The District of Squamish is moving ahead with plans to lower speed limits in local neighbourhoods, including Downtown and the Oceanfront. At a council meeting, District of Squamish staff will present council with updates to the Traffic Bylaw required
to enforce reduced speed limits.
The lower speeds won’t take effect until new signage is installed and the updated Traffic Bylaw is formally adopted.
According to a staff report, the proposed changes would drop speed limits to 30 km/h in Downtown and Oceanfront Squamish, a decision the council took in December last year. Darrell Bay Road will be designated as a 20 km/h zone, while Skyline Drive will be posted at 40 km/h. District staff say the update is backed by data showing that speeding plays a role in nearly 30 per cent of traffic-related fatalities in B.C. over the past decade.
In addition to Downtown and the Oceanfront, the 30 km/h limit will apply to:
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Cottonwood Road
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Maple Crescent
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Eagle Run Drive (between Maple Crescent and Government Road)
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Hemlock Avenue
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Spruce Drive (between Westway Avenue and Hemlock Avenue)
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Mamquam Road (between Highlands Way South and the east-end gate)
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Northridge Drive (between Clarke Drive and Vista Crescent)
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Vista Crescent
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Brennan Road (south of Judd Road)
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The Crescent
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Snowberry Place
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Huckleberry Drive
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Strangway Place
School and playground zones will remain unaffected by this bylaw change, as those are regulated separately under provincial law. The speed limit changes are part of a broader initiative launched in 2019, when the council first directed staff to explore options for slowing traffic across the community.
The staff report from December notes that the Squamish RCMP supports the speed reductions but can’t promise enforcement as the local detachment doesn’t have officers who can enforce speed limits on both the highway and in Squamish. Speeding enforcement is the responsibility of RCMP and not bylaw officers, as the latter only have jurisdiction over stationary vehicles.
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RJ says
Enforcement? How’s that happening? There is already almost zero enforcement of existing bylaws,
especially those to do with traffic (example: constant flouting of bylaws regarding bike riding – failure of riders to dismount and walk thru crosswalks, riding bikes on sidewalks in commercial areas, not wearing helmets, rarely signalling intent to turn, passing on the right, failing to stop for pedestrians, shall I go on and on and on about how bike riders seem to believe they can do whatever they please, wherever they please! Another example is there is no enforcement of speed limits on any of the streets in residential areas – The Boulevard especially but it doesn’t make the list, despite years and years of being brought to the attention of the District.) What is the point of this new bylaw (and all the others) when there is no enforcement anyway?
N_Dj says
Jeez,
Instead of spending millions for the new regulations and signage, keep the speed limits at 50km/h and hire more officers to enforce it!
Helen Habgood says
University Blvd should also be 40k
Deidre Plaatjes says
Does Downtown include 3rd Avenue behind Save-On Foods and in front of Westwinds Senior Building? We ,the Seniors have been advocating to have this area designated as a school zone area to the speed limit of 30km for the 3 last years. To make the public more aware we’ve protested the high speed that vehicles travel. There are Seniors that are crossing the crosswalk on a daily basis. Plus families walking to and fro to schools while crossing both 3rd Ave and Bailey Street crosswalk. We have approached Council, Squamish School Board with these concerns. So we hope that we have finally been heard regarding our very serious concerns