Stay off the roads

Photo: CTV

The highways and roads in and around Whistler, B.C. are notoriously treacherous in the winter, and the municipality is pushing an incentive program to help keep cars off the roads. 

Whistler mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden said the initiative, which involves free public transit options at peak times, is meant to cut down on commuter traffic. In turn, this will keep more cars off the road and cut down on congestion.

The town has also hiked parking rates, to encourage tourists and locals alike to choose public transit.

"It really does seem like a no brainer," said Nancy Wilhelm-Morden. "Take that money from parking and put it to transit."

Whilhelm-Morden said she's received complaints about people who aren't used to the winter driving conditions commonly seen on the Sea to Sky Highway, and getting those drivers off the road would be an added bonus. 

Sgt. Paul Hayes of the Whistler RCMP agrees these inexperienced drivers can be hazardous.

"For folks that aren't used to winter driving even the smallest amount of snow or ice is going to cause some concern for them," Hayes said.

Though the initiative has been going on for around a year and a half, Wilhelm-Morden said it's too early to provide numbers. However, she says the response has been positive overall.

"It's worked here. So I'm happy to share our experience," Wilhelm-Morden said.

– with files from CTV Vancouver