B.C. Builds Cleaner Communities With Active Transportation

People on the North Island and in Comox Valley will have more opportunities to enjoy multi-use pathways, protected bike lanes, pedestrian bridges and safety improvements as local, regional, and Indigenous governments expand their active transportation infrastructure.

For this intake period, $24 million from the Province will support 80 active transportation infrastructure projects in communities around British Columbia.

“People are choosing to walk, run and cycle more each year. Our support means communities can think bigger when tackling transportation challenges and providing more options for people to get around,” said Dan Coulter, B.C. Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit, at an event for two projects in the Vancouver Island community of Sooke.

These grants will help local governments plan and build improved connections to work, school and recreational centres, and create infrastructure in communities to support active modes of transportation.

The Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants program funds Indigenous, local, and regional governments with cost-sharing investments of as much as $500,000 for infrastructure projects, and as much as $50,000 to develop active transportation network plans.

Millions will be put into projects in Courtenay and elsewhere in the Comox Valley, including for a mixed-use pathway for Royston Road with physical separation from vehicle traffic.

The Royston Road Path has been a long-standing vision for Royston families and local leaders and Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, says the partnership with the Comox Valley Regional District will lower pollution and congestion while providing safer access to the elementary school and for local commuters.

CVRD Area A director Daniel Arbour says the project addresses a decades-long request to have safer pathways for kids around Royston School.
It’s also part of a long-term plan to provide better active transportation routes around Royston and Union Bay.

In addition, money will go toward:
-Beaufort Avenue Upgrades, including a sidewalk connecting Church Street to Nordin Street
-Lake Trail Multi-Use Pathway, multi-use pathway connecting Webb Road to Lake Trail School.
-5th Street Bike Lanes and Intersection Enhancements for Improved Safety, protected bike lanes connecting to the downtown core.

Courtenay-Comox MLA Rona-Rae Leonard says active transportation infrastructure plays a vital role in the Valley and makes roads safer for all.

“The new investments will allow for easier access to schools, businesses, and other destinations that people know and love in the Comox Valley," she said.

Also, the Strathcona Regional District will see some cash for Area C’s Active Transportation Network Plan, which includes site assessments and data collection for an implementation plan.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.