A Whistler woman is raising concerns over recent changes to speed limits in the Emerald Estates area.
The previous limits of 60 km/hr were recently increased to 80 and 90 km/hour in the area from the Rainbow subdivision to Cougar Mountain on Highway 99.
The changes came following a provincial highway safety and speed review.
But, as Rhonda Wittman points out, the changes to speed limits through Emerald were not mentioned anywhere in the review.
The report mentions speed limit increases from Whistler to Cache Creek beginning 400m south of Whistler Heliport Road.
"I'm sorry, but that's past Cougar Mountain," Wittman said. "So how did 90 km/hr end up down here? That's against their own report."
In the Emerald area, there are no traffic lights or turning lanes, which means turning into Emerald can be dangerous at times.
There are also no crosswalks, which makes crossing the highway on foot difficult as well.
"The biggest thing is the infrastructure does not support what they're doing," Wittman said.
"It didn't support it at 60."
The increases in the Emerald area also contradict some of the wording of the province's review, including a pledge that highway segments featuring "increased development, driveway access, loosely-spaced signals and larger numbers of pedestrians and cyclists" would not be affected.
"(On this stretch of highway) you've got a viewpoint, you've got four entrances and you've got a park," Wittman said.
"So between here and Cougar Mountain there are now four speed changes. It goes 60 (km/hr) to 80 to 90, to 70 at the corner, to 90 after the corner."
Wittman has started a petition to get the speed limit reduced back to 60.
"We need a speed reduction, but we need improved infrastructure from Rainbow through to Emerald, and that really is part of it," she said.
"(It's like) they're waiting for something serious to happen. Nothing's happened so it must be OK to go higher, right?"
Wittman has sent letters to the provincial government and the Resort Municipality of Whistler voicing her concerns.
The issue will be raised at the next RMOW council meeting on September 16.
Wittman's petition can be viewed online at www.ipetitions.com/petition/speed-limit-reduction-and-improved-infrastructure
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