David Burke
Whistler Question
A senior Ministry of Transportation (MOT) official this week told Whistler Council that increased use of concrete median barriers on Highway 99 could be safer in some limited instances but could compromise highway operations and put the highway upgrade project over its $600-million budget.
After Peter Milburn, executive project director for the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project, made his presentation, lawmakers debated -and rejected by a 4-3 vote -a motion that would have seen it send a strongly-worded letter to Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon seeking a formal review of the decision against increased median barriers between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler.
Coun. Nancy Wilhelm-Morden made the motion, which was supported by councillors Eckhard Zeidler and Ralph Forsyth.
"We all know what goes on on that highway. I think if we don't act decisively, the carnage will continue," Wilhelm-Morden said.
"What I heard from Mr. Milburn tonight is that it can't work because of a fixed budget," Zeidler said, adding that he doesn't think those who drive the highway regularly should accept that.
Coun. Tim Wake disagreed, saying he felt Milburn made it clear that it took a hard look at the median-barrier proposal put forward by Whistlerite Ross Walker, a retired highway design engineer, and after weighing all the evidence, decided it didn't make sense.
"From this presentation, the only practical way to go to a median barrier is to go to four lanes," Wake said. "I recall from some time ago that this community didn't want four lanes all the way. I'm struggling here because I think we are taking a kind of seat-of-the-pants, emotional response to what is a very technical issue."
Wake, councillors Gordon McKeever and Bob Lorriman and Mayor Ken Melamed voted against Wilhelm-Morden's motion. Afterward, Council voted unanimously to send a letter asking Falcon to re-examine the issue taking only safety, not cost, into account.
But it's likely that neither Milburn's presentation nor Council's vote will end the debate on the issue. The response of the audience on Tuesday -they applauded Wilhelm-Morden's and especially Zeidler's comments -indicates that many who showed up supported Walker's idea.
Walker, who has received letters of support from both Whistler and Squamish councils, said before Tuesday's meeting that he had heard most of the MOT's arguments against his proposal and still felt increased barriers would result in a safer highway at minimal added cost.
He said he has been gratified by the support the public in the corridor have shown for his plan. And he still thinks it could be done if enough public pressure is brought to bear.
During his presentation, Milburn said that as it stands, 46 of the 53 kilometres between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish -the most troublesome section -will be four lanes and will therefore have median barriers.However, in certain three-lane sections between Squamish and Whistler, the barriers don't make sense either from a safety or an operational standpoint, he said.
