Active Transportation Plan

September 23, 2016 update: The Active Transportation Plan has been adopted and work on a series of projects is underway over the next five years.

Please visit the Active Transportation Projects page to learn more.

Background:

Last November, we asked Squamish residents to tell us all about their walking and cycling habits, and what you think we can do to encourage active forms of transportation more often.  View the survey results here. 

The District of Squamish began developing an Active Transportation Plan to make it easier for people to walk, cycle, or travel using other forms of non-motorized transportation in and around our community.  The Active Transportation Plan will be a first for our community. It will help shape changes to infrastructure and support programs that will encourage all of us to use active forms of transportation more often – whether for work, pleasure, or day-to-day personal travels for shopping, visiting friends and family or running errands. By providing residents with more choices for moving around Squamish, we will promote personal health and recreation, help manage congestion, reduce emissions and support our town as it grows.

Why develop an Active Transportation Plan?

Squamish is a unique seaside and mountain community with exceptional opportunities for outdoor recreation that draws residents and visitors alike.  With a beautiful setting and small town feel, there is a great opportunity to build on the already well-established recreation lifestyle to encourage more residents and visitors to walk and bike for transportation and commuting purposes in Squamish.

 Active transportation is already a key priority for the City. The District’s 2009 Official Community Plan includes a goal of providing a balanced transportation system that encourages all modes of travel, including walking, cycling, and transit.  More recently, the District has also developed the 2031 Multi-Modal Transportation Plan and Trails Master Plan, which both provide further direction to promote walking and cycling.  The Active Transportation Plan will build on these initiatives to provide more detailed direction on infrastructure, programs, and policies to encourage walking and cycling for all purposes in Squamish.

What is active transportation?

Cycling, walking, roller-skating/in-line skating and skateboarding are some examples of active transportation, or non-motorized human powered transportation. In a community that is sought out for its recreation-fuelled lifestyle and visitor experiences, active transportation is a natural fit for the District of Squamish.