Whislerites with a need for speed might soon be applying the brakes in residential neighbourhoods.
A resolution introduced at the April 20 meeting of Whistler’s mayor and council will begin the process of lowering local speed limits from 50 to 30 kilometres an hour.
The resolution—which directs municipal staff “to prepare a report outlining the implementation process and timing to reduce the speed limit for appropriate municipal neighbourhood roadways to 30 km/hr”—comes on the heels of an April 6 presentation at Whistler’s Committee of the Whole.
It’s been an ongoing discussion throughout mayor and council’s term, urged on by residents in Nicklaus North, Rainbow and Cheakamus (where a seven-year-old was hit by a car in 2019).
At least two other Whistlerites were hit by cars in residential neighbourhoods this winter, one a holder of the Freedom of the Municipality, noted Councillor Cathy Jewett at the April 20 meeting.
“I just want to be sure that we knew that this is going to really, hopefully, affect people if people can actually slow down,” she said.
Coun. Jen Ford was the first to bring the issue to council after she attended the Vision Zero Summit in Surrey in February 2018.
One of her takeaways from the event, she said at the time, was that a 30 km/h speed limit makes sense, as research shows the probability of pedestrian survival is about 90 per cent if struck by a vehicle at that speed, but reduced to 20 per cent if struck by a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h.
Coun. John Grills challenged his fellow council members to actually drive the local neighbourhoods at 30 km/hr prior to voting on any resolutions, to “get a feel for it, so when we’re voting on this we experience what we’re voting on in advance,” he said. “We don’t often get to do that.”
Council first adopted a traffic calming policy in 2001, later amending it in 2004.
The current policy serves as a guide for assessing traffic and safety issues, and is used to develop and implement plans and provide technical guidance when it comes to traffic calming measures.
Residents with safety concerns can fill out a traffic calming request form at municipal hall or online.
The latest report and any potential resolutions will be presented at an upcoming meeting.
