Crosswalks

Part of our Walking Plan is installing in crosswalks to make it safer to walk in Surrey. Even if the intersection doesn’t have a marked crosswalk, drivers still have to yield to pedestrians crossing the road.

Installing new crosswalks

We put crosswalks where people would use them the most and in spots where drivers would expect to stop. To protect young children, we also focus on crosswalk locations near schools.

Putting a crosswalk in the right place can improve safety for people walking and driving, but putting them in the wrong location could make it less safe. We use a warrant system (a way to objectively compare different locations) to choose the right kind of crosswalk.

We look at a few things when evaluating a location for a crosswalk:

• Traffic volume: We look at how much traffic/vehicle volume is in the area.
• Pedestrian volume: We look at how many pedestrians use the area, and pedestrian type (kids, adults, seniors, people with disabilities, etc.)
• Geometric considerations: We look at how wide the road is, the grade of the road, and sightlines.

We also look at things like how close the other crosswalks are, the traffic speed limit of the area, how the land around it is being used, if there is a median, and other landmarks that help us decide if it's a good location.

We also use this information to help determine the best type of crosswalk for a particular location.

If we don’t install a crosswalk at a particular crossing, we encourage pedestrians to cross at the nearest crosswalk where they may feel more comfortable.

How to request a new crosswalk

To request a new crosswalk, please use the Submit a Request service.

Crosswalk signals

Crosswalk signals around the City help improve the mobility and safety of pedestrians in Surrey.

Types of crosswalk signals

In Surrey, vehicles and pedestrians control intersections and indication times at full traffic signals. Vehicles are automatically detected to change a traffic signal, whereas pedestrians push a button to change a traffic signal.

You'll also see one of three crosswalk signals:

1. The walking man indicates you can begin to cross the road.
2. The flashing stop hand means you should not begin to cross the road, because there isn't enough time left to cross the entire crosswalk. But, if you're already in the crosswalk, you can continue to cross.
3. The solid stop hand signifies you should not be in the crosswalk, as vehicles may be crossing paths.

Countdown timers at crosswalks

Countdown timers on crosswalk signals show you how much longer you have to cross a street.

Pedestrian clearance times are one of the most important considerations in a signal timing plan. We also use provincial guidelines as outlined in the Pedestrian Crossing Control Manual to determine how long each of the three pedestrian indications displays for.

Flashing green lights

Pedestrian signals, or half signals, are flashing green lights at an intersection or independent crosswalk. Pedestrians have complete control of these pedestrian signals.

Vehicles have the right-of-way on a street with a flashing green indication. But, when you push the push button, the traffic light will change to red. Then, the Walking Man and Flashing Stop Hand will appear, giving you permission to cross. The side street is always stop-controlled, and vehicles must yield the right-of-way to any conflicting traffic.

You may have to wait longer for the light to change in high traffic volume areas. This is because we coordinate many pedestrian signals with adjacent traffic signals, to minimize stops and reduce vehicle delays in high traffic volume corridors. We do this through the Traffic Management Centre. The wait time at these coordinated traffic signals depends on when you push the button during the signal cycle, and could range from a few seconds to more than a minute.

Audible crosswalk signals

Audible pedestrian devices make the pedestrian indications into audible sounds. We install these audible pedestrian devices at selected traffic signals frequented by visually impaired persons.

To activate the audible signal, you must push the button. The audible signals in Surrey use an internationally recognized standard of bird sounds:

• a cuckoo sound when the north-south walk light is active, and
• a chirp-chirp sound when the east-west walk light is active.

Learn more about pedestrian crosswalk safety through ICBC.

Contact

Surrey's Traffic Operations at traffic@Surrey.ca or 604-591-4338 to request:

• more information on crosswalk signals in Surrey
• a new pedestrian signal installation

Call 604-591-4338 to report a malfunctioning pedestrian signal.