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Much will depend on land use patterns, the perfor-
mance of the future transit system, and residents’ at-
titudes toward transit, non-motorized transportation,
and automobile use and ownership.
For the short to medium term, the automobile will
continue to be the dominant mode of transportation
and the City’s road capacity will be under pressure to
expand – but only to the physical limits afforded by
the urban corridor and road design improvements.
As the capacity shortfall will have to be filled by pub-
lic transit, cycling and walking, it is essential for the
City to recognize the importance of alternative trans-
portation, and in the long term achieve a pragmatic
balance among the various transportation modes.
Apart from public transportation, the provision of
adequate bicycle lanes and sidewalks must be a pri-
ority and should be comprehensively planned to en-
sure system effectiveness, especially for children and
youth. Special transit such as handyDART and private
shuttle services have played, and should continue to
play, an important role in ensuring mobility equity.
Close collaboration and partnerships among the City,
BC Transit, service clubs and community groups in
this area are pivotal.
Chilliwack’s Road Network & Neighbourhood
Planning
The current urban road system is built for north-south
movements, connecting Chilliwack proper, Sardis and
Vedder. Yale Road-Vedder Road is the traffic spine,
supported by two other north south routes, Evans
Road-Ashwell Road in the west and Chilliwack River
Road-Young Road/Broadway in the east. Further out,
Prest Road and Lickman Road capture north-south ur-
ban traffic that originates from the hillside and fringe
developments, including the Village West industrial
district.
The short andmedium term focus for these five routes
is to expand their carrying capacities, through road
widening, configuration and intersection improve-
ments, and the accommodation of bicycle routes (for
both commuting and recreational purposes). After
completing the Evans-Ashwell route in 2009, the cur-
rent priority is to upgrade the Prest route that car-
ries a heavy load of Promontory traffic to Sardis’ core,
Chilliwack proper and the freeway. Also on the capi-
tal work list is the capacity expansion of the Lickman
Interchange which is a gateway to our industrial dis-
trict, Village West, and a high volume truck stop for
regional/national freight transportation. In the long
term, the improvement of the Annis Interchange will
become necessary to meet the needs of a built-out
Eastern Hillsides community.
To supplement the three main corridors, secondary
north-south routes are needed. Between Sardis and
Vedder these north south routes are basically non-ex-
isting due to the presence of the ALR and First Na-
tion reserves. They are important to the mid-block
north-south traffic flow between the main corridors,
and their absence has contributed to unnecessary
traffic load on Vedder Road. They are also import-
ant to alternative transportation such as cycling and
walking; currently, Vedder Road is not recommended
as a bicycle route because of its heavy traffic volume
and inadequate road width. To add these second-
ary north-south routes, the existing urban form and
structure will need adjustments and a dialogue with
the Agricultural Land Commission on how that may
be achieved. In addition, consultation with the First
Nations is essential to the development of an inte-
grated road network between the reserves and City
neighbourhoods.
As the urban corridor is linear and oriented north-
south, the east-west cross routes are relatively short.
These routes are important for short, local trips, es-
pecially for walking and cycling that keep school chil-
dren and youth mobile. They also are the feeders of
the motorized traffic from neighbourhoods to the
three main north-south routes. In addition to con-
tinual standard improvements and maintenance, the
short and long term priorities of the east-west routes
encompass an extension of Airport Road to connect
Yale Road and the Evans-Ashwell route, and a poten-
tial connection between Vedder Road and Chilliwack
River Road.
Goal 5 - Build Healthy Attractive Communities