People-powered transportation in Powell River is beginning a new cycle.
At the Thursday, January 15, City of Powell River Council meeting, council members approved the municipal cycling plan prepared by ISL Engineering and Land Services. This is a phased plan that provides a continuous bike route through the core of the city and supports the Sustainable Official Community Plan (SOCP).
Prior to the vote on a motion to adopt the plan, Councillor Russell Brewer said he wanted to thank city staff and Powell River Cycling Association for working together on this project for three or four years.
“It’s nice to see it finally come to council and to have a nice 10-year plan in place,” he said.
Mayor Dave Formosa said development of the cycling plan was collaboration at its best. He also said Dr. Chris Morwood should be given special acknowledgment for his efforts on this project.
“He worked really hard with his team,” Formosa said.
Council carried the motion to adopt the cycling plan unanimously.
The city cycling plan is a 10-year strategy, assuming $100,000 per annum to be allocated to local roadways to widen streets and make improvements to make Powell River more cycle friendly and safer. The city currently has $200,000 in funds available to carry out this work in 2015.
The project, long term, will be funded with gas tax money. City staff will continue to seek grant funding and partnership opportunities with stakeholders to advance the construction of cycling facilities in Powell River.
At a recent committee of the whole meeting, Tor Birtig, the city’s director of infrastructure, said the exercise grew out of the city’s SOCP, where considerable interest was expressed in development of a cycling plan.
“We wanted to encourage cycling so we had to have dedicated road space allocated to cycling,” Birtig said at the committee meeting. “We looked at areas that would deliver the greatest ridership for the lowest cost.”
