Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Pilot Project

In 2024, we implemented a series of traffic calming measures throughout Whitehorse to reduce vehicle speeds and provide a safer street environment for all road users. Locations are adjacent to schools, playgrounds, and other areas with vulnerable road users.

Traffic calming measures and changing driver behaviour is most successful through approaches that include installation of physical infrastructure, educations, and enforcement. We’ll continue to work with appropriate partners to educate and enforce safer driving habits.

The 2024 locations were identified by analyzing areas of concerns identified by the Transportation Master Plan and residents. Speed and traffic data was collected and used to validate those concerns, and help identify the best calming measures for each location.

Copper Ridge
Lazulite Drive – Lazulite Park

A traffic calming curb will be placed on one side of the pedestrian crossing to form a pedestrian refuge. Vertical centerline signage will be placed on the traffic calming curb. This narrows the road and calms traffic to allow for a safe connection to the park.

North Star Drive – Copper Ridge Park

Similar to last year, a set of four speed cushions will be installed on the roadway. These thick rubber mats will span the roadway and be pinned into the asphalt. The gaps will allow emergency equipment and transit buses to move relatively unimpeded, but will encourage standard road users to meet the 30km/h speed limit.

Granger
Wilson Drive & Williams Road

Two speed humps will be installed on near the intersection of Wilson Drive and Williams Road, and near a walkway to reduced speeding to improve safety for pedestrians and active transportation users. Pamphlets will be distributed to residents with additional information on speed humps prior to implementation.

Hidden Valley
MacPherson – Hidden Valley Elementary School

Transverse Lines, in addition to a painted “SLOW” on the roadway, will be added to encourage vehicles to reduce their speed in a school zone. The Transportation Association of Canada suggests that this technique reduces the 85^th percentile vehicle speed between 5 to 15 km/h

Pine Ridge
Harvey Road – Harvey Playground

A speed hump will be installed to reduce speed near the playground on Harvey Road. Speed humps can reduce the 85^th percentile speed between 6 to 13 km/h. Therefore the speed hump will improve visibility of pedestrians by reducing vehicle speeds. Pamphlets will be distributed to residents with additional information on speed humps prior to implementation.

Porter Creek
Sycamore Street – Sycamore Playground

A traffic calming curb and vertical centerline signage will be placed to both narrow the road, calm traffic, and improve visibility of the pedestrian crossing to enhance compliance of vehicles yielding to pedestrians. The Transportation Association of Canada suggests that vertical centerline treatment can reduce 85^th percentile speeds by 5 km/h

Wann Road

Wann Road connects to Holy Family Elementary School. A set of four speed cushions will be installed on the roadway. These speed cushions will encourage standard road users to slow down, while allowing emergency vehicles and transit to move unimpeded.

Riverdale
Takhini Avenue

A speed hump will be installed between Tatchun Road and Kalzas Plaza to ensure low speeds on Takhini Avenue. Pamphlets will be distributed to residents with additional information on speed humps prior to implementation.

Duke Road

A set of three speed cushions will be installed on the roadway and pinned into the asphalt in front of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School. The 85^th percentile speed can reduce up to 8 km/h with the installation of speed cushions.

Click here to see the 2023 Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Pilot Project locations (PDF).