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Councilors propose pilot to shorten pedestrian signal waits as part of walkability push
Summary
Councilors at the April 10 retreat discussed long pedestrian-signal waits at busy intersections and proposed a pilot to adjust signal timing or allow pedestrian calls to be honored on the next cycle to support walkability, with staff cautioning about potential vehicle congestion trade-offs.
Pedestrian signal timing and active-transportation access were raised during the retreat as an operational item tied to broader growth and walkability goals.
Councilor Elizabeth said she frequently encounters crosswalks where the pedestrian call takes a long time and asked whether the city could implement technology that would allow a pedestrian to get the next cycle. "I press the button and then when it never really happens, it takes so long for the walk zone to come up that I find some other gap in the traffic to go across the road," Elizabeth said.
Other councilors supported experimenting at a single intersection. Councilor Andrew cautioned that enabling frequent pedestrian interruptions could degrade vehicular throughput in busy peak periods: "If you give pedestrians the ability to interrupt a 4-intersection cycle of lights every time they come up there, no traffic will flow through that intersection ever again, especially at rush hour." Several councilors suggested staff perform a technical review and run a short pilot at a feasible intersection (councilors mentioned the Kennedy and Heineberg Road area as an example where pedestrian waits are noticeable in warmer months).
Staff agreed to investigate options for signal optimization, to assess where technology or retiming could improve pedestrian experience without creating unacceptable vehicle congestion, and to report feasibility and a recommended pilot location and metrics back to council.
