1.    Objective of the Petition

The aim the petition is to increase public safety and satisfaction by reducing the speed limit of Highway 93/95 to 60 km/h between Windermere and Invermere.

2.    Public Safety

The section of highway we are asking you to consider (a 6-kilometer stretch) has experienced an increased traffic volume due to the growth in both residents and visitors coming to the valley.  Given the development which continues to occur on both sides of the highway, traffic, and other activities such as cycling, walking, and jogging is increasing.  Not only are vehicles trying to turn on to Highway 93/95 at higher risk of collision due to the 90 km/h speed limit but so are the pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross the highway.  As the increase in traffic occurs in the summer months, there is expressed frustration over long waits to access the highway and needless safety risks taken due to impatient drivers.  Many travelers simply turn right on to the highway to then make a U-turn because the wait to get across the two lanes of traffic is excessive.  If traffic was slowed to 60 km/h it would provide the opportunity to drivers to enter the highway more safely.

In addition, many of the undersigned expressed their concerns of reduced traffic safety on the corridor due to the absence of exit lanes to safely access local roads when drivers must bring their vehicle to a total stop to exit the highway; doing so without an exit lane, with traffic flowing at 90 km/h on both directions, sets a perfect scenario for a serious accident.

Residents are also concerned about increasing wildlife collisions. We believe that the number of wildlife collisions can be drastically lowered by reducing the maximum speed limit.

The November 1, 2019 report issued by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General RoadSafetyBC RAD 2019-090, “Motor Vehicle Related Crashes, Injuries and Fatalities 10-year Statistics for British Columbia 2009-2018”, page 34 “Figure 19 a: Police Reported Motor Vehicle Crashes in Southern Interior 2018” shows a considerably high-density crashes in the Invermere area.

3.    Traffic Noise

A byproduct of reducing the highway speed is the noise reduction.  Both sides of the corridor have residential development. Traffic noise caused by cars and heavy vehicles is becoming unbearable to homeowners living along or near the corridor.  Many traffic noise impact studies conclude that one of the relevant sources of traffic noise is the contact of moving vehicles tires with the road pavement and further indicate that this type of noise can be drastically reduced by decreasing the vehicles speed.  The quality of experience for both residents and tourists staying along the highway will also be substantially enhanced by the speed reduction.

4.    Precedent set with nearby locations for reduced maximum speed limit

Radium Hot Springs and Fairmont Hot Springs are the closest locations to the corridor with reduced maximum speed limit.

Southbound of highway 93/95 approaching Fairmont Hot Springs has a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h, in Summertime the maximum speed limit is further reduced to 60 km/h from Hot Springs Road up to passing the CP Rail bridge.

Why Invermere and Windermere are not being considered for maximum speed limit reduction when the population along the corridor is many times larger than Fairmont Hot Springs?