The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is looking for public input on speed limits and other safety measures on highways throughout rural B.C.

Minister of Transportation Todd Stone announced on Oct. 4 the province will hold eight sessions around B.C. to get public input on which highways the province should review in looking at reducing wildlife-related crashes and the safety of slower-moving vehicles.

Stone said no roadways are off the table, but the review is intended for rural highways between cities, such as the Coquihalla.

“As an MLA from Kamloops, I certainly hear from many about the Coquihalla specifically as one likely candidate for an adjustment in the speed,” he said, adding he would have to wait to see what that adjustment would be after public input.

The Coquihalla Highway has a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour but traffic there does an average speed of 118, while drivers routinely exceed the posted limit of 90 or 100 on many other provincial highways.

“There’s no question the Coquihalla is a prime candidate for an adjustment in the speed limit,” Stone said, also listing sections of Highway 1 in the Lower Mainland and around Kamloops as well as the Cariboo Connector towards Prince George.

Stone stressed reviewing highway speed limits doesn’t necessarily mean raising them.

“There will be no Autobahn in British Columbia,” he said.

Stone cited a 28 per cent drop in injury-causing collisions since 2003.

And he said research increasingly suggests the greatest danger isn’t necessarily speeding itself, but driving at a much different speed than most other drivers.

Stone said the general rule for planning speed limits is to use the 85th percentile, meaning the speed at which 85 per cent of vehicles are travelling. However, that won’t be the determining factor as the ministry has to take into account terrain, weather changes, wildlife incidents, and the mix of vehicles using the highway. The province will also meet with ICBC, trucking associations, and RCMP when deciding on speed limit changes.

“At the end of the day, it’s not the speed in and of itself that’s the leading cause of crashes, it’s actually variations in speed, meaning if you’re not generally keeping up with the natural flow of traffic on a particular highway or if you’re driving excessively beyond the natural flow of traffic, you’re actually posing a greater risk to others and yourself for a crash.”

Stone said he doesn’t know yet if Highway 5A will be part of the review. That corridor has been a site of contention over safety, with a petition to ban commercial trucks on the narrow, winding route.

“I’m sure there will be many folks who have strong opinions on potential changes there,” he said.

Ministry staff got underway last month looking at technical information, including statistics on crashes with wildlife.

Stone said although wildlife fencing is expensive at about $500,000 per kilometre, it is one of the strategies the ministry will consider, depending on public input. There is over 300 kilometres of wildlife fencing on the Coquihalla.

“The fencing can be very effective where it’s applied appropriately, but it really only works on long stretches of highway in the middle of nowhere,” Stone said. “We may hear from British Columbians that more wildlife fencing in certain sections of corridors makes sense, and that will be absolutely welcomed.”

Public forums on the issue will be held in Kamloops, Chilliwack, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Cranbrook and Kelowna starting in November, with potentially more sites still to be added.

One group advocating for higher speed limits is Sense BC, which was behind a recent viral video making the case for change.

Sense BC’s Ian Tootill said even a 10 kilometre an hour increase on the Coquihalla to 120 wouldn’t be enough to match the prevailing speeds in summer.

“I’m not suggesting the Coquihalla should be 150 or 160 but it shouldn’t be 120,” he said.

Tootill argues speed limits should be set at the upper end of what’s safe – allowing those who can drive that speed to legally do so – while most motorists would go slower.

The Ministry of Transportation will also set up a public input website, which has yet to launch.

The last major review of speed limits was done in 2003.

-With files from Black Press’ Jeff Nagel