Resort Municipality of Whistler - Transportation Policies

Whistler is a pedestrian village and a car is not needed. Travel options to Whistler from Vancouver and points beyond include bus, limousine/taxi and helicopter. (See www.whistler.com for information on visitor transportation options.) Our transportation network of municipal roads, transit and multi-use trails is governed by a number of policies and programs, and overall by our resort community vision, Whistler 2020.

The Comprehensive Transportation Strategy
The Comprehensive Transportation Strategy is a long-term look at transportation issues and solutions in Whistler. The strategy was developed over three years by the Transportation Advisory Group, known in Whistler as TAG. Strategies include transportation demand management (TDM) - a mix of policies, programs and actions designed to reduce single-occupant vehicle travel by providing incentives to use alternate modes of transportation, such as bicycling, walking, carpooling and transit. A public education campaign called The Whistler Way has been in effect for six years. If you regularly choose alternative modes of transportation and would like to help get the message out, contact the municipal TDM Coordinator Emma Dal Santo at 604-935-8197 or email:edalsanto at whistler.ca.

To avoid problems which other municipalities have experienced with traffic calming, staff in Whistler have developed a Traffic Calming Policy. The intent of the policy is to proactively address traffic and safety issues; to respond to localized problems and concerns; to ensure that funds spent on traffic calming are spent cost-effectively; that reported problems are resolved; and that no new problems are created in the process.

Whistler's Traffic Calming Policy was developed based on a review of traffic calming policies and programs in a number of communities throughout BC and the USA. Some traffic calming measures have already been implemented in Whistler, and the municipality wishes to consider additional traffic calming measures as a means of maintaining and improving safety for road users.

For a Traffic Calming Request Form, please click here .

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Whistler Resort Transportation Planning Study
Highway Improvement Recommendations
In 2003, the Ministry of Transportation (MOT), in partnership with Resort Municipality of Whistler, began to the review Highway 99 from Function Junction to Emerald Estates to identify a preferred improvement strategy of acceptable and achievable goals that work to alleviate or reduce traffic congestion on the highway through Whistler, and subsequently on the municipal roads, while enhancing the visitor experience.

Thirty-five people attended an open house on 16 recommendations to improve the highway within Whistler's boundaries, held in November in conjunction with a Clean Air Strategy for the corridor. About a dozen comments were received and reviewed by municipal and MOT staff, indicating no one preferred or disliked recommendation. Comments did show that the goal to shift 50 percent more of highway travellers to transit would be challenging.

Municipal and MOT staff are now assessing the recommendations to determine the short- and long-term improvements and municipal staff will report back to Council on the results of the open house and the assessment. The ministry meanwhile will look at the short- and long-term improvements, using their business case formulas to determine which have the best pay-back. Those will be considered for the province-wide work plan for 2007. It's anticipated that decisions will be made and work commenced by April 2007.

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