The city of Williams Lake is seeking feedback on a draft active transportation network plan for the municipality.
Active transportation is getting around using your own power and includes walking, biking, skateboarding and using mobility devices.
Since last fall, the city of Williams Lake, Urban Systems consultants, Fraser Basin Council and volunteers on the city's active transportation working group, have been working on developing an active transportation plan for the municipality.
A draft plan was revealed earlier this week, based on 700 responses from the community during the initial engagement.
An open house was held on Tuesday, February 25 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Gibraltar Room to give the community an opportunity for feedback on the plan.
The feedback will help prioritize parts of the plan, help determine which projects the city will work to complete first, and to identify any gaps or answer questions on the specifics of the plan.
"It's wonderful," said Gina Graham, who came to the open house after her friend encouraged her to provide input from the perspective of someone with mobility challenges.
Graham said she supports anything which helps get her "outside and moving" and she enjoys walking at Scout Island when the trails are clear and now looking at the draft plan, she saw there may be more options in the community than she knew.
"I'm happy about places I didn't even know existed," she said, noting it is amazing to see the city supporting this.
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor, who attended part of the open house, said he had some good conversations with open house attendees about the plan.
"People are happy they've been asked to provide input," he said, noting both the open house and the online survey are great opportunities to hear from the community.
An online survey is open until mid-March to provide feedback on a draft plan which looks at a number of improvements including betting lighting and road crossings, possible cycling improvements, including multi-use pathways, bike parking, signage and bike lanes.
The survey is available on the city of Williams Lake's website, along with more information on the project: https://www.williamslake.ca/
"Whatever we are doing, we are doing for the benefit of the community," said Rathor.
The plan aims to "create a complete and comfortable active transportation network for people of all ages and abilities" in order to make the city safer and easier to get around in, according to the city's website.
With the goal of improving the health, environment and quality of life in the city, the plan will help ensure the city is eligible for both federal and provincial funding to offset costs for improvements when the city completes planned maintenance to existing infrastructure.
Thanks to funding from the province of B.C., the city had a year to complete the plan. After staffing changes, the project was started six months into the timeline, but Urban Systems, the planning consultants, and Fraser Basin Council are optimistic they will be able to complete the plan.
Jane Wellburn, with the Fraser Basin Council, is coordinating the project for the city and said she and the planners felt there was a good turnout for the open house and they are hopeful more people will engage via the survey over the next couple of weeks. This survey to give feedback on the draft plan is available until March 14.
"They didn't just come, but they stuck around and engaged with the materials," said Wellburn of those in attendance on the Tuesday.
After receiving a one-month extension, the plan is due to be completed May 1, 2025.
