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112th Avenue Safety & Mobility Project

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The 112th Avenue Safety & Mobility Project is using planned pavement work on the 112th corridor to improve safety and comfort for all who travel on the roadway, regardless of age, ability or how you choose to travel.

What's Happening Now?

The project team is currently analyzing traffic data and feedback from the milestone two survey. Based on this analysis, staff will present final transportation design recommendations to the Transportation Mobility Commission at the October 29, 2024 meeting (Details Here).

The project area includes 112th Avenue between SE Chkalov Drive/SE McGillivray Boulevard and NE 51st Street. The current pavement work schedule for the corridor is:

  • Summer 2026: Mill Plain Boulevard to 28th Street

  • Summer 2028: 28th Street to 51st Street

  • Unscheduled: McGillivray Boulevard to Mill Plain Boulevard

While the improvements are phased to match planned pavement work, the entire project area is being considered at once to ensure a cohesive traveling experience for all users.

During planned pavement work, roadway surfaces will be improved, and lanes will be restriped to create consistent vehicle lane widths, slow vehicle speeds and make more room for people walking, biking and using small mobility devices. Improvement proposals include reducing the number of vehicle lanes in areas where traffic volumes allow.

Community feedback, traffic analysis, and City policy guidance will also help identify additional long-term complete street improvements that may be made in the future when funding becomes available.

Why are improvements needed?

Traffic data and community feedback collected during Phase 1 of the project found that:

  • On average, there is a crash on 112th Avenue every 4 ½ days.

  • About 4% of those crashes result in serious injuries or fatalities.

  • Speeding is an issue with many drivers going 10+ miles over the speed limit.

  • Bike/small mobility lanes are disconnected and feel unsafe.

  • People don’t feel safe crossing the street.

  • Vehicle lanes are inconsistent and feel narrow in some sections.

The City Council recently approved the 2024-2044 Transportation System Plan to guide how the City improves its streets so that it is safe for everyone to travel. Due to the many destinations on the corridor and a lack of alternate routes, the plan identifies this corridor as a high priority for complete street improvements.

A complete street helps ensure that at all people can share the road safely comfortably, whether they walk, bike, roll, use public transit or drive. 112th Avenue is one of many complete streets corridors that must serve a variety of travel modes, with the goal of creating a connected network across the city. Other examples of complete streets in Vancouver include Tech Center Drive, Columbia Street and McLoughlin Boulevard between Reserve Street and Brandt Road.

Near- & Mid-Term Proposed Improvements (2026/2028)

On existing roadways in dense areas of Vancouver, the City must work within the existing footprint of the roadway to achieve the safety and accessibility goals of a complete street. To do so, Vancouver often utilizes existing paving projects to study corridor conditions and implement the City’s complete streets policy.

If planned pavement work is completed in 2026 and 2028, the lanes will be restriped to address identified issues. Along some parts of the corridor that will mean dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. Restriping will also fix vehicle lane widths that are currently narrower than the City standard. Roadway striping plans will vary throughout the corridor based on the number of vehicles that use each segment, the existing width of the road and adjacent land uses.

Benefits of near-term and mid-term improvements include:

  • Keep vehicles moving with improved roadway surface and standard lane widths.

  • Make space for people who travel by bike or small mobility device.

  • Help calm traffic speeds and address crash contributors.

The following images show the proposed improvements in areas within each of the three project area segments. View the project area map here.

Segment 1 - 112th Avenue between Mill Plain Boulevard and 18th Street

Near-term improvements on 112th Avenue between Mill Plain Boulevard and 18th Street include smoother roadway surfaces, reducing existing vehicle lanes from five to three to allow for wider, standard-size vehicle lanes and adding bike/small mobility lanes to both sides of the street. A 2-foot-wide striped buffer with vertical flex-posts would separate vehicle and from those riding a bicycle or scooter.

Segment 1 - 112th Avenue between 18th Street and 28th Street

Near-term improvements on 112th Avenue between 18th Street and 28th Street include smoother roadway surfaces and refreshed pavement markings. Due to narrow roadway widths and high traffic volumes, striping change are not recommended at this time.

Segment 2 - 112th Avenue between 28th Street and 51st Street

Mid-term improvements on 112th Avenue between 28th Street and 51st Street include smoother roadway surfaces and restriping travel lanes to standard widths. This will make room for bikes and small mobility devices on both sides of the street. A painted stripe would separate vehicles from those riding a bicycle or scooter. Segment 3 – 112th Avenue between McGillivray Blvd. and Mill Plain Blvd.
Future, unscheduled improvements on 112th Avenue between McGillivray Blvd. and Mill Plain Blvd include smoother roadway surfaces, reducing the number of vehicle lanes from five to three to allow for wider, standard-size vehicle lanes, and add bike/small mobility lanes to both sides of the street. A 6-foot-wide striped buffer with vertical flex-posts would separate vehicles from those riding a bicycle or scooter. This cross section would connect with the proposed bike and small mobility facility proposed on 112th Ave in Segment 1 north of Mill Plain.

Long-term Improvement Proposals (Beyond 2028)

This project also includes longer-term recommendations, such as further improving pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and mobility lanes and other strategic infrastructure investments. Identifying current corridor needs now, and gathering community feedback on priorities, allows the City to compete for grants or take advantage of development opportunities to advance these projects down the road.

Potential long-term improvements include:

  • Improve parallel routes to 112th Avenue for people biking or using small mobility devices.

  • Improve existing sidewalks and expand sidewalk widths where possible.

  • Add more enhanced pedestrian crossings.

  • Improve lighting at bus stops, crosswalks and in under-lit areas of the roadway.

  • Expand the existing sidewalk to a shared-use path in areas north of 28th Street where the City has additional right-of-way outside the curb.

  • Further improve bike/small mobility lanes on 112th Avenue.

Below are 3D renderings of potential long-term improvements for the south end of the 112th corridor.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and raised concrete islands.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and concrete planter boxes.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and vertical flex-posts.

Below are 3D renderings of potential long-term improvement alternatives for the north end of the 112th corridor.

The roadway could include five vehicle lanes, a sidewalk on one side of the road with a wide landscape buffer and a 12-foot-wide, two-way shared use path on the east side of the road separated from vehicle traffic by a landscape buffer. The roadway could include five vehicle lanes, a sidewalk and a single bike/small mobility lane on one side of the road separated from vehicle traffic by a painted buffer. On the east side of the road, 10-foot-wide two-way shared use path is separated from vehicle traffic by a landscape buffer. The roadway could include five vehicle lanes and a landscape buffer with trees separating sidewalks from vehicles on both sides of the street.

Project Engagement - Phase 1 Recap

The first phase of engagement for the 112th Safety and Mobility Project took place during the summer and fall of 2023. The project team engaged the community with a focus on residents and businesses along and near the 112th Ave project area corridor. The project team shared information about the project and gathered input on existing conditions and corridor needs/challenges. During this first outreach phase, the project team reached more than 23,000 community members through a variety of digital and in-person engagement methods.

During phase 1 engagement, the project team:

  • Received 564 survey responses.

  • Had 1,500 project webpage views and 21,000 digital engagements (via BeHeard project webpage, social media and e-newsletters).

  • Held six tabling sessions at numerous locations along and near the corridor (such as Fred Meyer and East Vancouver Farmers Market), totaling at least 145 one-on-one conversations.

  • Met with the Fircrest Neighborhood Association at their monthly meeting.

  • Presented to the Latino Student Union at Evergreen High School

  • Conducted in-person and phone canvassing with area businesses and residents, with 55 stakeholders reached via phone, and 140 businesses/apartment complexes visited in-person.

During engagement, the most consistent themes were related to safety – with many people mentioning potholes, vehicle speeds, the inability to bike or roll and narrow travel lanes. These were common responses shared in both the survey and in-person discussions. The project team will share this feedback with the City’s Transportation and Mobility Commission and consider it along with existing conditions data to identify potential corridor projects and design.

You can find more details on the Phase 1 engagement process in the Engagement Summary – Milestone 1 document under the Documents section at the bottom right-hand side of this page.

1: Analyzing Corridor Issues (2023)

The first phase of the project will identify and study current travel conditions on the corridor by:

  • Collecting traffic speed, traffic volumes, and crash data along the corridor
  • Collecting transit ridership data
  • Analyzing the safety and comfort of existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Identify gaps in the network
  • Analyzing traffic operations including average travel times and intersection delay during commute hours
  • Evaluating multi-modal access to key destinations along the corridor, including parks and schools
  • Engaging with key stakeholders and community members to understand how they use corridor today, and what barriers they encounter on the corridor.

2: Develop Options (2024)

The project team will use information gathered during the first phase of the study to:

  • Develop a set of options that would make it safer and more comfortable to travel on 112th Avenue
  • Develop goals and criteria that will be used to evaluate whether different design options meet identified problems, community goals and values
  • Evaluate the options using the framework to engage with key stakeholders and community members to gather feedback on the goals, and how the design options perform when evaluated through the framework.

3: Design Improvements (2024)

Informed by community feedback during the first two phases of the project, preferred design solutions will be selected. Following selection of the preferred solutions, the project team will:

  • Share the proposed designs with key stakeholders and the community to gather feedback and identify any additional improvements that may be needed to achieve the project goals
  • Conduct small group briefings and presentations
  • Prepare plans to be implemented with the pavement project, and long-term safety improvement projects to be implemented through capital projects in our Transportation Improvement Plan.

4: Implementation (2025 & 2026)

Include near-term design and striping elements for the corridor paving plan.

  • Summer 2026: Pavement work and restriping from Mill Plain Blvd to 28th St.

5: Long term Investments (2027 and beyond)

Future investment in long-term safety improvement projects.

  • Summer 2028: Pavement work and restriping north of 28th St.
  • Beyond 2028: Long-term complete street improvements
City Council adopted a Complete Streets ordinance in 2017 that set the vision and intent for a Complete Streets Program. Complete Streets Projects like 112th Avenue will make up a safe, accessible street system that benefits all road users. Complete Streets Projects leverage local and regional, state and federal funding programs.

The goal for a Complete Streets Project is to look at how to improve safety, equity, and mobility for all road users. The 112th Avenue Project will look at ways to achieve these goals through design solutions along the corridor.

The project team will offer a variety of ways to get involved and provide input including:

  • Community Survey - phase 1 survey completed.
  • Open house event
  • Tabling at community events throughout the summer
  • Canvassing within the project area
  • Small group briefings

Sign up for Project Updates and Opportunities to get involved with the project. More details coming soon!

What is the purpose of this project?

The 112th Avenue Safety and Mobility Project is taking advantage of upcoming paving work to make additional improvements to the roadway to safely serve all users. The project team will study ways to improve safety and mobility on 112th Avenue between SE McGillivray Boulevard and NE 51st Street for all travelers including people walking, biking, rolling, using transit, using a mobility device, and driving.

Why are safety and mobility improvements needed on NE 112th Avenue?

NE 112th Ave is one of the busiest corridors in the city, with its northernmost section carrying over 40,000 vehicles a day. This corridor also has a history of collisions between vehicles and with vulnerable roadway users. Since 2014, four people walking and one person riding their bike have been killed along NE 112th Avenue. The City of Vancouver’s Local Road Safety Plan and the Complete Streets Program identify the 112th corridor as an area needing safety and accessibility improvements.

What are Complete Streets?

The City of Vancouver’s Complete Streets Policy guides transportation planning and improvements. Complete Streets allow people to travel safely and comfortably regardless of age, ability, or chosen way to travel. This can look different for every street depending on adjacent land uses, community needs, and the context of surrounding neighborhoods. Sometimes a Complete Corridor might use parallel streets to create a network of streets that offer a more comfortable experience. Your input will help shape what a Complete Street looks like for NE 112th Avenue.

What are the benefits of Complete Streets?

Complete Streets can help improve your quality of life. You can access the places and services you need regardless of how you get around or economic status. You feel comfortable and safe navigating your neighborhood. Complete Streets can help to slow speeds which reduce crashes and injuries, promotes healthy living, and encourages sustainable development. Examples of Complete Streets in Vancouver include McLoughlin Boulevard, SE Tech Center Drive, and Columbia Street between Columbia Way and West 45th Street.

How is this project being funded?

Near-term/mid-term pavement improvements and road striping will be funded through local dollars. Other long-term improvements and mobility elements (i.e., crosswalks, median islands, etc.) may be funded through a mix of local, state, and federal funds. The project team will leverage community feedback gathered in 2023 and 2024 to pursue funding for long-term improvements.

How did you determine what improvements are needed in the 112th corridor?

This project includes a robust community engagement program. Traffic speeds and volume, crash data, and community feedback collected during Phase 1 of the project found that:

  • On average, there is a crash on 112th Avenue every 4 ½ days.

  • About 4% of those crashes result in serious injuries or fatalities.

  • Speeding is an issue with many drivers going 10+ miles over the speed limit.

  • Bike/small mobility lanes are disconnected and feel unsafe.

  • People don’t feel safe crossing the street and there are long distances between marked crossings.

  • Vehicle lanes are inconsistent and feel narrow in some sections.

We used your feedback, existing and future traffic data, City of Vancouver Transportation System Plan (TSP) policy and industry best practices to shape potential transportation design options. The final recommendation will be presented to the City of Vancouver’s Transportation and Mobility Commission later this summer.

Are you going to add bike/small mobility lanes?

Currently, dedicated bike and small mobility lanes do not exist throughout the 112th corridor besides small sections of striped bike and small mobility lanes near the intersections of NE 18th Street and NE 28th Street. Proposed near-term and mid-term improvements include dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. This means adding bike/small mobility lanes in areas where traffic volumes and road width allow. Review the proposed corridor improvements that would be built during planned pavement work in the near-term (2 years), mid-term (4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond) .

Are you going to reduce the number of traffic lanes? If so, where?

Roadway striping plans will vary throughout the corridor based on the number of vehicles that use each segment, the existing width of the road and adjacent land uses.

Along some parts of the corridor that will mean dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. Improvement proposals include reducing the number of vehicle lanes in areas where traffic volumes can be accommodated with fewer through-lanes today and into the future. Review the proposed corridor improvements that would be built in near-term (2 years), mid-term (4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond).

In areas where lanes will be reduced, will there be a right turn lane at intersections (such as 112th Ave. and 28th St.)?

The decision to add or maintain a turn lane is often based on the number of turns being made each hour, as part of a process called “warrants”. As the project enters the detailed design phase, the project team will look at current and year 2040 forecasted turning volumes, along with detailed intersection traffic analysis and existing roadway geometry to determine the lane configurations.

Due to the current and future expected high volumes of traffic north of NE 18th Street, the project team is not recommending any reduction in thru-travel lanes or changes to intersection configurations north of NE 18th Street at this time. Any potential revisions to existing turn lanes throughout the entire corridor would be based on identifying that the turn lanes do not meet standard turn lane warrants for year 2040 peak hour travel.

Won’t reducing existing vehicle lanes cause more congestion and delays?

In considering the potential safety improvements through a roadway reconfiguration on 112th Avenue, the project team conducted substantial traffic analysis to ensure that the roadway could still efficiently move vehicles today and in the future. We looked at travel times and intersections queues for drivers today, and out into year 2040 – accounting for forecasted growth from population growth and planned jobs and development. Using our regional models, the forecasted traffic volumes today 2040 still fall within the capacity of a single travel lane in each direction south of NE 18th Street. While there maybe be a small increase in delay in some movements on the corridor due to the reconfiguration, the project is balancing the need for safer designs, reduced risk of serious and fatal crashes, and improved safety and access for people moving outside of vehicles on the corridor. In the longer-term posed treatments that offer people the option to drive, take transit, bike, or walk will ultimately allow the corridor to more efficiently move more people along it as compared to retaining the existing layout that currently limits people's options.

North of the NE18th Street intersection traffic volumes increase substantially due to I-205 ramps, and traffic modeling showed that two traffic lanes in each direction must be maintained to keep traffic moving in future years. For this reason, the project is not proposing any travel lane reductions between NE 18th Street and SR 500.

Where and how will the school buses load and unload if the proposed new lane design in Segment 1 moves forward?

School buses will stop at their existing bus stop locations to load and unload students, and people using the bike and small mobility lane will be required to stop and yield to students as they exit the bus, much like vehicles are required to stop and not pass school buses as they load and unload students.

Are you making any improvements to existing sidewalks? Are you adding new sidewalks?

The project will help identify needs along the corridor. The near-term and mid-term paving work will address in-roadway improvements between the curbs only.

Are you making updates or improvements to side streets?

No. At this time, improvements will largely focus on the 112th corridor, including intersections.

When is construction expected to begin? How long will construction last?

Road repaving and restriping work will start the summer of 2026 and continue the summer of 2028. Other long-term safety and mobility improvements identified will be implemented as funding is secured

How will this project affect my business on NE 112th Avenue?

Improving safety and mobility for all modes of transportation benefits everyone, including businesses. Customers and employees can reach you in the way they prefer. Safe, connected pathways for people walking, biking and using small mobility devices (like scooters) help reduce roadway demand so freight can move efficiently. Complete Streets help create healthy, equitable neighborhoods and attract development opportunities. We will work with individual property and business owners through this process to minimize property and access impacts to the greatest extent possible.

What traffic impacts should we expect?

Information about traffic impacts will be available after a design improvements are approved and implementation plans are complete. The City of Vancouver is committed to keeping impacted community members informed and minimizing traffic impacts as much as possible.

The 112th Avenue Safety & Mobility Project is using planned pavement work on the 112th corridor to improve safety and comfort for all who travel on the roadway, regardless of age, ability or how you choose to travel.

What's Happening Now?

The project team is currently analyzing traffic data and feedback from the milestone two survey. Based on this analysis, staff will present final transportation design recommendations to the Transportation Mobility Commission at the October 29, 2024 meeting (Details Here).

The project area includes 112th Avenue between SE Chkalov Drive/SE McGillivray Boulevard and NE 51st Street. The current pavement work schedule for the corridor is:

  • Summer 2026: Mill Plain Boulevard to 28th Street

  • Summer 2028: 28th Street to 51st Street

  • Unscheduled: McGillivray Boulevard to Mill Plain Boulevard

While the improvements are phased to match planned pavement work, the entire project area is being considered at once to ensure a cohesive traveling experience for all users.

During planned pavement work, roadway surfaces will be improved, and lanes will be restriped to create consistent vehicle lane widths, slow vehicle speeds and make more room for people walking, biking and using small mobility devices. Improvement proposals include reducing the number of vehicle lanes in areas where traffic volumes allow.

Community feedback, traffic analysis, and City policy guidance will also help identify additional long-term complete street improvements that may be made in the future when funding becomes available.

Why are improvements needed?

Traffic data and community feedback collected during Phase 1 of the project found that:

  • On average, there is a crash on 112th Avenue every 4 ½ days.

  • About 4% of those crashes result in serious injuries or fatalities.

  • Speeding is an issue with many drivers going 10+ miles over the speed limit.

  • Bike/small mobility lanes are disconnected and feel unsafe.

  • People don’t feel safe crossing the street.

  • Vehicle lanes are inconsistent and feel narrow in some sections.

The City Council recently approved the 2024-2044 Transportation System Plan to guide how the City improves its streets so that it is safe for everyone to travel. Due to the many destinations on the corridor and a lack of alternate routes, the plan identifies this corridor as a high priority for complete street improvements.

A complete street helps ensure that at all people can share the road safely comfortably, whether they walk, bike, roll, use public transit or drive. 112th Avenue is one of many complete streets corridors that must serve a variety of travel modes, with the goal of creating a connected network across the city. Other examples of complete streets in Vancouver include Tech Center Drive, Columbia Street and McLoughlin Boulevard between Reserve Street and Brandt Road.

Near- & Mid-Term Proposed Improvements (2026/2028)

On existing roadways in dense areas of Vancouver, the City must work within the existing footprint of the roadway to achieve the safety and accessibility goals of a complete street. To do so, Vancouver often utilizes existing paving projects to study corridor conditions and implement the City’s complete streets policy.

If planned pavement work is completed in 2026 and 2028, the lanes will be restriped to address identified issues. Along some parts of the corridor that will mean dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. Restriping will also fix vehicle lane widths that are currently narrower than the City standard. Roadway striping plans will vary throughout the corridor based on the number of vehicles that use each segment, the existing width of the road and adjacent land uses.

Benefits of near-term and mid-term improvements include:

  • Keep vehicles moving with improved roadway surface and standard lane widths.

  • Make space for people who travel by bike or small mobility device.

  • Help calm traffic speeds and address crash contributors.

The following images show the proposed improvements in areas within each of the three project area segments. View the project area map here.

Segment 1 - 112th Avenue between Mill Plain Boulevard and 18th Street

Near-term improvements on 112th Avenue between Mill Plain Boulevard and 18th Street include smoother roadway surfaces, reducing existing vehicle lanes from five to three to allow for wider, standard-size vehicle lanes and adding bike/small mobility lanes to both sides of the street. A 2-foot-wide striped buffer with vertical flex-posts would separate vehicle and from those riding a bicycle or scooter.

Segment 1 - 112th Avenue between 18th Street and 28th Street

Near-term improvements on 112th Avenue between 18th Street and 28th Street include smoother roadway surfaces and refreshed pavement markings. Due to narrow roadway widths and high traffic volumes, striping change are not recommended at this time.

Segment 2 - 112th Avenue between 28th Street and 51st Street

Mid-term improvements on 112th Avenue between 28th Street and 51st Street include smoother roadway surfaces and restriping travel lanes to standard widths. This will make room for bikes and small mobility devices on both sides of the street. A painted stripe would separate vehicles from those riding a bicycle or scooter. Segment 3 – 112th Avenue between McGillivray Blvd. and Mill Plain Blvd.
Future, unscheduled improvements on 112th Avenue between McGillivray Blvd. and Mill Plain Blvd include smoother roadway surfaces, reducing the number of vehicle lanes from five to three to allow for wider, standard-size vehicle lanes, and add bike/small mobility lanes to both sides of the street. A 6-foot-wide striped buffer with vertical flex-posts would separate vehicles from those riding a bicycle or scooter. This cross section would connect with the proposed bike and small mobility facility proposed on 112th Ave in Segment 1 north of Mill Plain.

Long-term Improvement Proposals (Beyond 2028)

This project also includes longer-term recommendations, such as further improving pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and mobility lanes and other strategic infrastructure investments. Identifying current corridor needs now, and gathering community feedback on priorities, allows the City to compete for grants or take advantage of development opportunities to advance these projects down the road.

Potential long-term improvements include:

  • Improve parallel routes to 112th Avenue for people biking or using small mobility devices.

  • Improve existing sidewalks and expand sidewalk widths where possible.

  • Add more enhanced pedestrian crossings.

  • Improve lighting at bus stops, crosswalks and in under-lit areas of the roadway.

  • Expand the existing sidewalk to a shared-use path in areas north of 28th Street where the City has additional right-of-way outside the curb.

  • Further improve bike/small mobility lanes on 112th Avenue.

Below are 3D renderings of potential long-term improvements for the south end of the 112th corridor.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and raised concrete islands.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and concrete planter boxes.

The roadway includes three vehicle lanes, a separated bike/small mobility lane and sidewalks on both sides of the street. The small mobility lane would separate vehicle traffic from those riding a bicycle or scooter with a 6-foot-wide striped buffer and vertical flex-posts.

Below are 3D renderings of potential long-term improvement alternatives for the north end of the 112th corridor.

The roadway could include five vehicle lanes, a sidewalk on one side of the road with a wide landscape buffer and a 12-foot-wide, two-way shared use path on the east side of the road separated from vehicle traffic by a landscape buffer. The roadway could include five vehicle lanes, a sidewalk and a single bike/small mobility lane on one side of the road separated from vehicle traffic by a painted buffer. On the east side of the road, 10-foot-wide two-way shared use path is separated from vehicle traffic by a landscape buffer. The roadway could include five vehicle lanes and a landscape buffer with trees separating sidewalks from vehicles on both sides of the street.

Project Engagement - Phase 1 Recap

The first phase of engagement for the 112th Safety and Mobility Project took place during the summer and fall of 2023. The project team engaged the community with a focus on residents and businesses along and near the 112th Ave project area corridor. The project team shared information about the project and gathered input on existing conditions and corridor needs/challenges. During this first outreach phase, the project team reached more than 23,000 community members through a variety of digital and in-person engagement methods.

During phase 1 engagement, the project team:

  • Received 564 survey responses.

  • Had 1,500 project webpage views and 21,000 digital engagements (via BeHeard project webpage, social media and e-newsletters).

  • Held six tabling sessions at numerous locations along and near the corridor (such as Fred Meyer and East Vancouver Farmers Market), totaling at least 145 one-on-one conversations.

  • Met with the Fircrest Neighborhood Association at their monthly meeting.

  • Presented to the Latino Student Union at Evergreen High School

  • Conducted in-person and phone canvassing with area businesses and residents, with 55 stakeholders reached via phone, and 140 businesses/apartment complexes visited in-person.

During engagement, the most consistent themes were related to safety – with many people mentioning potholes, vehicle speeds, the inability to bike or roll and narrow travel lanes. These were common responses shared in both the survey and in-person discussions. The project team will share this feedback with the City’s Transportation and Mobility Commission and consider it along with existing conditions data to identify potential corridor projects and design.

You can find more details on the Phase 1 engagement process in the Engagement Summary – Milestone 1 document under the Documents section at the bottom right-hand side of this page.

1: Analyzing Corridor Issues (2023)

The first phase of the project will identify and study current travel conditions on the corridor by:

  • Collecting traffic speed, traffic volumes, and crash data along the corridor
  • Collecting transit ridership data
  • Analyzing the safety and comfort of existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Identify gaps in the network
  • Analyzing traffic operations including average travel times and intersection delay during commute hours
  • Evaluating multi-modal access to key destinations along the corridor, including parks and schools
  • Engaging with key stakeholders and community members to understand how they use corridor today, and what barriers they encounter on the corridor.

2: Develop Options (2024)

The project team will use information gathered during the first phase of the study to:

  • Develop a set of options that would make it safer and more comfortable to travel on 112th Avenue
  • Develop goals and criteria that will be used to evaluate whether different design options meet identified problems, community goals and values
  • Evaluate the options using the framework to engage with key stakeholders and community members to gather feedback on the goals, and how the design options perform when evaluated through the framework.

3: Design Improvements (2024)

Informed by community feedback during the first two phases of the project, preferred design solutions will be selected. Following selection of the preferred solutions, the project team will:

  • Share the proposed designs with key stakeholders and the community to gather feedback and identify any additional improvements that may be needed to achieve the project goals
  • Conduct small group briefings and presentations
  • Prepare plans to be implemented with the pavement project, and long-term safety improvement projects to be implemented through capital projects in our Transportation Improvement Plan.

4: Implementation (2025 & 2026)

Include near-term design and striping elements for the corridor paving plan.

  • Summer 2026: Pavement work and restriping from Mill Plain Blvd to 28th St.

5: Long term Investments (2027 and beyond)

Future investment in long-term safety improvement projects.

  • Summer 2028: Pavement work and restriping north of 28th St.
  • Beyond 2028: Long-term complete street improvements
City Council adopted a Complete Streets ordinance in 2017 that set the vision and intent for a Complete Streets Program. Complete Streets Projects like 112th Avenue will make up a safe, accessible street system that benefits all road users. Complete Streets Projects leverage local and regional, state and federal funding programs.

The goal for a Complete Streets Project is to look at how to improve safety, equity, and mobility for all road users. The 112th Avenue Project will look at ways to achieve these goals through design solutions along the corridor.

The project team will offer a variety of ways to get involved and provide input including:

  • Community Survey - phase 1 survey completed.
  • Open house event
  • Tabling at community events throughout the summer
  • Canvassing within the project area
  • Small group briefings

Sign up for Project Updates and Opportunities to get involved with the project. More details coming soon!

What is the purpose of this project?

The 112th Avenue Safety and Mobility Project is taking advantage of upcoming paving work to make additional improvements to the roadway to safely serve all users. The project team will study ways to improve safety and mobility on 112th Avenue between SE McGillivray Boulevard and NE 51st Street for all travelers including people walking, biking, rolling, using transit, using a mobility device, and driving.

Why are safety and mobility improvements needed on NE 112th Avenue?

NE 112th Ave is one of the busiest corridors in the city, with its northernmost section carrying over 40,000 vehicles a day. This corridor also has a history of collisions between vehicles and with vulnerable roadway users. Since 2014, four people walking and one person riding their bike have been killed along NE 112th Avenue. The City of Vancouver’s Local Road Safety Plan and the Complete Streets Program identify the 112th corridor as an area needing safety and accessibility improvements.

What are Complete Streets?

The City of Vancouver’s Complete Streets Policy guides transportation planning and improvements. Complete Streets allow people to travel safely and comfortably regardless of age, ability, or chosen way to travel. This can look different for every street depending on adjacent land uses, community needs, and the context of surrounding neighborhoods. Sometimes a Complete Corridor might use parallel streets to create a network of streets that offer a more comfortable experience. Your input will help shape what a Complete Street looks like for NE 112th Avenue.

What are the benefits of Complete Streets?

Complete Streets can help improve your quality of life. You can access the places and services you need regardless of how you get around or economic status. You feel comfortable and safe navigating your neighborhood. Complete Streets can help to slow speeds which reduce crashes and injuries, promotes healthy living, and encourages sustainable development. Examples of Complete Streets in Vancouver include McLoughlin Boulevard, SE Tech Center Drive, and Columbia Street between Columbia Way and West 45th Street.

How is this project being funded?

Near-term/mid-term pavement improvements and road striping will be funded through local dollars. Other long-term improvements and mobility elements (i.e., crosswalks, median islands, etc.) may be funded through a mix of local, state, and federal funds. The project team will leverage community feedback gathered in 2023 and 2024 to pursue funding for long-term improvements.

How did you determine what improvements are needed in the 112th corridor?

This project includes a robust community engagement program. Traffic speeds and volume, crash data, and community feedback collected during Phase 1 of the project found that:

  • On average, there is a crash on 112th Avenue every 4 ½ days.

  • About 4% of those crashes result in serious injuries or fatalities.

  • Speeding is an issue with many drivers going 10+ miles over the speed limit.

  • Bike/small mobility lanes are disconnected and feel unsafe.

  • People don’t feel safe crossing the street and there are long distances between marked crossings.

  • Vehicle lanes are inconsistent and feel narrow in some sections.

We used your feedback, existing and future traffic data, City of Vancouver Transportation System Plan (TSP) policy and industry best practices to shape potential transportation design options. The final recommendation will be presented to the City of Vancouver’s Transportation and Mobility Commission later this summer.

Are you going to add bike/small mobility lanes?

Currently, dedicated bike and small mobility lanes do not exist throughout the 112th corridor besides small sections of striped bike and small mobility lanes near the intersections of NE 18th Street and NE 28th Street. Proposed near-term and mid-term improvements include dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. This means adding bike/small mobility lanes in areas where traffic volumes and road width allow. Review the proposed corridor improvements that would be built during planned pavement work in the near-term (2 years), mid-term (4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond) .

Are you going to reduce the number of traffic lanes? If so, where?

Roadway striping plans will vary throughout the corridor based on the number of vehicles that use each segment, the existing width of the road and adjacent land uses.

Along some parts of the corridor that will mean dedicating more space for people walking, rolling, and biking while also keeping vehicles moving safely. Improvement proposals include reducing the number of vehicle lanes in areas where traffic volumes can be accommodated with fewer through-lanes today and into the future. Review the proposed corridor improvements that would be built in near-term (2 years), mid-term (4 years) and long-term (5 years and beyond).

In areas where lanes will be reduced, will there be a right turn lane at intersections (such as 112th Ave. and 28th St.)?

The decision to add or maintain a turn lane is often based on the number of turns being made each hour, as part of a process called “warrants”. As the project enters the detailed design phase, the project team will look at current and year 2040 forecasted turning volumes, along with detailed intersection traffic analysis and existing roadway geometry to determine the lane configurations.

Due to the current and future expected high volumes of traffic north of NE 18th Street, the project team is not recommending any reduction in thru-travel lanes or changes to intersection configurations north of NE 18th Street at this time. Any potential revisions to existing turn lanes throughout the entire corridor would be based on identifying that the turn lanes do not meet standard turn lane warrants for year 2040 peak hour travel.

Won’t reducing existing vehicle lanes cause more congestion and delays?

In considering the potential safety improvements through a roadway reconfiguration on 112th Avenue, the project team conducted substantial traffic analysis to ensure that the roadway could still efficiently move vehicles today and in the future. We looked at travel times and intersections queues for drivers today, and out into year 2040 – accounting for forecasted growth from population growth and planned jobs and development. Using our regional models, the forecasted traffic volumes today 2040 still fall within the capacity of a single travel lane in each direction south of NE 18th Street. While there maybe be a small increase in delay in some movements on the corridor due to the reconfiguration, the project is balancing the need for safer designs, reduced risk of serious and fatal crashes, and improved safety and access for people moving outside of vehicles on the corridor. In the longer-term posed treatments that offer people the option to drive, take transit, bike, or walk will ultimately allow the corridor to more efficiently move more people along it as compared to retaining the existing layout that currently limits people's options.

North of the NE18th Street intersection traffic volumes increase substantially due to I-205 ramps, and traffic modeling showed that two traffic lanes in each direction must be maintained to keep traffic moving in future years. For this reason, the project is not proposing any travel lane reductions between NE 18th Street and SR 500.

Where and how will the school buses load and unload if the proposed new lane design in Segment 1 moves forward?

School buses will stop at their existing bus stop locations to load and unload students, and people using the bike and small mobility lane will be required to stop and yield to students as they exit the bus, much like vehicles are required to stop and not pass school buses as they load and unload students.

Are you making any improvements to existing sidewalks? Are you adding new sidewalks?

The project will help identify needs along the corridor. The near-term and mid-term paving work will address in-roadway improvements between the curbs only.

Are you making updates or improvements to side streets?

No. At this time, improvements will largely focus on the 112th corridor, including intersections.

When is construction expected to begin? How long will construction last?

Road repaving and restriping work will start the summer of 2026 and continue the summer of 2028. Other long-term safety and mobility improvements identified will be implemented as funding is secured

How will this project affect my business on NE 112th Avenue?

Improving safety and mobility for all modes of transportation benefits everyone, including businesses. Customers and employees can reach you in the way they prefer. Safe, connected pathways for people walking, biking and using small mobility devices (like scooters) help reduce roadway demand so freight can move efficiently. Complete Streets help create healthy, equitable neighborhoods and attract development opportunities. We will work with individual property and business owners through this process to minimize property and access impacts to the greatest extent possible.

What traffic impacts should we expect?

Information about traffic impacts will be available after a design improvements are approved and implementation plans are complete. The City of Vancouver is committed to keeping impacted community members informed and minimizing traffic impacts as much as possible.

Page last updated: 16 Oct 2024, 12:30 PM