How are pedestrians in Vancouver being impacted by separated bike lanes?

This research evaluates the impacts that Vancouver’s downtown separated bike lanes have on pedestrians. Within Downtown Vancouver, there are more trips taken as pedestrians than via vehicle, transit, and bicycle combined. Walking is also the City of Vancouver’s highest transportation priority because it is the most sustainable mode, and the most vulnerable to collision injuries. In this research, interviews and content analysis of separated bike lane documents found evidence of positive impacts on pedestrians’ safety, but also insufficient data to conclusively determine the extent of suspected impacts on the pedestrian environment. Therefore a pedestrian impact survey explored impacts to the pedestrian environment using necessary, optional and social activity indicators, which highlighted further potentially positive impacts. This research concludes by recommending that the pedestrian impact survey forms the basis for a standardized survey tool, which would compare and track changes to any pedestrian environment.