Abstract Manager

Yukoners are a more active population than the average Canadian, with activity levels approximately 15% higher according to the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. People enjoy getting outside during all seasons to walk, cycle, roll, snowshoe, kicksled, cross-country ski, and use motorized recreational vehicles to explore the traditional territories of the 14 different First Nations. However, the highway is the dominant transportation infrastructure in the Yukon today. There is limited active transportation infrastructure outside Whitehorse, home to approximately 30,000 of the 40,000 people that live in the territory. The remaining 25% of the population live in rural and remote communities with unique challenges and opportunities for active transportation that aren’t addressed in existing design guides.

The Yukon Government recognized the potential for Northern active transportation and decided to develop its own design guide with consulting support from Urban Systems. The main goal of the project was to elevate active transportation infrastructure quality by responding to local issues such as winter maintenance, wildlife encounters, and motorized recreational vehicles mixing with people using active transportation.

The project team engaged with communities across the territory, conducted a legislative review, and completed a best practices scan to develop “Made in Yukon” recommendations for practitioners responsible for planning, designing, and maintaining active transportation infrastructure across the territory. The Active Transportation Design Guide for Yukon Highways will be released in Spring 2025. In this presentation, the project team of engineers and planners will share lessons learned during the development of the Design Guide, including:

• Selecting facilities in different highway contexts (remote vs community, curb and gutter vs shoulder and ditch)
• Leveraging rapid implementation materials to create more accessible, safe, and comfortable crossings
• Reflecting Northern contexts through graphic design and visual communication

Practitioners will leave the session with ideas on how to design active transportation infrastructure in Northern, rural, and highway contexts.