What Squamish Wants › More info
Province decides
Make the Highway 99 and Cleveland Avenue intersection safer
Skip to answeringCleveland Avenue meets Highway 99, the Sea to Sky Highway, at the main entrance to downtown Squamish. Loggers Lane is on the other side.
The District of Squamish says this intersection has the most crashes of any intersection in town. A 2016 safety review found almost three times as many crashes there as at the next worst site, Highway 99 and Mamquam Road.
The highway belongs to the Province of British Columbia, so the Ministry of Transportation and Transit decides on changes to the intersection. The District's role is to ask for changes and improve the streets, trails and crossings around it.
The Province built a new southbound acceleration lane from Cleveland Avenue in 2022. An October 2026 District report still lists Cleveland Avenue and Highway 99 as the top collision location.
Key facts
- Who decides
- The Province (Ministry of Transportation and Transit), not the District1
- Crashes in 2016 review
- Almost three times the next highest crash site in Squamish2
- Crashes 2014 to 2019
- 256 crashes, 107 with injuries or deaths (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia data)3
- More recent count
- 49 crashes, up to 16 with injuries or deaths, in Insurance Corporation of British Columbia data reported July 20234
- Last big change
- Southbound acceleration lane from Cleveland Avenue, built starting summer 20221
- Ranking, October 2026
- Still the top collision location; Mamquam Road is second5
Where it stands
Province decides The Province of B.C. controls this. Council can ask for it and push, but can’t do it alone.
Who decides: The Province. Council can press for it.
The case for each answer
The strongest honest case for each side, as people who hold it would put it.
Yes
- It has been Squamish's worst crash site for years, even after the 2022 lane, so more work could prevent injuries.
- It is the main way into downtown for drivers, buses, trucks, people walking and people cycling, so safety here affects nearly everyone.
- Council pressing the Province, and offering to share costs, can help move a project up the Province's list.
No
- The Province already added a lane in 2022, and the District has other provincial asks, such as Mamquam Road, competing for attention.
- If the District offers to share costs, that money comes from local taxpayers for a road the Province owns.
- Some say the 2022 changes should have more time before pushing for more.
How we got here
- 2016The District, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Province jointly paid for a safety review of the intersection.2
- November 15, 2016The review went to council with near term and long term fixes. Council was asked to write to the Province and others for support.2
- January 2022The Province tendered a project to add a southbound acceleration lane from Cleveland Avenue.3
- Summer 2022Construction of the acceleration lane began.1
- October 6, 2026A District report called Highway 99 and Mamquam Road the second highest collision location, behind Cleveland Avenue.5
Questions people ask
Why can't council just fix it?
Highway 99 is a provincial highway. The District does not control the intersection design or decide whether to build changes.2
What did the District do itself?
It upgraded the Rose Park and Corridor Trail route to the highway underpass, added countdown timers to crossing signals with outside funding, cleared sightlines on the right turn lane, and filled a missing piece of sidewalk.1
Can the District use its traffic calming program on the highway?
No. The District's traffic calming list marks Highway 99 as ineligible because it is an arterial road.6
Ready to decide?
Your answer
Tap to answer, then see what Squamish said. Tap your answer again to take it back.
- Make the Highway 99 and Cleveland Avenue intersection saferThe District says it has the most crashes of any intersection in town. The Province runs the highway, so council's role is to press for changes.
More background
- What should happen with people still camping downtown?
- Put the modular shelter somewhere other than the park near Junction Park
- What should happen with the supportive housing planned at 39900 Government Road?
- Install the defibrillator at the Brennan Park pickleball and tennis courts this year
- When should Squamish build more pickleball courts?
- Fix up the Eaglewind courts and reopen them for tennis
- What should Brennan Park add next?
- Fence the off leash dog area at John Hunter Park
- Build covered outdoor basketball courts
- Keep the new crosswalk and wider multi use lane on Highlands Way North
- Put raised crosswalks and new signs on Upper Mamquam Road
- Put a raised crosswalk and new signs on Skyline Drive
- Should downtown parking stay free?
- Should Squamish help pay for a bus to Vancouver and Whistler?
- How much should property taxes go up in 2027?
- How should Squamish speed up dike upgrades?
Sources
- District of Squamish: Highway 99 intersection at Cleveland Avenue project
- District of Squamish: Report to Council, Sea to Sky Highway at Cleveland Avenue Traffic Operational Safety Review (November 15, 2016)
- Squamish Reporter: Province to add new lane onto the highway from Cleveland Avenue (January 25, 2022)
- Squamish Reporter: ICBC report reveals most dangerous intersections in Squamish (July 19, 2023)
- Squamish Reporter: No provincial commitment to improve Mamquam and Highway 99 intersection (October 6, 2026)
- District of Squamish: Traffic calming requests and priorities (list as of October 31, 2025)
Spot something wrong or out of date? Email squamishvoters@gmail.com.