As cycling infrastructure has proliferated across North America along with the corresponding increase in cycling, considerations of safety are becoming front of mind. How to safely design intersections for cyclists has become of point of increasing attention. The concept of protected intersections has slowly been penetrating cities across Canada; cities such as Vancouver and Ottawa have built several examples and others are in the works. Ottawa, for example, has a protected intersection at Dynes and Fisher.
Recently, Mobycon team members Lennart Nout and Justin Goulding had the opportunity to work with IBI Group to deliver a workshop on protected intersections for the City of Toronto. As with any new idea, establishing a common level of understanding is critical and workshops are ideal for this purpose. The workshops were designed to create a better understanding on why we need protected intersections. We aimed to establish a baseline knowledge with all the internal and external stakeholders first. By presenting the historical context of protected intersections in the Netherlands and North America, identifying key design considerations and frequent challenges, we brought everyone quickly to the same page.
All participants were encouraged to engage with the material and voice their questions and concerns. This process really provided an opportunity to identify context specific challenges to be addressed as the City moves forward with next steps.
Following the background information, the workshop led participants through a design exercise in which previously identified intersections were redesigned using the principles of a protected intersection. While very conceptual in nature, this exercise provided invaluable insights to how much space was (or wasn’t) available and what these streets might look like with safety as a priority.
We are eager to see how the City will use this knowledge to improve the safety for all!
Mobycon gives workshops on many different aspects of integrated mobility in many countries! If you are interested in an English language workshop based on Dutch knowledge of proven concepts, contact Elizabeth Allingham at: e.allingham@Mobycon.com.
