The Province of B.C. has announced $227,655 in funding for the City of Courtenay through the BikeBC program.
The BikeBC program is a cost-sharing program that provides financial support for communities to create new cycling infrastructure and make improvements to existing transportation networks, making local transportation safer, greener and more accessible.
In Courtenay, this funding will go towards expanding the City’s existing cycling network with the construction of two projects:
· The Fitzgerald Corridor Cycling Expansion project will provide critical connections from the City of Courtenay’s downtown core to existing cycling facilities (Riverway Trail and 5th Street), Driftwood Mall, and provide a continuous north-south spine which will form the foundation of the cycling network on the west side of the City.
· The Hobson Neighborhood Connector will form the City’s north-south cycling network spine for the east side of the community. The route will connect Hawk Greenway in the south to Ryan Road and the commercial nodes to the north.
Communities on Vancouver Island received funding for nine projects, and 28 projects were awarded province-wide.
These projects promote cycling to work, school and errands, which helps reduce traffic congestion while contributing to a cleaner, healthier environment. These projects have the potential to generate tourism-related benefits based on their proximity to amenities and points of interest.
The Engineering Strategy team, within the City’s Engineering Services Department, will be leading this work.
“The dollar value from the BikeBC funding is 50 per cent of the value of the project,” said Lisa Butler, manager of engineering strategy for the City of Courtenay. “The government provides 50 per cent funding for communities of our size. The remaining 50 per cent comes from the City. So in anticipation of… getting those funds, we put place holders in our 2019 budget, so the City has allocated money for our 50 per cent portion.”
The current Fitzgerald bike lane starts at 8th Street and ends at 21st. The extension will bring it north to 5th Street and south, to 26th (Driftwood Mall).
“They will also add a little strip from Fitzgerald down 19th Street and crossing Cliffe [Avenue] there, to take you to the existing Riverway Trail, along the river,” added Butler.