Traffic Calming and Speed Limit Reduction

Speed limits are being reduced to 40 kilometres per hour on many streets and roads in residential neighbourhoods throughout Whitehorse. The speed limit on Hamilton Boulevard between the roundabout at McIntyre Drive and the south end of Falcon Drive will also be reduced to 50 kilometres per hour.

The new reduced speed limits come into effect when new signage is in place.

Signs will be installed beginning this week with installation continuing throughout August and September.

Installation will be done by neighbourhood in the following order:

- Copper Ridge, Granger, Hillcrest, Logan, and Ingram

- Riverdale

- Porter Creek, Takhini, Range Point, and Crestview

- Whitehorse North

- Whitehorse South

Drivers are asked to watch for new signage and follow the speed limits in place.

This work is part of the Neighbourhood Speed Limit Reduction project approved by City Council in June. It builds on the 2022 Downtown Speed Reduction project that reduced speed limits downtown to 40 kilometres per hour.

The Neighbourhood Speed Limit Reduction project will improve road safety for all users, and aligns with the City’s Transportation Master Plan and the safe mobility targets identified in the Official Community Plan.

As per the City's Traffic Bylaw, the neighbourhood streets and roads that will have speed limits reduced to 40 km/h are as follows.

Arkell

Eagle Place, Falcon Drive, Grouse Crescent, Heron Drive, Loon Road, Ptarmigan Place, Sandpiper Drive

Canyon Crescent

Canyon Crescent

Copper Ridge

Adit Lane, Agate Court, Amethyst Trail, Aquamarine Place, Black Bear Lane, Carlisle Lane, Carnelian Court, Diamond Way, Drift Drive, Emerald Trail, Falcon Drive, Garnet Crescent, Gem Place, Grafter Place, Grizzly Circle, Iron Horse Drive, Keewenaw Drive, Kodiak Place, Lazulite Drive, Moonstone Lane, North Star Drive Olivine Place, Peridot Crescent, Pueblo Court, Pueblo Lane, Ruby Lane, Sapphire Lane, Spinel Place, Stope Way, Tigereye Crescent, Topaz Crescent, Turquoise Court, Valerie Crescent, Winze Lane, Zircon Lane

Cowley Creek

Chinook Lane, Chum Place, Coho Trail, Grayling Place, Kokanee Place, Pike Place, Sockeye Place

Crestview

Askin Place, Azure Road, Bryde Place, Cache Place, Crag Road, Dezadeash Road, Kathleen Road, Klukshu Avenue, Kusawa Road, Minto Road, Rainbow Road, Squanga Avenue

Fox Haven

Alusru Way

Granger

Bowen Place, Gilis Place, Hayes Crescent, Hayes Place, Salter Place, Tabor Crescent, Thompson Road, Turner Crescent, Williams Place, Williams Road, Wilson Drive

Hidden Valley

Cloud Berry Lane, Cranberry Place, Loganberry Lane, Mossberry Lane, Roderick Place, Soapberry Lane, Stehelin Drive, Strawberry Lane, Timothy Place

Hillcrest

Burns Road, Chalet Crescent, Dalton Trail, Hillcrest Drive, Kluane Crescent, Park Lane, Roundel Road, Summit Road, Sunset Drive North, Sunset Drive South, Wasson Place

Ingram

Goldeneye Place, Goldeneye Street, Mallard Way, Pintail Place, Pintail Street

Logan

Bluejay Way, Falcon Drive, Finch Crescent, Magpie Road, Nuthatch Place, Warbler Way, Wren Place

MacPherson

MacPherson Road (north of Marion Crescent), Marion Crescent

Mary Lake

Aster Place, Bluebell Place, Buttercup Place, Columbine Place, Crocus Place, Iris Place, Larkspar Place, Lupin Place, Marigold Place, Orchid Place, Sage Place

Pineridge

Castle Drive, Haldane Place, Harvey Place, Harvey Road, Keele Place, Logan Road, Nansen Drive, Tombstone Place

Porter Creek

11th Avenue, 12th Avenue, 13th Avenue, 14th Avenue, 15th Avenue, 9th Avenue, Alder Place, Alder Street, Almond Place, Aspen Drive, Balsam Crescent, Bamboo Crescent, Basswood Street, Birch Street, Boxwood Crescent, Cedar Crescent, Chestnut Place, Ebony Place, Elm Street, Evergreen Crescent, Fir Street (north of 12th Avenue), Gibbons Place, Grove Street (north of 12th Avenue), Grove Street (south of 9th Avenue),

Hemlock Street, Hickory Street, Juniper Drive, Locust Place, Mulberry Place, Pine Street (north of 12th Avenue), Ponderosa Drive, Rosewood Place, Spruce Street, Stan McCowan Place, Tamarack Drive, Teak Avenue, Walnut Crescent, Willow Crescent, Yew Place

Range Point

Crow Street, River Ridge Lane, Swan Drive

Raven’s Ridge

Arctic Chief Place, War Eagle Way

Riverdale

Aishihik Road, Alsek Road, Bates Crescent, Bell Crescent, Blanchard Road, Bonanza Place, Boswell Crescent, Donjek Road, Duke Road, Firth Road, Green Crescent, Hart Crescent, Hyland Crescent, Ibex Street, Kalzas Place, Ketza Road, Klondike Road, Kluhini Crescent, Koidern Avenue, Lewes Boulevard, Liard Road, McQuesten Road, Morley Road, Nisutlin Drive, Peel Road, Pelly Road, Ross Road, Selkirk Street, Stewart Road, Tagish Road, Takhini Avenue, Tatchun Road, Tay Street, Teslin Road, Tutshi Road, Van Gorda Place

Spruce Hill

Engelmann Drive, Sitka Crescent

Takhini

Arleux Place, Cambrai Place, College Drive (University Drive), Dieppe Drive, Falaise Road, Normandy Road, Seine Square, Vimy Place

Whistle Bend

Aksala Drive, Alert Avenue, Atlin Place, Bailey Place, Bellingham Court, Breadwinner Lane, Caprice Court, Casca Boulevard, Chakawana Lane, Chance Lane, Dora Crescent, Eldorado Drive, Ellwood Street, Eugene Avenue, Evelyn Avenue, Flora Avenue, Fulton Lane, Gleaner Avenue, Goddard Way, Iditarod Lane, Iskoot Crescent, Keno Way, Leota Street, Luella Lane, Marathon Road, Mascot Street, Neecheah Street, Olive May Way, Omega Street, Quick Street, Rampart Avenue, Reliance Street, Sadie Lane, Scotia Lane, Skookum Drive, Sybil Circle, Tanana Lane, Tarahne Way, Tyrell Crescent, Vedder Avenue, Witch Hazel Drive, Wyvern Avenue

Whitehorse Copper

Cirque Place, Crevasse Crescent, Drumlin Crescent, Kame Court, Kettle Lake Place, Nunatak Place, Pingo Place, Serac Count, Tarn Court

Wolf Creek

Blaker Place, Harbottle Road (north of Boss Road), Langholz Road, Phelps Place, Ryder Place

Thank you to everyone who participated in the engagement process. We are now pleased to share the Final Report on Neighbourhood Speed Limit Reduction. The recommendations outlined in the report will help shape the implementation, scheduled for summer 2025.

The City of Whitehorse identified a strong community desire to enhance the safety of the transportation network, especially within residential areas. Drawing inspiration from the Downtown Speed Reduction project, the main objective of this study was to establish a consistent approach to identify and implement safe and appropriate speed limits along residential streets in Whitehorse both in urban and rural neighbourhoods.

The following key considerations were identified for speed limits in Whitehorse:

• Speed and Injury Severity: The risk of serious injury or death for people walking and cycling increases significantly with increases in motor vehicle speeds.
• Driver Behaviour and Built Environment: The design of streets impacts the behaviour of people driving, including how fast they choose to drive.
• Urban vs. Rural: The context in urban residential neighbourhoods is different than country residential neighbourhoods.

Based on the analysis, public engagement, and industry best practices, the recommended speed limits are as follows:

Urban Residential Neighbourhoods:

• 40 km/h on all local and collector streets except for Takhini North and Valleyview where the current 30 km/h speed limit will be retained.
• Traffic calming has been identified for urban residential neighbourhood streets where the current design encourages higher driving speeds.
• A select number of streets in urban residential neighbourhoods have been identified to be posted at 50 km/h because they function as collector or arterial roads that facilitate through movement.

County Residential Neighbourhoods:

• 40 km/h on local roads (aligning with urban neighbourhoods).
• Access roads have been identified to remain at 50 km/h speed limits.
• A limited number of roads have been identified for traffic calming to reinforce the reduced speed limit, particularly where drivers will be entering the lower speed residential streets directly from a highway.

School and Playground Zones:

• School and playground zones will remain posted at 30 km/h

The rationale for the recommended speed limits is:

1. Reducing residential speed limits to 40 km/h on local streets, collector streets, and local road (in country residential areas) progresses the City of Whitehorse along the path to Vision Zero*, implementation of the Safe System Approach and supports consistency and equity for all neighbourhoods.
2. Data from Edmonton indicates a significant reduction in serious injury (25%) and fatal crashes (31%) following a change in speed limits to 40 km/h from 50 km/h.
3. Public engagement indicates support for reducing speed limits and is consistent with favourable opinions of an initial reduction to 40 km/h supported by traffic calming.
4. Reducing speeds to 40 km/h will allow the City of Whitehorse to deploy traffic calming on wider streets where compliance with lower speed limits may be challenging.

*Vision Zero seeks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries while promoting safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all road users. The Safe System Approach is a framework to guide safe mobility policies and programs. It is a recognition that one traffic fatality or serious injury is too many. The City will be implementing a Vision Zero Policy in 2025.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Traffic Calming Policy survey. We are ready to share the What We Heard Report, which summarizes the community input received during survey.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Champions Collaborative Initiative and the Road Safety Open House for the Neighbourhood Speed Limit Reduction and Traffic Calming project. We are ready to share the What We Heard Report, which summarizes the community input received during our engagement sessions.