City staff are recommending Council support an application to the BC Active Transportation Fund for two already funded projects.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Penticton to receive funding for two projects that will support our goals of being a healthy, active community by increasing transportation choice within the community,” says Kristen Dixon, the City’s general manager of infrastructure. “These projects are shovel-ready and will begin in the spring. If successful, these grant applications would offset monies already in the budget and free them up for other potential projects, creating a win-win.”
The first application is for the stretch of the Lake-to-Lake bike route from Atkinson Street/Kinney Avenue, to the Point intersection at South Main Street/Galt Avenue, which is approximately 0.5 kilometres long and takes advantage of the changes resulting from the Point Intersection and Galt Avenue project.
The second application is for the sidewalk and traffic calming on Greenwood Drive and Dartmouth Road, which will provide a key connection for both pedestrians and cyclists from Pineview Road to Green Avenue, connecting the larger Wiltse residential area and elementary school to Princess Margaret Secondary and Skaha Middle School. The changes on Greenwood Drive are the result of resident concerns relating to speeding, a lack of sidewalks and the steep, curvy design of the road.
Dixon notes both the work on the lake-to-lake bike route and Greenwood Drive is scheduled to be done in conjunction with the Point Intersection works starting early in 2023.
The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program provides cost-sharing opportunities to support development of active transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities. The grant is for up to 50 per cent funding, to a maximum amount of $500,000 for each project.
These applications would follow the City’s previous application for provincial funding for Section 2 of the lake-to-lake route constructed this year. Results for that grant are expected shortly. The City has also applied to the Federal Active Transportation Fund for Section 1 of the lake-to-lake route, as well as Green Avenue, and hopes to hear about those applications in the new year.
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