West Vancouver Police Station rainbow crosswalk: a TrafficPatterns installation

On June 30th, the West Vancouver Police Department held a small ceremony to unveil the new rainbow crosswalk outside the police station. We installed the crosswalk using TrafficPatterns™ preformed thermoplastic.

Rainbow crosswalks have become one of the most requested applications in our municipal crosswalk portfolio over the past several years. The concentration of these projects in the Lower Mainland reflects a genuine commitment by BC communities to make public spaces visibly welcoming.

Why the police station location matters

A rainbow crosswalk adjacent to a police station is a deliberate choice. The location connects community policing philosophy with visible public space: making a statement about the department's values in the daily civic environment.

The West Vancouver Police Department approached this installation as part of a broader community engagement initiative. Getting the installation right (a surface that looks professional, stays bright, and holds up year-round) was important to the success of that initiative.

TrafficPatterns vs. paint for Pride crosswalks

The recurring conversation we have with municipalities considering rainbow crosswalks is about product choice. A painted rainbow needs repainting on a regular cycle: an ongoing maintenance cost that accumulates, and one that leaves periods where the crosswalk looks faded and neglected between coats.

A TrafficPatterns installation keeps its saturation for years rather than seasons, because the colour runs through the sheet rather than sitting on the road. The six-stripe rainbow pattern is factory cut and precisely positioned. The aggregate finish provides vehicle and pedestrian traction. Once installed, the maintenance conversation essentially disappears.

For the West Vancouver installation, a location with municipal visibility and long-term significance, TrafficPatterns was the correct specification.

The system

The manufacturer publishes the facts that matter here. TrafficPatterns is a preformed thermoplastic, heat-fused to the pavement; each element is manufactured to specification, so there is no spray drift and placement is precise every time. The sheet is 125 mil thick with anti-skid elements throughout it. It is made to the owner's marking standard (the six stripes are the owner's colours, not an approximation of them), and the crossing is open to traffic within minutes of application. For a crossing at a busy intersection or on a transit route, the heavier TrafficPatternsXD™ (150 mil, aggregate-reinforced, stamped into the asphalt) is the alternative; our Nanaimo rainbow intersection is the XD version of the same idea. Specifications are on the TrafficPatterns product page, under our preformed thermoplastic service.

For a municipality, district or First Nation planning one

• Pick the material for the traffic, not the budget line. A quiet frontage like a police station forecourt suits TrafficPatterns; an arterial with turning buses suits XD.
• Settle the stripe colours as a marking standard. Write the colour references into the specification so a future extension or repair matches exactly.
• Plan the closure. The preformed sheets are heat-fused in place, so installation is quick and closures are short.

Other rainbow crossings in our record: the Squamish Nation crosswalk at Capilano Road and Welchon, and rainbow crossings in Sechelt and Nanaimo in the crosswalks gallery.

For rainbow crosswalk projects across Metro Vancouver and BC, send a photo of the crossing and a postal code to office@squareonepaving.com, call 604-612-6209, or use the contact form. We come out, look, and put a written quote together.