District of Squamish is aware of the need for sidewalks on Garibaldi Way, but can’t provide a definitive timeline for when a sidewalk may be installed, according to Dora Gunn, a transportation planner with the district.
Gunn was responding to a local citizen’s letter sent to council last week on the need for sidewalks on Garibaldi Way.
“As a mother of two young boys, ages 3 and 8 months, I regularly walk to the Garibaldi Village shopping area with my stroller. I have wished for sidewalks on the busy road of Garibaldi Way ever since I moved here in 2017, but especially since having children,” Catherine Wilson had written in her letter.
While appreciating the improvements at Skyline Drive and Garibaldi Way, Wilson said she would like to see a sidewalk continue past Parkway, Ridgeway, and Cheakamus roads to the shopping area at least.
“Garibaldi Way has significant daily pedestrian traffic all along its length and could reasonably use a sidewalk the whole way,” she wrote.
In her response, the district said it had completed an Active Transportation Plan in 2016 which outlined the goals and priorities for active transportation infrastructure in Squamish.
At the time the plan was prepared, 90% of streets in Squamish had no sidewalks.
Gunn said sidewalks were also very expensive to install, particularly when a storm drain had to be installed at the same time as would be the case on Garibaldi Way.
“The plan recommends sidewalks on Garibaldi Way as a medium-term priority, and we are currently still working our way through the short-term priorities,” Gunn said.
However, Gunn said the district was aware of issues on streets like Garibaldi Way which were streets that saw a higher amount of traffic but didn’t have sidewalks.
