Squamish needs to formalize its unofficial park-and-ride facilities, the municipality's transit committee says.
At the District of Squamish standing committee's first meeting on Tuesday (June 19), Coun. Patricia Heintzman said the municipality should provide bike lockers and spruce up areas already being used by commuters. It's not a new idea, she noted. District staff have been directed to legitimize parking spots such as the gravel lot adjacent to Highway 99 on Hospital Hill before, Heintzman said.
I don't want to talk about this six months from now, she said, adding that some paving and parking stall lines would go a long way.
The committee asked municipal staff to gather information on park-and-ride improvement options and placing bike lockers at those locations, so that council can implement plans in 2013.
There is a continual debate about who should pay for such improvements, Heintzman noted. Inter-city transit falls under the province's mandate, she said.
[The district] has very limited revenue at local levels and the province needs to step up, Heintzman said.
Lighting along the Sea to Sky and Discovery trails is a big issue, said Susan Chapelle, who chairs the transit committee. Money also needs to be spent on east/west pedestrian and cycling connectivity throughout the community, interested public member Eric Andersen added. High school students from Valleycliffe are using the railway bridge over the Blind Channel to get to Howe Sound Secondary, he said.
The committee made a motion that council direct staff to look at safety concerns surrounding Discovery and Sea to Sky trails and the east/west links.
The municipality should request that new developments include plug-in stations for electric vehicles, Coun. Ted Prior said. The Squamish Adventure Centre has received inquires regarding such stations from people wanting to travel through the Sea to Sky Corridor in their electric vehicles, Chapelle added. District staff have applied for a grant under the province's new $2.74 million Community Charging Fund, an account slated to pay for 570 charging stations across B.C.
The district is in the midst of hiring a transportation planner, said Brian Barnett, the municipality's general manager of engineering and parks. The person hired for the nine-month position will help the district accomplish its transit goals an issue council made a top priority.
I am very optimistic that we can move forward and accomplish some of these, he said.
