Survey shows road safety tops priorities list for YK youth

Urban planners have released detailed findings from the first round of a public engagement, including the results of a youth survey, for the city of Yellowknife’s new transportation plan. Yellowknife youth who participated identified road safety as a top concern. Survey respondents indicated they found public transportation unreliable and identified walking as a “priority” for urban transportation in the future.

According to the findings of the report, the majority of young Yellowknifers who participated identified road safety as the prime issue for the transportation plan.

The first round of community engagement began in early September and continued into late October.

Engagement included interest group meetings, popup booths, surveys and a web page, which had over 1500 views and an interactive map. Over 1,000 city residents took part.

In November, Brian Patterson, an urban planner, had presented some of the findings to city council after the project was wrapping up its “discovery” phase. Researchers with the project conducted surveys, including a youth-focused survey during the fall, along with other community engagement to paint a picture of the transportation situation.

The report focused on key themes the researchers said were raised by residents. Planners with the city, said the report will be used to help draft transportation strategies and network options.

The new transportation plan, known as Let’s Move YK, will be used to guide what transportation will look like for the next 25 years.

With the release of the report this month, the complete findings of the discovery phase are being made public, includng the results of the youth survey conducted in late October

The youth survey took place between Oct. 28 to Oct. 31., with 51 youth, taking part. Respondents represented a mix of middleschool, high-school, and post-secondary students from across Yellowknife. The majority of participants were highschool students.

The survey questions aimed at understanding how youth in the city of Yellowknife travel, what challenges they face and what improvements they would most like to see around issues like safety, winter mobility, sidewalks and trails, cycling barriers, and transit service.

According to the findings of the report, the majority of youth who participated identified road safety as paramount for the future of transportation in the city. 

“When asked to rank six different focus areas for the transportation plan, about 64 per cent of respondents ranked “making our roads safer” as their first or second choice.

According to the majority of participants who participated in the youth survey, 65 per cent, said that the top priority was walking (including travelling by wheelchair, motorized scooter, or assistive device). The majority of adults who participated in the community survey, also identified walking as the top priority.

“Across the survey, they highlighted poor sidewalk, path, and trail conditions, uncomfortable crossings at busy intersections, and gaps in the sidewalk and trail network as the main barriers to walking or using a wheelchair,” said researchers.

Nearly 50 per cent of youth respondents said they found public transit to be “slow and unreliable.” Over 41 per cent said the bus did not bring them where they needed to go. Nearly 40 per cent of participants said they felt unsafe on the bus.

“Overall, youth emphasized that safety (both downtown and in the broader community), reliable transit options, and stronger active transportation infrastructure are top priorities,” the authors of the report noted.

Over 55 per cent of youth who participated in the survey said the most common barrier to taking public transit in Yellowknife was extended gaps in bus frequency.

“This first phase gives us a strong, community-informed foundation. As we move forward, we are including what we heard from the public with the latest data on the City’s current conditions and lessons from other jurisdictions and winter cities to develop draft strategies, network maps, and actions that will guide transportation investments for years to come,” said Mayor Ben Hendriksen.

Researchers said feedback will guide the next phase of the project, where the planning team will develop strategies, actions and network maps.

“The goal is to ensure the draft plan reflects the lived experiences of Yellowknifers and lays the foundation for a safer, more connected, and all-season transportation network,” said officials.

The next phase begins this winter. Officials said that city residents will be invited to review and comment on the draft transportation plan.