HIGHWAY 101 GIBSONS TO SECHELT CORRIDOR STUDY September 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... E-1 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Study Area ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Study Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Report Outline ............................................................................................................................................. 3 2. STUDY CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Existing Highway Corridor ........................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Role and Function ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Background Reports ................................................................................................................................... 6 3. PROBLEM DEFINITION ............................................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 Corridor Segmentation ............................................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Assessment Criteria ................................................................................................................................. 12 3.3 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4 Future Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 42 3.5 Problem Definition Summary ................................................................................................................... 55 4. OPTION GENERATION .............................................................................................................................................. 59 4.1 Passing Lanes ........................................................................................................................................... 60 4.2 Intersection Improvements ...................................................................................................................... 65 4.3 Gibsons Bypass ........................................................................................................................................ 75 5. OPTION EVALUATION ............................................................................................................................................... 82 5.1 Evaluation Framework.............................................................................................................................. 82 5.2 Option Evaluation ..................................................................................................................................... 86 5.3 Evaluation Summary .............................................................................................................................. 121 6. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 123 6.1 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 123 6.2 Implementation Strategy ........................................................................................................................ 125 APPENDIX A: HIGHWAY GEOMETRIC ISSUES Highway 101 - Gibsons to Sechelt Corridor Study i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Highway 101 Gibsons to Sechelt Corridor Study explored options to improve the safety and operations of the corridor. The objective of the study involved the recommendation of short-, medium-, and long-term improvement options to mitigate any identified existing or future safety or operations deficiencies on the corridor. The key study activities therefore involved an assessment of the existing and future conditions and associated deficiencies through engagement with First Nations and stakeholder municipalities, data analysis, and site visits, the generation of potential improvement options, and finally recommendations for implementation based on evaluation of the potential options. E1 Study Area and Context Highway 101, also known as the Sunshine Coast Highway, connects the Langdale Ferry Terminal to the Earl’s Cove Ferry Terminal and is the only link between the communities on the Sunshine Coast, including the municipalities of Gibsons and Sechelt. The highway is isolated from the provincial highway network by mountains and bodies of water, therefore requiring access to the highway via one of the ferry routes located at each end of the highway corridor. The study area focuses on the Highway 101 corridor between the Langdale Ferry Terminal and the southern end of Redrooffs Road. In addition to the highway corridor itself, the study area involved a wider area when considering the extent of some potential improvements. Both highway safety and operations concerns have been documented in previous traffic and planning studies in the area, and local stakeholders have raised concerns about the existing conditions along the highway route. Many of the issues previously raised with Highway 101 relate to its multi-functional role on the Sunshine Coast. At a regional level, the highway acts as the most direct route between the Langdale Ferry Terminal and destinations on the Sunshine Coast, with many road users expecting higher-speed travel with minimal delays. However, in several segments, the highway also acts as the main street for the local community, with residents prioritizing safety for vulnerable road users and access to destinations. E2 Study Methodology The study methodology followed a series of technical analysis steps combined with stakeholder and Indigenous Group engagement. In each phase of the project, the technical work was guided by feedback received during the engagement process, and the technical work was in turn shared with local Indigenous groups, namely shíshálh Nation and Squamish Nation as well as with the key stakeholders: the Town of Gibsons, the District of Sechelt, and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. The study began with a review of the numerous planning studies that have been conducted for various segments of Highway 101 over the past 25 years, the development of the highway role and function definition, and meetings with local Indigenous Groups and municipalities to understand local priorities and concerns with the corridor. Informed by the engagement outcomes and guided by technical analysis, the problem definition was established to understand the existing and forecasted future conditions along the study including the identification of any deficiencies primarily related to safety and traffic operations. The problem definition analysis was shared with the local municipalities for feedback and to inform the generation of corridor improvements. Highway 101 - Gibsons to Sechelt Corridor Study E-1 Corridor improvement options, developed specifically to mitigate the identified existing and future deficiencies, included new passing lanes, intersection improvements, and potential bypasses of short segments of the existing highway. All of the improvement options under consideration were evaluated with respect to their relative benefits and costs as well as identifying any potential impacts. Prior to finalizing the evaluation of the improvement options, the substantive corridor improvement options were reviewed with the affected Indigenous Groups. Recommendations for possible future implementation were based on the feedback received from the engagement activities as well as the results of the technical analysis. Information sessions with the aforementioned stakeholders were held to present the study in its entirety. E3 Problem Definition KEY TRAFFIC PATTERNS The highway corridor was analyzed to gain an understanding of the current and future conditions In order to understand the flow of traffic across the study corridor, especially for the investigation of whether a and to also identify any underlying issues affecting bypass route is warranted, origin-destination (O-D) trip corridor capacity, operations, and safety. Key findings data was analyzed based on two separate data sources: of the assessment suggest that some segments of the 2016 census journey to work data, and StreetLight data highway corridor currently have above-average sourced from smartphones and navigation devices. Both collision rates, while the highway and intersections are data sources show similar travel