into Canadian-appropriate recommendations that fit within established North American design standards, operational constraints, and long-term maintenance realities. Amy will explain how this approach ensures that the guidance is both progressive and practical, supporting innovation while remaining implementable by agencies of varying size and capacity.

This presentation will focus on some of these traffic signal strategies that improve priority, clarity, and predictability for active transportation users. Topics will include pedestrian and bicycle signal phasing, the application of bicycle-specific intervals, and approaches to minimizing conflicts between vulnerable road users and turning vehicles. The presentation will also address bicycle detection and actuation methods, including considerations for reliability, placement, and user comprehension, as well as signal timing strategies that balance efficiency with safety and comfort for non-motorized users. Finally, the presentation will explore how active transportation objectives can be integrated with broader operational needs such as transit priority and emergency vehicle pre-emption.

Through examples drawn from Canadian practice, this session will bridge policy-level guidance and real-world implementation. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how traffic signal control can be leveraged as a powerful tool to support safe, intuitive, and inclusive active transportation environments, and how international best practices can be thoughtfully adapted to the Canadian context.