Whereas the design and rules of the road should ensure that all British Columbians can arrive at their destination safely and recognizing that traffic fatalities and serious injuries are preventable; And whereas the Province of BC has the goal of having the safest roads in North America by 2020: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Province of British Columbia to prioritize safety measures for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and those in wheelchairs and mobility devices.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Government is constantly looking at new solutions that promote a high level of safety for all road users on British Columbias roads and highways. The Province is working together with our road safety partners to advance Vision Zero so that British Columbia will have the safest roads in North America with the ultimate goal of zero traffic fatalities. The Province continues to work together with stakeholders through the BC Road Safety Strategy, which is made up of road safety partners from across the province who come together to explore and work on ways in which we can make our roads safer in British Columbia. Most recently, as part of the strategy, the Province released three modules of the BC Community Road Safety Toolkit, a resource which provides information for local governments on proven road safety best practices, including those that can improve safety for vulnerable road users. In addition, the Province of British Columbia has been working with the federal, provincial and territorial governments to develop a report that identifies different strategies and countermeasures that could be used by jurisdictions to address heavy vehicle interactions with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. It is anticipated that this report will be made available as a reference document for all Canadian jurisdictions.