Hwy 101 corridor study

Staff of the Provincial Ministry of Transportation (MoTI) finally presented their long-awaited “Highway 101 Corridor Study – Sechelt to Gibsons” to the SCRD Transportation Advisory Committee on Jan. 21.
Dated August 2020, the review was clearly a theoretical desktop exercise carried out without any real knowledge of our area and the pressing needs we face.
Among the review’s failings – the traffic and accident data used for the study were only up to 2017, which in no way reflects the most recent tragic accidents and fatalities or the overall growth in traffic volumes.
Further, the authors of the study propose three timelines – short (up to 2025), medium (2026 to 2035) and long (beyond 2035). The issues and congestion we face are real now! Waiting up to 15 years for solutions is simply unacceptable.
The study’s proposals are primarily cosmetic in nature, and no cost estimates were provided. Many are simply not practical. For example, suggestions to create left-turn lanes, sidewalks and bike paths in certain areas would require the expropriation of private property, which is never going to be practical.
In short, the study shows just how little concern the Ministry has for our situation. We agree with one member of the SCRD committee, who pointed out that there has been a serious lack of engagement by MoTI with local governments and other interested parties.
What is needed is for the Ministry to recognize that band-aid solutions are not going to address the real issue – that the real solution is the construction of a new innovative “state of the art” highway. This will improve the quality of life for all on the Coast and allow our “Goat Trail” to exist as a parkway route for local traffic, cyclists, pedestrians and public transit.
Robin Merriott, Sunshine Coast Highway Society