Edmonton is removing all pedestrian scramble intersections from Whyte Ave

Update The City of Edmonton responds to criticism about removing scrambles on Whyte Ave Mar 31 →

The story so far

1 Edmonton is removing all pedestrian scramble intersections from Whyte Ave You're here
2 The City of Edmonton responds to criticism about removing scrambles on Whyte Ave Mar 31, 2026

Pedestrian scramble crosswalks are getting removed from Whyte Ave for transit priority.

Prioritize cars. It's the most Edmonton thing you can do.

As part of the new transit priority measures on Whyte, the city will be extending curbs, changing signal timing, and removing scramble crossings. You know, the ones where pedestrians all go at once in every direction.

So how does this prioritize transit?

Well, it doesn't really.

To be fair, some of these changes are good. Extended curbs mean shorter crossings and more sidewalk space, which is at a premium on Whyte. Buses can now stop and board in the traffic lane without pulling off.

The city's rendering of the new curb extensions.

But that's the problem. Buses are still in the same traffic. No bus lanes, no signal priority.

Transit isn't being prioritized over regular traffic. Instead, all vehicles, including all those single-occupant cars, are being prioritized over people walking. The goal here is to speed up cars. And we're trading a lot for that.

How standard intersections work

People walking in Edmonton know how standard intersections work.

It's the driver staring in the wrong direction before turning right on red and reaming right into you.

It's the requirement to make eye contact with a Dodge Ram with blackout tint.

It's sharing space with a multi-ton vehicle that's increasingly being designed specifically to kill you.

We've all had those experiences. But the city came prepped with a gaslighting flamethrower.

Why would you ever think they were safer?

In the FAQ about this, the city literally asks:

Why do people think scramble crosswalks are safer?

City of Edmonton, Whyte Ave transit priority measures FAQ (since rewritten)

BECAUSE YOU TOLD US THEY WERE. THAT'S WHY WE ADDED THEM.

Troy doubled over at the back of the room, fists clenched, screaming away from the microphone. A shaky closed caption reads "[uncontrollable screaming]".

The City of Edmonton's own Vision Zero poster: “This is safer for everyone.”

But your feedback is neither wanted nor welcomed by anyone at the city. They're the experts, so don't ask questions.

Just to recap: scrambles were installed to improve pedestrian safety, because normal intersections weren't safe enough. Now, scrambles are being removed to improve pedestrian safety. Why would you ever think they were safer?

We have always been at war with Eastasia.

Oh, and one more thing

It's technically illegal jaywalking to step into a crosswalk once the countdown starts. And the city says they're shortening signal times. That means you'll get, what, maybe three seconds of little white walking guy?

So people will step in during the countdown, because every single one of us does. And when, not if, someone gets hit, who's to blame? Not the faster traffic. Not the improved design. It's the jaywalker.

And if the scofflaw really cared about their safety, they should have advocated for themselves. They should have pushed for a scramble crossing.

But hey, what do you think? Do you like scramble crossings? I mean, the city doesn't care, but, you know, comment for fun.

Update, July 8: The city has pushed the removal to 2027. The scrambles get one more summer. Enjoy them while they last.

Part 2 · Mar 31, 2026 The City of Edmonton responds to criticism about removing scrambles on Whyte Ave Edmonton's unscrambling Whyte Ave. But as I covered in the last video, the city doesn't seem to be willing to admit that they're trading pedestrian safety for vehicle efficiency. Keep reading →