A new traffic signal began operating earlier this month on Scott Road, but a bigger plan is in the works to improve traffic safety along the corridor.
Located between 70th and 72nd avenues, the new four-way signal is a joint project between the cities of Delta and Surrey, making it easier for drivers exiting the shopping malls on both sides of the street.
The new signal also ties into the goals of Delta’s and Surrey’s Vision Zero goals. Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a road system with no fatalities or serious injuries.
One of the key differences between Vision Zero and traditional approaches to road safety is that traffic collisions are considered preventable, viewing safety as a shared responsibility between system designers, policy makers and road users.
Having retained a consultant to help formulate a Vision Zero plan, the City of Delta has started community outreach and engagement and will also assemble a special stakeholder group.
A new plan is to be approved for implementation by 2024.
Meanwhile, both Delta and Surrey are working together on a separate Vision Zero initiative for the Scott Road corridor, focusing on the stretch between 64th and 96th avenues.
ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. released a report last year examining the corridor, noting both cities recognize the roadway is a high priority for safety improvements.
A Transportation Association of Canada Field Observation report was referenced for all the study intersections.
The section between 64th Avenue and 96th Avenues was identified as Delta’s “most significant killed and seriously injured” hot spot area, while it also includes five of Surrey’s top 50 Vision Zero intersections.
The goal is to improve road safety and traffic operation at 10 key intersections along the corridor by reviewing the traffic conditions, evaluating historic collisions, identifying any existing and potential safety and operational issues, then coming up with options, including cost estimates, for possible corridor and site-specific safety countermeasures.
“The addition of transit priority measures to accommodate TransLink’s proposed R6 RapidBus services present both a challenge and an opportunity from a road safety perspective. Providing the R6 corridor (between 72 Avenue and 96 Avenue) is a significant step towards reimagining this car-dependent commercial corridor to a vibrant people-centric commercial community,” the report notes.