Transportation Safety Information
Collision Dashboard
The City has recently developed a Collision Dashboard to visualize crashes across the city in real time. The Collision Dashboard is an interactive display of collision data on streets in Vancouver. The dashboard allows users to view collision locations and information about the crashes using a web-based map with a series of charts. Users can filter collisions by date, time, mode, and severity.
Data goes back to 2015 and is gathered from collision reports collected by law enforcement and distributed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, with the dashboard being updated with new data on a monthly basis. The development of the dashboard came from the results of the Transportation System Safety Analysis (TSSA).
Traveling Safely in the Community
The way we move is changing quickly, with many new options for how you may choose to get around.
As part of the Complete Street Program, the City of Vancouver has installed new bicycle improvements throughout the community to provide safe, accessible streets for all users, ages, and abilities, regardless of how you choose to travel.
These illustrations show what people riding bikes, walking, and driving vehicles should do when encountering new bicycle improvements throughout the city.
Bike Box
When the light turns green, people biking cross the intersection first and enter the bike lane on the other side of the intersection.
Bicycles: Position yourself in front of people driving.
Vehicles: Stay behind the white line. No right turn on red.
Example: City of Bellingham, WA: Bike Boxes
Protected Intersection
Protected intersections include “refuges” at each corner where people walking and biking can wait to cross the street when people driving have the right-of-way.
Bicycles and Pedestrians: Wait in the refuge for your turn to cross the street once clear.
Vehicles: Look out for people biking and walking when crossing the intersection.
Example: Salt Lake City, UT: Protected Intersection
Parking Protected Bike Lane
Parking-protected bike lanes include bike lanes by the curbs, with buffer areas on the driving lane sides. There is a parking lane between the bike lane buffer and the driving lane on one or more sides of the street.
Bicycles: Take care when entering and exiting the bike lanes, and use caution when crossing intersections.
Vehicles: Use caution when exiting the parking space and crossing the bike lane to access the curb.
Example: Philadelphia, PA: Parking protected bike lane
Two-Stage Left Turn Box
Two-stage left turn boxes are designed to give bicyclists a safe way to turn left through an intersection.
- Bicycles: Cross straight through the intersection with the green light and wait in the green box.
- Vehicles: Wait for the next signal to change and then cross with the green light. No right turn on red.
Example: City of Cambridge, MA: Two Stage Turn Boxes
Leading Pedestrian Interval
A leading pedestrian interval (LPI) is a part of the traffic signal that allows people walking to cross the street before people driving and biking get the green light.
Pedestrians: Look both ways and then cross the street when the walking person light turns white.
Vehicles: Wait until the signal turns green and then look out for people biking and walking before moving or turning.
Bicycles: Cross the street in line with the bike lane. When the light turns green, look out for people walking when moving or turning.
Bike Lane Extension
Bike lane extensions are designed to provide a visible area of travel through an intersection.
Bicycles: Bike through the intersection on the green dashed lines.
Vehicles: Look out for people biking when turning right or left.
Bike Signal
Bicycle signals are designed to separate bicyclists from the driving lane and give them priority in high-conflict areas. When the bike signal turns green, people biking cross the intersection first.
Bicycles: Look both ways and then ride across the intersection when the bike signal light turns green.
Vehicles: Wait until the traffic signal turns green for drivers and then look out for people biking and walking before moving or turning.
Protected Bike Lane
Protected bike lanes include bike lanes by the curbs, with buffer areas on the driving lane sides. The buffers include vertical devices that keep people driving from entering the bike lanes.
Bicycles: Take care when entering and exiting the bike lanes, and use caution when crossing intersections.
Vehicles: Do not try to enter or park in the bike lanes.
Example: City of Tallahassee, FL: Protected Bike Lanes
Sharrows
Sharrows are road markings used to indicate a shared lane for people riding bikes and divers. The road markings help alert drivers to the potential presence of people riding bikes.
Bicycles: Position yourself in line with the sharrow markings and ride in the direction the arrow is pointing.
Vehicles: Keep an eye out for people riding bikes. Drive slowly and provide at least 3 feet of space when passing.
Bicycle Safety
- Bicycle Maps: In addition to the Vancouver/Clark County Bike Map, you will also find links to other local and regional maps from across Vancouver, Washington State and Oregon.
- Taking Your Bike on the Bus: Learn how to combine your bike trip with a transit trip through videos and how-to instructions from both CTRAN and TriMet.
- Bicycle Safety and Laws: Concerned about bicycle safety? Want to make sure you understand traffic laws that apply to bicyclists? Click to learn more about bicycle safety and bicycle related laws, including helpful links to other sources.
