People walking or riding their bikes now have a safer way to cross Oxford Street at the William Street intersection. A new signalized crossing constructed this fall includes raised concrete barriers separating drivers from cyclists, as well as a setback crossing to improve the visibility of pedestrians.
The intersection design is new to London and provides a protected place for cyclists to wait, as well as a conveniently located button for cyclists to initiate the signalized crossing. The improvements mean people riding their bike do not have to walk back and forth between the road and the sidewalk to press a button to cross. The new design also provides traffic calming on William Street by restricting drivers from going straight or turning left onto Oxford Street.
“The design is one of the first of its kind in Ontario, and it is widely used in other North American cities to improve safety and convenience for people walking and riding bikes,” says Daniel Hall, Program Manager of Active Transportation. “Adding a pedestrian and bicycle signal at this intersection better connects the Old North and the Piccadilly area neighbourhoods, helps people reach the London Transit bus stops on both sides of Oxford Street, and makes William Street a more desirable street to bike on.”
Before the construction of this new crossing, there had been a 700 metre gap on Oxford Street between the existing signalized crossings at Colborne Street and at Adelaide Street. The changes help address this gap and reduce the travel time for people walking or riding their bike hoping to cross the street.
With the crossing now operational and drivers on William Street restricted to right turns onto Oxford Street, drivers are encouraged to look for new signage at the intersection and to choose an alternate route such as Adelaide Street to travel across Oxford Street.
