Pedestrian-friendly ‘scramble’ intersection comes to Niagara Falls

Starting today (June 2) there’s some big changes at the intersection of Clifton Hill and Niagara Parkway in Niagara Falls.

Niagara Parks, which is in charge of any changes on Niagara Parkway, just announced they’ve created what’s known as a pedestrian scramble intersection.

That’s a pedestrian-friendly intersection where tourists and residents can cross either vertically or horizontally at the same time while all traffic is stopped with red lights. In some cases – but not this one – cities also allow horizontal crossing.

“In an effort to increase pedestrian access and safety in this popular tourism area within Queen Victoria Park, the scrambled intersection will allow pedestrians to simultaneously cross the intersection safely from any direction, while all vehicular traffic is stopped,” said Niagara Parks.

The group added the intersection at the base of Clifton Hill where it hits (and stops) at Niagara Parkway was chosen for this pilot project “due to the high volume of pedestrians seeking access to nearby attractions and amenities, including Niagara Parks’ Grand View Marketplace, which also houses the entrances to Niagara City Cruises and WildPlay’s Zipline to the Falls.”

Niagara Parks will later determine if this is an effective long-term strategy for the area but said the scrambled intersection approach aligns with the principles and goals of the Queen Victoria Park Master Plan (2018), including increasing pedestrian safety and access within the core tourism area from Clifton Hill to Kingsbridge Park.