anonymous - November 16th, 2005
Hey Jamey thats been tried (not by council though), and to no success. It seems the provincial government does not see it as a priority, or even an issue. They seem to think it is safe as it is, when those of us who use it alot know all too well it needs a divider. Especially now with the increase in speed the improvements are bringing.
I use the highway a lot for work, and a divider that keeps vehicles apart but allows animals to cross is something we need.
Coner

anonymous - November 16th, 2005
The provincial govt is more interested in selling off resources than it is protecting its citizens. But that's another story.

We NEED a divided highway.

anonymous - November 17th, 2005
Somebody has an online petition going; I emailed him last year. If only I could remember who it is......

whistler - November 17th, 2005
I can do it if no one else has yet. send me a link or I know of a great online petition organization. Duane

anonymous - November 18th, 2005
Falling broadly into the category of a no-brainer the highway has a well deserved reputation as a killer highway, obviously it should have been designed from the start as divided. This is a great example of a "false economy" - save a few bucks and ensure that the bad reputation remains with us forever costing much more in lost revenues and reputation. I'll bet they do a feature article on it during the Olympics. Duh.
Eckhard Zeidler

anonymous - November 18th, 2005
The original highway plan was for a four lane divided highway into Whistler. The RMOW objected, as they were worried it would bring too much traffic, so they went with three lanes.

anonymous - November 18th, 2005
So Victoria should have extra money to construct a divider.

Is this one of those instances where the provincial actuaries predict that it will be cheaper to deal with the accidents and the results of those accidents than would be to install a divider?

Email Kevin Falcon and let him know your thoughts. minister.transportation@gems5.gov.bc.ca

anonymous - November 25th, 2005
Tim Allix wrote a thoughtful letter to the Pique this week - it's his letter but I figured it should be posted. Eckhard

Divided highway revisited

What a difference a letter and a few weeks makes! Since writing about the urgent need for a divided highway last month, I got a phone call and an invitation to attend a Traffic Advisories Group (TAG) meeting at the Delta Suites. There were several Highways officials and about 15 guests present to explain the state of the upgrades and plans for the next months and years leading up to the Olympics.

Though I was the oddball in the room full of suits, I was made very welcome at the meeting. John Cavanagh led things off and gave an overview of the plans for Highway 99. My concern over a divided highway was addressed immediately and here is the situation as I understand it.

Cement barriers will be installed along all four lane sections of highway between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler, but three and two lane sections of highway will not get barriers. There is actually a very good reason for this: if any single lane is blocked by an accident, mudslide, flooding or any other event, a cement barrier would prevent emergency vehicle access to the incident. It would also prohibit the ability to flag traffic around the event.

I had my artillery drawn, and was ready to shoot down any reason for not having our barrier, but I cannot come up with a good defence against this kind of logic. At least we will get our barrier on all the four lane sections, and as we know quite a lot of the highway will be converted to four lanes in the next four years.

As for the remaining sections, there will be a lot of straightening, and as John Cavanagh had me quite convinced, many other safety measures are planned to reduce car accidents. The entire highway will be upgraded to include rumble strips, rain lines and prolific use of reflector lights. Both railway crossings (at Brandywine and Function Junction) will be straightened and converted to overpasses.

There will even be an attempt to modify behaviour as drivers approach the several communities between Whistler and Horseshoe Bay through the use of landscaping. Boulevards, trees and signs will tell us to slow down.

I completely withdraw my notion that the Highways department is making safety the last priority as the highway improvements continue; they are in fact making safety their primary goal, I am now convinced. If their motive for inviting me was to shut me up, they succeeded; I came away from the meeting somewhat humbled, and impressed with the high level of professionalism and planning that has gone into the highway improvement project.

For those interested in more facts, I suggest visiting www.seatoskyimprovements.ca.

Tim Allix.

Whistler

anonymous - December 15th, 2005
One sure way to get someone to stop pissing on the outside of the tent is to invite them inside. I think that Tim Alix has fallen victim to an invitation inside the tent. I liked his first letter demanding a medium barrier on the highway and I like the December 15, 2005 letter in the Pique from Highway Engineering Expert Ross Walker.” See Below”

Stuart Munro



Highway could be safer

RE: The Sea Sky Highway, "The Killer Highway"

I am concerned that after the government has spent a great deal of money to reconstruct the Sea To Sky Highway, we shall still have an unsafe highway.

In the nine years from 1996 to 2005, there have been 30 fatalities and 754 collisions where vehicles crossed the centreline on Highway 99. These accidents would not have happened if there had been a median barrier, and without the barrier these accidents will continue to escalate as traffic increases each year.

The Ministry of Transportation and Highways recognizes me as a "Highway Engineering Expert". I have spent 40 years directing major highway projects across Canada and overseas and was principal author of the Canadian Highway Design Manual.

The present improvements to the Sea To Sky Highway include: two, three, and four lane sections. The four lane sections will have a median barrier. The two and three sections will not have a barrier.

Contrary to what Tim Allix was told, a barrier from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler can be used. Strategically placed median openings on tangent sections would allow emergency vehicles to gain access to attend any emergency situation.

It is very important that Highway 99 be made as safe as possible by eliminating head-on collisions and other serious cross centerline accidents throughout its total length. This can only be achieved by constructing a concrete median barrier from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler.

In addition to the extreme personal loss these accidents cause, there are sound economic reasons for installing the median barrier. Tourists come to Whistler by car and bus on the Sea to Sky Highway. This can be a very positive experience with the fantastic scenery and the safety of the median barrier, or a very negative one without the barrier. This will be especially important during the Olympics. The experience of traveling to and from Whistler will be on every television set all over the world. Will it be positive or negative?

A very important question for the future of Whistler. I would encourage you to write the Premier.

Ross Walker

Whistler