The City of Whitehorse is seeking input as it develops a policy to prevent traffic-related fatalities and injuries in the city.
The Vision Zero Policy is currently in development. It’s expected to be presented to council in October. The policy is being developed alongside the Safe Mobility Action Plan.
According to Engage Whitehorse, the policy and the plan will make goals for safe mobility in Whitehorse, collect and analyze data to understand local traffic concerns, develop key areas of focus to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
Rob Dickson, the city's manager of engineering services, told the News on June 30 that the policy would speak to how the city will modernize practices moving forward to achieve ideally zero road-related fatalities by the year 2040.
Dickson said statistics show that within city limits, there are one to two road-related fatalities annually.
Last year, teacher Joseph Morrison was killed by a driver on his bike ride to work on the Alaska Highway around Rabbit's Foot Canyon. Earlier this year, cyclist Darryl Tait was injured by a car on the Alaska Highway outside of Whitehorse.
As the Yukon government maintains that highway that goes through the city, Dickson said they are collaborating on the development of the municipal Vision Zero Policy.
There is a public survey available through Engage Whitehorse until July 9. There is also a virtual map of the city available for people to pinpoint their areas of concern for all methods of transport.
Contact Talar Stockton at talar.stockton@yukon-news.com
