Cyclists, mobility advocates hail Whitehorse plan to beef up snow plowing
City still faces calls to expand active transportation network
The City of Whitehorse plans to make permanent an enhanced snow-clearing program that includes increased snow removal in the downtown core, with special attention for bus stops and accessible parking spots.
Under the proposed three-year operating budget, the city will spend $307,000 more per year on plowing.
"The money in this budget will enable our crews to continue to deliver service that will improve safety and accessibility for all citizens, especially those with mobility challenges," said Mayor Kirk Cameron in his budget address Monday.
The extra money also includes funds for a new pilot program: one aimed at clearing the bike trail along Hamilton Boulevard, plus a trail that connects Hamilton with the Hillcrest neighbourhood. That line item will cost approximately $38,000 per year.
It's something cyclists have been after for nearly a decade. For Phillippe Morin, who lives in the Ingram neighbourhood, the change means a small but important piece of his winter bike commute will improve.
"Ninety per cent of my commute, I am in my own lane, I'm separated from traffic," he said. "I feel safe there and this is just going to make that section of Hamilton easier to navigate for people like me."
Disability advocates are also happy to see the pilot program become a permanent fixture. Darryl Tait, who's been paralyzed since 2009 and has been a frequent critic of the city's accessibility policies, said the change will make it easier for him to get around the city.
"When we have a huge snowfall it's guaranteed ... the next week and a half, I'm going to be stuck in my place, not being able to go shopping or carry on in the community, doing the things we need to get done," he said. "So to have this moving forward, would be really nice."
The city still faces a potential class action lawsuit from mobility advocates, over what they say is the city's failure to keep accessible parking spaces and other infrastructure clear of snow and ice. The city hasn't commented on the suit, but its lawyers say the suit is baseless and have called for it to be dismissed on technical grounds.
'My support is sort of lukewarm'
Residents can have a say on the proposed operating budget at city council chambers on Feb. 10.
Meantime, the city is still facing criticism for elements of its three-year capital budget, which council approved Monday.
It projects to spend to spend approximately $17 million over the next year on road maintenance and just $200,000 repaving bike trails. Coun. Anne Middler said that's a problem.
"That's one per cent for cyclists and walkers," she told council. "And so that speaks to a couple things for me. One is that it's way cheaper to provide maintenance on active transportation pathways, but it also tells me that we just don't have enough of them."
Middler said the imbalance undermines the city's stated goal of getting more residents out of their cars and opting for other forms of transportation. She voted in favour of the capital budget, but admitted "my support is sort of lukewarm."
With files from George Maratos and Elyn Jones