Whistler Active Transportation Strategy
The 2024 Whistler Active Transportation Strategy is our plan to encourage active transportation in Whistler. This means human-powered transport like walking, biking, and using wheelchairs, scooters, skateboards and cross-country skis. Not only is active transportation fun and an important part of our mountain culture, it is key to our climate goals.
Moving beyond the car is the top priority in our climate action Big Moves. Passenger vehicles cause more than half of local emissions. We are aiming for over half of local trips to be by transit or active transportation, moving Whistler toward our overall goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 50 per cent below 2007 levels. More specifically, this would cap emissions at 66,500 t-CO2e, tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The Active Transportation Strategy objectives are:
- Establish a comprehensive year-round active transportation network.
- Ensure everyone can safely and enthusiastically use the network.
- Provide essential infrastructure, amenities and operational support for the network.
- Create awareness and motivation for people to use the network year-round.
- Prepare for increasing use of the network to 2030 and beyond.
Active transportation work underway
We are supporting active transportation by:
- by expanding the 2024 bike valet service
- through a bike lane trail demonstration project on Village Gate Boulevard
- by providing secure bike parking at Whistler Olympic Plaza, Meadow Park Sports Centre and Blackcomb Lodge
- with adding more e-bikes and parking zones to the shared Evolve e-bike fleet
- with over 40 kilometres of paved multi-use pathway
More information
View the presentation and report to Council from July 23, 2024.
Whistler Transit Future Action Plan
The Whistler Transit Future Action Plan 2022 was created by the RMOW and BC Transit to guide transit development. The plan defines:
- priority service and infrastructure,
- community transit needs,
- and includes ongoing community discussion to make sure we get things right.
Focuses include:
- reducing emissions and traffic noise
- Coordinating transit with other forms of transportation, like walking and biking
- ensuring municipal land use policy includes transit
- transit access to the mountains, schools and other important facilities
- technical details on how to improve specific local routes
View the Council presentation (September 6, 2022).
Planning for future regional transit
The Resort Municipality of Whistler partners with Village of Pemberton, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Líl̓wat Nation, District of Squamish and BC Transit to advocate for sustainable funding from the Province for transit service from Mount Currie to Metro Vancouver.
Regional transit would connect communities and reduce the need for people to use a private vehicle. It would also give better access to employment and services, including healthcare, throughout the corridor. In addition, transit reduces greenhouse gas emissions and traffic.
Read about BC Transit’s Sea to Sky Transit Future Plan.
Whistler Transportation Action Plan
Our Whistler Transportation Action Plan 2018–2028 (PDF) recommends actions, which can be implemented through to 2028, to move toward a more efficient and affordable transportation system, which minimizes impacts on natural areas.
The Whistler Transportation Action Plan 2018–2028 fits with our Climate Action Big Moves and Official Community Plan.
The Transportation Action Plan has five strategic areas and a total of 105 actions, including:
- efficiencies on Highway 99
- transit improvements
- operation plans for the busiest days
- better parking management
- options for walking and biking
Transportation achievements
- free transit on summer weekends and statutory holidays, since 2016
- The Lost Lake Park shuttle since 1991 and the Rainbow Park shuttle since 2020
- Highschool Bus Pass program for grades 7 to 12, launched 2020
- bicycle parking under Whistler Public Library, since 2018
- free summer bike valet service in Village launched in 2017
- free summer bike valet service in Lost Lake Park and Rainbow Park since 2021
- app-activated bike parking in three locations, launched 2024
- Evolve e-bike share, launched 2022
- Valley Trail improvements to offer safe routes for walking and biking to more neighbourhoods
- user pay parking at key parks to encourage taking the shuttle, walking and biking
- in 2022 we offered more than two months of free transit and up to 50 per cent discount on transit passes to encourage ridership following a transit strike
- improvements in the speed of reopening Highway 99 following an incident
- work with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to plan for winter conditions on Highway 99
Goals
The Whistler Transportation Action Plan’s goals are to:
- Provide a quality travel experience for all visitors, employees and residents. Ensure safety and accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
- Integrate the transportation system with land-use planning to minimize the need for travel by motor vehicle.
- Minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions created by the transportation system.
- Support the increased use of transit and active transportation to reduce dependence on private vehicles.
- Ensure the transport system meets the resort community’s needs and population growth, doing this cost-effectively and anticipating future needs.
- Ensure the transportation system is resilient by providing alternative road, railway, water and air transport routes to and from Whistler.
- Ensure that the transportation system respects Whistler’s natural environment, minimizes climate impacts, and improves livability.
Progress
Staff continue to meet with local partners about the Transportation Action Plan’s progress.
- View Transportation Action Plan 2022 Results. (PDF)
- View Transportation Action Plan 2021 Results. (PDF)
- View Transportation Action Plan 2020 Results (PDF). View the Council presentation.
- View Transportation Action Plan 2019 Results (PDF). View the Council presentation, starting at 39:10.
- View Transportation Action Plan 2018 Results (PDF).
Developing the Whistler Transportation Action Plan
The Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) developed the Whistler Transportation Action Plan 2018-2028. This is based on monitoring, studies and community input from five community forums and online surveys. It is informed by the results of the 2018 to 2019 Whistler Transportation Action Plan Recommendations Medium-Term, 2018 and 2017 transport initiatives (PDF), 2017 Short Term Whistler Action Plan, demonstration work in 2016, and the 2017 (PDF) and 2016 (PDF) studies into parking use.
The Transportation Advisory Group ran from 2015 until 2023. (View the 2015 Council report.) It advised on transportation policy, worked to search for solutions to transportation challenges in Whistler and reviewed implementation progress. The Climate Action and Environment Committee now advises on transportation policy.