The Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program was launched in April 2010 as a three year pilot project. The objective of the project was to develop a customized process that combines traffic engineering with public engagement, for prioritizing and programming road safety improvements for pedestrians crossing roadways at signalized and non-signalized intersections within the City of Ottawa. During the pilot project period, a number of intersections will be reviewed from a pedestrian safety perspective. Most of the intersections are being selected in coordination with the Infrastructure Services Department (ISD) staff and the pedestrian safety review is incorporated in the planning and design phases of roadway reconstruction projects. The Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program process contains the following phases, which all rely heavily on local community involvement: Prioritization or “network screening”; Diagnosis or investigation; Countermeasures evaluation and programming; and, Monitoring. Analytical tools have been developed to assist staff and the community in the prioritization and countermeasure evaluation phases of the Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program. Applying this Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program will help minimize the frequency and severity of preventable collisions involving pedestrians by providing guidance in the selection of cost-effective countermeasures, improving the speed at which a decision can be reached, and improving the accuracy of the decision that is reached. Donald Street and Vanier Parkway, and Carling Avenue and Holland Avenue, were the first two intersections in Ottawa to be reviewed from a pedestrian safety perspective with the help of community associations and residents. The analytical tools and guidelines developed were used to identify pedestrian safety risks and issues. Candidate treatments to mitigate the identified risks were identified and selected. The planned improvements are now in the detail design phase, and construction is expected to begin this spring/summer.
