Four years after finalizing a highly-touted Sea to Sky Corridor trail plan, only 3.5 of Squamish's nine-kilometre portion is complete.
Six weeks ago, District of Squamish staff took heat from councillors about the delays, and during a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday (July 27), staff returned with their frustrations and options for completing the project.
"This report points to one of the major problems we're having in dealing with the current regime that regulates the highway," said planning director Cameron Chalmers, referring to the Ministry of Transportation.
Now that the Sea to Sky Improvement project is completed, control of Highway 99 is now entirely back in MoT hands, several previous agreements are not being honoured.
Highway rights of way, environmental concerns, connectivity, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) approval and MoT approval have created a bureaucratic quandary not easily resolved.
There are four sections left to complete: the Mamquam forest service road to Valley Drive and Hwy 99 (climber's parking lot to Chances Casino), Clarke Drive Intersection and Hwy 99 (Valleycliffe area), Mamquam River Bridge and Hwy 99 (where there is a hazardous pinch point) and Kingswood Crossing to Depot Road and Hwy 99 (where it would connect to the Sea to Sky Trail).
If MoT doesn't allow for some of the requested right of ways, the money left for the remaining sections could potentially fall short, according to staff reports.
"If we can't build the trail, then people will be walking and biking in the highway in the right of way anyways," Coun. Corinne Lonsdale. "They do it now."
Chalmers said for liability reasons, MoT has some "very rigid regulations in place." He added there was nothing binding in original plans should the district proceed legally.
Race questioned whether MoT's decision was a deal breaker.
"If [MoT] say no, do we have to go with the other option?" asked Coun. Doug Race.
"We are going to continue these discussions with MoT as much as possible, and are looking at alternatives to complete the trail even if it is not in our optimal manner," said Chalmers.
Councillors Patricia Heintzman and Bryan Raiser deemed the section between the climber's parking lot and Chances Casino the least important within the trail because very few, if any, commuters came from there.
"Let's focus on the part the 90 per cent of people use, and leave this portion for last," said Heintzman.
"Maybe the money will magically appear to complete it," said Raiser. "It does lead to a provincial park."
Raiser said several times the Valleycliffe section had been neglected and should be made the first priority.
"Valleycliffe kids have never had a safe way to get to school and right now they walk on the side of the highway," said Raiser. "This is unacceptable."
The section just north of Mamquam River Bridge brought the corridor trail's intention into question. Heintzman thought they should find a way to bridge the gully to the east of the road and have the corridor trail join up with the existing trail system that goes through the marsh.
"It's a much nicer path than just going right alongside the highway, more beautiful to ride through," she said.
Race was more supportive of the other option outlined by staff, which is to remove the barrier flare need (which creates a problematic pinch point) by connecting the barriers at the end of the bridge to the existing barriers by the dyke.
"It makes sense," said Race. "The idea of a corridor trail is to be near the highway because it's designed as a commuter trail, not as an aesthetically pleasing one."
He also mentioned the existing trail would likely need major upgrades to meet corridor trail standards.
The final portion connecting Kings Crossing to the Sea to Sky trail was also deemed a lesser priority.
Heintzman said she felt the main issue was the amount of kids walking up and down the train tracks to get to school, but that kids would always take the most direct route so unless the trail could run parallel to the tracks, it might not be used.
Lonsdale said there might be two trails needed in this area - one made sense with regards to school location and the community, whereas another option made sense connectivity-wise to meet the Sea to Sky trail.
A reoccurring theme from the June 8 meeting was most of council's desire to see the trail paved and make it accessible to everyone - mothers with strollers, kids, motorized scooters and others.
"It's a priority to pave those sections," said Heintzman, "we won't get people off the road until we do."
Raiser agreed.
"Realistically, it's not the bikers who really need it, most good bikers are fine on the road with cars," he said. "It's for all the other methods of transportation."
Mayor Greg Gardner was absent.
Chalmers and Bishop said they would take council's comments and come up with some exact costs for each option for continuing dialogue with MoT.
