Construction of a parking area around Perth Drive will be difficult as there is no land in the area that district owns, according to a staff memo to council.
The staff said there was a lot of social media conversation on the topic, particularly comparisons to the parking lot and resident-only parking in the Smoke Bluffs area. However, creating such a parking area is difficult given the paucity of land.
“A resident-only parking program will require staff and resources in the 2021 budget, and resident-only parking without new parking areas will displace the parking issue to other areas,” the staff told the council.
Meanwhile, physical changes to the design of Perth Drive to reduce speed-related issues will require budget and will be proposed in the next year’s budget.
Squamish RCMP have stepped up enforcement of speeding and parking issues on Perth Drive. According to the district, seasonal policing is now alive to the issue and RCMP have started a full shift in the area in July.
The staff has been receiving several complaints related to speeding on Highlands Way North between the Boulevard and Portree Way, as well as speeding and parking complaints on Perth Drive.
Last year, the staff reviewed the area and determined that Highlands Way North was the top priority for traffic calming. Meanwhile, Perth Drive is also being considered for future improvements due to speeding concerns.
A multi-use path, sidewalk or separated walking area is also planned on Perth Drive.
According to the staff, the current bylaw enforcement occurs as resources permit. The Parks Ambassador shift is also limited due to increased programming, while the remaining PA shifts focus on trail heads.
They have been asked to focus on Perth for upcoming weekends. According to the staff, the district has made several improvements on Perth Drive. The district installed parallel parking because angle parking was causing a safety hazard as there were some longer vehicles sticking out on asphalt with bike racks.
This step has reduced the parking volume on Perth Drive, north of Pia Road.
The district has also installed a ‘No parking’ sign in the north-west corner of Pia and Perth following request by the bylaw enforcement as vehicles were parking too close to the intersection. ‘No parking’ signs on the bike lane along Perth have also been installed.
The district is working on consulting the public on traffic-calming options on Highlands Way North that will affect Perth.