If you have been walking or cycling in a lively part of the city recently, you may have noticed bright pink messages pasted on the sidewalks by the City of Vancouver. The city’s “Slow Your Roll” campaign aims to educate micromobility users, such as those riding e-scooters and e-bikes, about slow zones and safety for people who walk or roll. It has been implemented using pink stickers placed around the city to remind riders of these areas. As the use of e-scooters and e-bikes grows in Vancouver, these micromobility devices, capable of reaching speeds up to 32 km/h, often face challenges on narrow sidewalks, leading to potential conflicts with people walking in the same space.

Issues with the “Slow Your Roll” Campaign

The “Slow Your Roll” campaign in Vancouver has faced criticism from many groups for focusing on the symptoms of street safety issues rather than addressing the root causes. While the campaign aims to educate micromobility users about slow zones to enhance safety for people walking, it overlooks the underlying problem: the lack of safe infrastructure for people using micromobility like bikes and scooters. The lack of safe and connected infrastructure coerces people cycling to ride on narrow sidewalks, causing conflicts and discomfort for all other users of the narrow sidewalk space. Without dedicated bike lanes and improved road safety measures, the campaign risks being a superficial fix that fails to create a genuinely safer environment for all street users. The city’s campaign also leaves out just one kind of road user, and coincidentally, this is the kind of road user that causes the most deaths, injuries, and property damage.

presented without commentary pic.twitter.com/s8Aj8Ook0P

— Mihai Cirstea (@Mihai_Cirstea_) July 17, 2024

A Counter-Campaign Emerges

The counter-campaign began as a grassroots effort organized and crowd-funded by community members and advocates who believe that the city’s current “Slow Your Roll” initiative does not sufficiently address the broader issues at hand. These activists reason that the city’s focus on micromobility users overlooks the need for improved infrastructure and does not educate motorists who are causing increasing numbers of injuries and fatalities among people walking, cycling, and rolling. Their primary goals are to push for dedicated bike lanes, wider spaces for walking, and overall improved street design to minimize conflicts, particularly with cars, which are responsible for causing most of the severe injury, death, and permanent disability to other people on the street. By highlighting these systemic issues, the counter-campaign seeks to create a safer, more inclusive environment for everyone in Vancouver, ensuring that people walking, cycling, and driving can coexist harmoniously. A reduction in car-centric infrastructure will allow people the freedom to choose how to get around in a way that works for them and will help those unwilling or less confident in driving to avoid being part of traffic jams.

Walk YOUR wheels and slow YOUR roll. Great campaign from @StrongTowns Vancouver - when it comes to road safety, they understand what the city doesn't! pic.twitter.com/U2uABr9FJQ

— VisionZeroVancouver (@VisionZeroYVR) August 1, 2024

Key Messages of the Counter-Campaign

The counter-campaign brings attention to the double standard in street safety by highlighting the disparity of concern for the discomfort caused by people cycling on narrow sidewalks compared to the significant harm caused by cars to all other people using the street. It emphasizes the importance of balanced messaging that educates all road users, especially motorists, about safe and respectful behaviour. The current city campaign, while well-intentioned, tends to focus on the symptoms of the problem — such as people cycling on sidewalks — rather than the root causes, like the lack of adequate infrastructure for people cycling and using micromobility. Without safe and dedicated bike lanes, many people cycling seek refuge on sidewalks, creating conflicts with people walking due to the already limited space despite six 3-metre-wide traffic lanes for cars that move far fewer people per hour per direction.

This counter-campaign seeks to shift the focus towards creating safer streets with better infrastructure that accommodates all modes of transportation. By advocating for dedicated bike lanes, wider spaces for walking, and improved street design, the campaign aims to reduce conflicts and ensure that everyone, whether they are walking, cycling, or driving, can coexist safely. The community calls for an inclusive approach that involves community engagement and education for all road users, not just people cycling. This holistic strategy aims to foster mutual respect, prevent deaths and injuries, reduce strain on our healthcare system, road networks, and environment, and create a more harmonious and safer urban setting for everyone in Vancouver. A reduction in car-centric infrastructure will allow people the freedom to choose how to get around in a way that works for them and will help those unwilling or less confident in driving to avoid being part of traffic jams.

Vision Zero Vancouver and Strong Towns Vancouver

Vision Zero Vancouver and Strong Towns Vancouver represent grassroots efforts by dedicated community members to enhance street safety and transform urban development. Vision Zero Vancouver focuses on improving street safety through measures such as better street design, reducing car dependency, and advocating for safer infrastructure, all with the goal of minimizing traffic-related injuries and fatalities. Meanwhile, Strong Towns Vancouver aims to reshape public policy and urban development to promote sustainability, resilience, and vibrancy in the city. This group encourages models of development that sustain Vancouver long-term through community action, engaging events, and thought-provoking conversations. Together, these community-driven initiatives strive to create a safer, more inclusive, and vibrant urban environment for all.

Change is possible. Balanced and fair street safety initiatives are crucial for fostering a harmonious and safe environment for all road users. By addressing not only the symptoms but also the root causes of conflicts between people walking, cycling, and driving, we can create a safer, more inclusive urban environment. This requires a comprehensive approach that includes improved infrastructure, such as dedicated bike lanes and broader pathways for walking, as well as community engagement and education for all. By supporting these efforts and advocating for better infrastructure, we can create safer streets that accommodate everyone, ultimately promoting mutual respect and inclusivity in our urban spaces.

Community engagement is not just important. It’s crucial. It ensures that the voices and needs of all street users are heard and considered in urban planning and safety measures. Residents’ active involvement helps create more inclusive and practical solutions, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among community members. To get involved, individuals can support campaigns by volunteering, attending community meetings, and spreading awareness through social media and other platforms. This collective effort not only strengthens advocacy efforts but also promotes a culture of mutual respect and safety for everyone on the streets. By actively participating in these initiatives, community members can contribute to the improvement of street safety and urban development in Vancouver.