Downtown overview

Nov 13, 2022. Time for an update. DRA AGM coming up. I think it's time that there was a walking committee that to cared about walking, both urban street walking and trail walking. The recent discussion around snow clearing and sidewalks shows walking is't really considered an active transportation method of importance. The Nov 15, 2019 item shows a number of issues of importance to downtown residents.

Why should we have a committee interested in trails? The problem is Downtown has never has an area trails process, leading to the escarpment trail deemed non official and requiring an almost YESAB process to make it recognized. In reality most of our recreation space is behind the hospital! If we were well organized Downtown residents would be trail stewards of that area.

Here's an overview I started looking at Downtown trails

Let me list some items I've promoted, mostly older but still quite relevant. Note that the City has a new website, breaking old links.

• Oct 24, 2022: Today's letter to Mayor and Council around clearing sidewalks.
• A great new demo resource of air photos around the core of Whitehorse, 1 per decade
• Oct 17, 2022. Today's council meeting was bring up revisions to the Snow and Ice Control policy. Being a downtown resident I find it ridiculous that we don't clear our sidewalks. So I wrote a letter.
• October 15, 2022. First day of major snow. On Oct 10 I sent another letter to Mayor and Council about the importance of the airport fence.
• October 4, 2022. I've been trying to get the Yukon Government to move its airport fence over where erosion is eating the ground away, causing the exterior perimeter trail to be down to a very narrow trail. 2 letters to City Council: Restore Airport Perimeter Trail (Aug 29) and To mayor and council Oct 3, 2022.
• Jun 13, 2022. Here's my draft OCP submision WhitehorseWalksSubmissionTo2022draftOCP
• Jun 6, 2022. In preparation for getting an OCP response and a downtown Walkability report, here's a few new documents:Airport Perimeter Trail backstory,
  Downtown Sidewalks,
  Pedestrian Bridge to Hospital
• A set of longer walks starting at the Visitor Reception Center, all over 10 km. This is a draft idea still. Think of it as showing where you might go for a longer walk or bike ride.
• Here's a draft: Downtown Nature Walking Ideas. The idea is that I think people like having destinations that lure them outside of their comfort zones. Then too, there are days you just want an idea of where to go for a great scenic walk.
• Nov 15, 2019. Downtown observations from a walker
• Apr 21, 2017. a quick overview called DT-walking with an annotated trail map showing problem spots on Downtown's trails
• 2014. there's my previous Downtown Marwell walking page, in particular showing walking and biking connections to other areas of town
• Shovel-ready, a selection of trail ideas from a walking point of view. Stuff for walkers, runners, and bicyclists as we share the same trails! Feel free to suggest other things.
• Spook Creek Trail: connect Escarpment Trail, Black Street stairs to Waterfront Trail
• Yukon River Corridor Trail could re-establish traditional First Nation route alongside the Yukon River. See also draft Yukon River West, south end trail.
• 5 City centre loop trails shows how our downtown could have a real vibrant walking focus
• Submission and Maps, walking feedback for the the Robert Service Way planning study; feedback on final draft
• Yukon Walking Strategy shows how we could get creative as a community by thinking walking.
• Stewardship: Better neighbourhood walking will come when neighbourhoods have a sense of stewardship. Here's examples of what others are doing.
• Fiscal equality of walking as a mode of recreation, health, active transportation,
• Culture of walking: Walking events build a sense of being a walking community. Think about how to change things so walking as an activity becomes a community focus.
• Tourism and walking: How can Whitehorse, and the rest of the Yukon, create a niche tourism market?
• Active transportation: study is done. Our mission, to double walking from 7% to 15%. Impossible some say.
• Walking festival: A wilderness city, with clean air, trails, spectacular scenery, but no walking festival?