Submitted by the West Kootenay Cycling Coalition
The West Kootenay Cycling Coalition would like to announce the feasibility study for an active transportation corridor between Castlegar and Nelson is almost complete. The public is encouraged to fill out our survey about the project.
WATT Consulting Group, a transportation and engineering firm based in Kelowna, has been hired to carry our the study. The $50,000 in funding for the project has been provided by the Government of Canada’s Active Transportation Fund, through the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
The study assessed the feasibility of developing a year-round, multi-use path to connect Castlegar and Nelson. The corridor would ideally be a 45 km long active transportation route that encompasses all forms of mobility, including walking/rolling, cycling, transit, commuting to work, getting to school, recreation, socializing or running errands with the benefit of supporting active lifestyles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Our end goal for this study is to create a plan with a viable route, including recommendations for any additional amenities or infrastructure needed to realize our vision. Various options and preferences have been determined through stakeholder meetings, physical surveys, a review of traffic statistics, project research and comparison studies to other similar projects already successfully completed. The West Kootenay Cycling Coalition and WATT, in consultation with RDCK, have mapped out a potential path and the draft plan is now ready to present to residents for feedback.
Our project is in the final phase of understanding. We will be conducting public engagement and determining overall levels of support for the proposed route. The engagement strategy includes presenting the draft plan and proposed route displayed on story boards for public viewing along with a survey to complete. The plan was presented at a series of six open houses at the end of April. Residents who were unable to attend an open house may view the plan online and access the survey at westkootenaycycling.ca.
Please complete the survey, which closes on May 13, 2024. Public engagement is critical. The more public engagement we receive the more likely we will be able to make this dream a reality.
If you are not already, please visit our web page to become a member (westkootenaycycling.ca). There is no cost. With membership, you’ll be showing your support for active transportation in the West Kootenays and you will also receive our newsletter with all the latest events and information.
The feasibility study along with final recommendations is scheduled to be complete this summer.