Saturday August 7, 2021 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC
Island Social Trends | Editor: Mary P Brooke
The BC Government is providing more than $404,000 to help local governments include active transportation in their community planning.
Since the Active Transportation Planning Grant launched, intakes in October 2020 and May 2021 have provided funding to 22 communities with the goal of encouraging British Columbians to choose walking, cycling, skateboarding and other active methods to get to their destinations.
“Transportation accounts for well over one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia, so enabling more environmentally and socially responsible modes of travel is a priority for our government,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of State for Transportation and Infrastructure.
“This funding will help local governments integrate their active transportation planning as part of their land-use planning and will provide long-term benefits to our communities, our health, the environment and local economies,” said Ma in a release on August 3.
Eligibility:
Local governments with populations up to 25,000 that met the grant criteria were eligible for up to $20,000 toward their active transportation planning costs.
Local governments with populations up to 25,000 that met the grant criteria were eligible for up to $20,000 toward their active transportation planning costs.
According to a 2019 report, the population of the CRD’s municipalities is as follows:
Any municipality with a population under $25,000 that did not receive funding either did not apply, or was not approved for funding.
Funds still remain:
The grants are administered through the Union of B.C. Municipalities to qualifying applicants that submit proposals supporting the integration of active transportation into their community planning and land-use planning process.
In total, $600,000 will be available from 2020-22 for this program, which will help make cycling, walking and other forms of active transportation safe, accessible and convenient for people. That means $196,000 is still potentially available.
Leaving cars at home:
“Communities with smart, safe and connected active transportation networks help people to leave their cars at home in favour of healthier, cleaner ways of getting around,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“Local governments play an important role in community planning and grant programs like this one support better planning, improved design and on the ground results on the pathway to achieving our CleanBC goals,” says Heyman.
Providing support to ensure community planning addresses active transportation opportunities is an initiative of Move. Commute. Connect., BC’s Active Transportation Strategy. The strategy is part of CleanBC, a plan to help transform how people move around while encouraging more active transportation in communities.
CleanBC is a pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. It supports government’s commitment to climate action to meet BC’s emission targets and build a cleaner, stronger economy for everyone.
Funding to 22 communities during COVID:
Since the Active Transportation Planning Grant launched, intakes in October 2020 and May 2021 have provided funding to 22 communities with the goal of encouraging British Columbians to choose walking, cycling, skateboarding and other active methods to get to their destinations.
In the South Vancouver Island region, grants went to the Capital Regional District (for use in the Southern Gulf Islands), the District of Central Saanich (toward an update of their official community plan), and the Town of Sidney (toward development of their Official Community Plan Active Transportation Objectives and Policies).
Recipients of 2020 and 2021 Active Transportation Planning Grants:
- Belcarra: $20,000 – Official Community Plan update
- Capital Regional District: $20,000 – Active Transportation Plan for Southern Gulf Islands
- Central Saanich: $16,865 – Official Community Plan update
- Chetwynd: $20,000 – Official Community Plan update
- Cumberland: $18,790 – Transportation Master Plan – Active Transportation Foundations
- Houston (Northern BC Interior): $20,000 – Official Community Plan update: Active Transportation Plan
- Islands Trust: $17,500 – Ferry to Village Project Scoping: Safe Connectors for People of all Ages and Abilities
- Kitimat: $20,000 – Active Transportation Network Planning and Analysis
- Ladysmith: $19,900 – Official Community Plan: Active Transportation Engagement and Policies
- North Coast Regional District: $13,625 – Strategic Official Community Plan Policy Update for Active Transportation in District D
- Osoyoos: $10,000 – Official Community Plan Policy Update
- Peachland: $10,000 – Trail of the Okanagans-Peachland Connections
- Port Alberni: $19,654 – Official Community Plan update: Active Transportation Strategy
- Powell River: $20,000 – Sustainable Official Community Plan update: Bicycle Strategy
- Prince Rupert: $20,000 – Integrated Transportation Master Plan
- Princeton: $19,500 – 2008 Official Community Plan Review and Update
- Nanaimo Regional District: $20,000 – Official Community Plan for Electoral Area G
- Rossland: $20,000 – Official Community Plan Active Transportation Integration
- Sayward: $18,617 – Active Transportation Planning
- Sidney: $20,000 – Official Community Plan Active Transportation Objectives and Policies
- Strathcona Regional District: $20,000 – Cortes Island Active Transportation Planning Research and Data Collection Project
- Whistler: $20,000 – Let’s Move Whistler!
===== LINKS (provided by BC Government):
Learn more about the Active Transportation Planning Grant:
https://www.ubcm.ca/EN/main/funding/lgps/active-transportation.html
Learn more about B.C.’s strategy for more active transportation:
https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/active
