Whitehorse residents call for safer crossings on the Alaska Highway

On June 4, Sean Mackinnon of Whitehorse got a call from home that he will never forget. His 13-year-old son had almost been run over by a truck on the Alaska Highway.

It happened as the teenager was returning home to the Takhini North neighbourhood after a bike ride in the trail systems. 

"A truck shot through the ditch as they were standing on the shoulder with traffic going both ways in front of them. It was an incredibly close call," Mackinnon told CBC News.

To MacKinnon, the incident illustrates how dangerous it is for cyclists and pedestrians to navigate the busy highway, and why the city needs to create more safe crossings.   

Mackinnon says while his son was waiting on the side of the highway, an oncoming vehicle slowed down to let him cross. That led to a potentially lethal chain of events.

The truck behind the slowing vehicle failed to account for the changing speed, and so veered off into the ditch to avoid a rear-end collision  — missing Mackinnon's son by a few feet.

"I think it's obvious we need some sort of what the engineers would call a separated grade crossing, like a bridge or an underpass," MacKinnon said. "There's not a suitable crossing, it's a dangerous place."

Currently, residents of Takhini North and Hillcrest, neighbourhoods located by the highway, have to cross the busy road to access trail systems.

Other residents who cross the road frequently echo Mackinnon's concerns.

Jan Horton lives in Takhini North with three generations of family who love the outdoors. She is not surprised by the close call, and fears for everyone's safety.

"Absolutely — that's the whole point, really, is to you know, create a crossing that can be used safely and comfortably by all generations," she said.

Money for feasibility study

The federal government has awarded $50,000 to the Cycling Association of Yukon to conduct a feasibility study. This came after members of both neighbourhoods organized to voice their concerns.

"There are actually two underpasses, we're going to look at one here in Takhini and one near Hillcrest — and both are needed," said Forest Pearson, the association's director.

The feasibility study is set to be completed within nine months, according to Pearson.

In the meantime, concerned residents such as Mackinnon ask vehicle operators to observe the highway speed limit — and to not slow down for trail users because it can lead to unintended consequences.