COLUMN: Keeping our corridor moving

Every year, the Sea to Sky Corridor welcomes thousands of visitors from all over the world. As residents of the corridor, we know that we live in a beautiful part of the province with so many attractions that draw many people here.  

Road closure or disruption has a significant impact on our daily lives.

 While the Sea to Sky Highway improvement project has improved safety and travel times under ideal conditions it is clear that the highway struggles to accommodate peak travel periods the entire year. 

It only takes one significant interruption to disrupt traffic for the rest of the day.  While this may be a nuisance delay to a visitor’s trip, for residents of the corridor this can be a recurring problem that has a profound impact because we rely on the highway to make it to work or to access services.

 As Squamish’s population has grown so has the number of commuters on the road.  

However, the number of new commuters pales in comparison with the increased visitor traffic destined for Whistler year-round and for Squamish during the summer months.  Ambitious expansion plans in the works for Whistler – Blackcomb will add further pressure.  

In a geographically constrained corridor further widening and expansion of the highway is likely to be extremely cost-prohibitive and bad for our environment. 

Creating suitable grades and corridors for highways requires extensive infrastructure and blasting; do we want to see Squamish bisected by a six-lane freeway?

The good news is that we have the opportunity to do something different.  

Namely, we can start planning for transportation options such as high-speed rail and ferry service that would offer a more reliable and sustainable transportation connection to Metro Vancouver.  Furthermore, it could enhance the visitor experience; a scenic ride on a train or ferry rather than white-knuckle drive on an unfamiliar, winding highway. 
More importantly for Squamish, a fast, reliable connection to Metro Vancouver would enhance our ability to create local jobs in Squamish by attracting a broader range of businesses to locate and scale-up in our community.   
 So where do we go from here? 

With governments at both the provincial and federal level that are serious in moving to a low-carbon future and growing a sustainable economy, it is an opportune moment for the corridor to come together and advocate for resources to get started.  

Working with our MP, MLA and relevant government ministers we can set a path for development of better regional transportation options into the future.