Through this petition, I am proposing the installment of 50 flashing light wildlife safety signs along the B.C. Highway 95. The town of Golden, village of Radium, and everything in between will see a projected increase of 10,000 vehicles per day along the Highway 95 (Kost, 2019). This projected influx of traffic is due to the Highway 95 diversion caused by the upcoming closure of the Trans-Canada Highway. With it, increased safety measures are imperative in order to protect both local wildlife and travelers. 

The communities affected by this diversion are rich in local wildlife, from native bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, turkeys, bears and so on. We have approximately 140 big horn sheep in Radium alone (Hubrecht, 2020), and the handful of collisions we have every year are already too many. Reflective wildlife crossing signs have been proven to be relatively ineffective, whereas signs with motion or speed activated flashing lights have resulted in a reduction of animal collisions by over 50% (Bond & Jones, 2013). 

As a local member of the village of Radium Hot Springs I am both excited and nervous for the highway diversion. Excited, because of the increased business for our community and for more people to see this beautiful valley. However, I am nervous to see how prepared we are for it. Increasing a driver’s level of caution in order to prevent collisions is one step along the road to being competently prepared.

Join me in the call-to-action in ensuring the safety of our local wildlife by requesting that Columbia Valley local governments and the Province of British Columbia install flashing wildlife warning signs along the Highway 95.

For more information on the Columbia Valley and its wildlife visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-habitats/conservation-lands/wma/wmas-list/columbia-wetlands

For more information on the highway closure/diversion please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kicking-horse-canyon-construction-1.5948068

REFERENCES:

Bond, A., & Jones, D. (2013). Wildlife warning signs: Public assessment of components, placement and designs to optimise driver response. Animals, 3(4), 1142-1161. doi:10.3390/ani3041142

Hubrecht, S. (2020, November 28). Motorists urged to slow down, drive with caution in wake of bighorn sheep fatalities in Radium. The Columbia Valley Pioneer. Retrieved from https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/motorists-urged-to-slow-down-drive-with-caution-in-wake-of-bighorn-sheep-fatalities-in-radium/

Kost, H. (2019, September 9). Closure of Trans-Canada Highway up to 15 weeks a year doesn't worry Golden and Radium mayors. CBC. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/closure-of-trans-canada-highway-up-to-15-weeks-a-year-doesn-t-worry-golden-and-radium-mayors-1.5276620