Williams lake city council passed a recommendation on Nov. 5 to ensure opportunities to fund active transportation projects are sought out when new road and utility projects are undertaken.
The recommendation was brought forward by Coun. Angie Delainey after a delegation led by Streets for All Williams Lake spoke about the city’s potential to become a safe place for active transportation.
Active transportation (AT) is any form of transportation which uses human power, such as cycling to work, walking to a friend’s house or using a mobility device to go grocery shopping.
The delegation, which was represented by Bert Groenenberg and Ruth Lloyd, reviewed the highlights from a provincial 2024 Active Transportation Summit which took place in June. The event, organized by the BC Cycling Coalition and Movmi, a transportation solutions company, attracted people from around the world to speak about the potential health, environmental and economic benefits of AT.
“As you can imagine, it was like Disneyland for a couple of active transportation nerds like Bert and I,” Lloyd told council about the summit.
Lloyd focused on what she learned from cities such as New Westminster, where safer streets are becoming a reality through a long-term plan. The city’s approach to change allows for the integration of AT aspects to road and utility projects already on the go. For areas where work is not needed, quick, affordable and temporary measures are taken to make roads safer until the time comes for upgrades.
An example of a temporary measure is to install lane-narrowing bollards, which can help calm traffic.
“This is something we would just love the city to consider,” Lloyd told council about the idea of pairing AT construction with work needing to be done on roads or underground services. She said doing so could also provide opportunities for grants to fund AT projects.
Groenenberg spoke following Lloyd, beginning with a quote from Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute: “It takes a network of trails to make it successful.”
He emphasized the case-by-case nature of active transportation design, pulling examples from Victoria where some intersections need signal lights for cyclists, while other intersections don’t allow right turns on red lights.
He also provided council with a tip from the city of Calgary, where it was found that snow could be more effectively cleared from two-lane bike lanes.
The pair left council dreaming about a lake city where residents of nearby communities could enjoy a safe cycle to work, and tourists could embrace the natural beauty around Williams Lake while safely walking from shop to shop.
Groenenberg encouraged the city to work closely with experts who have years of experience designing AT infrastructure and who know what does and doesn’t work.
“Combine this with input from local users such as our active transportation working group, we stand a better chance of getting it right the first time,” he said.
In its submission to council, the delegation called for a resolution which would require any updates on road and utility infrastructure to also integrate items from the city’s Active Transportation Plan it is developing with Fraser Basin Council and Urban Systems.
Council appeared to be optimistic about the city’s potential to become a safe place for active transportation, with Coun. Joan Flaspohler stating she would commit to make an effort to have the delegation’s resolution addressed once planning and budget have reached the appropriate stage.
Flaspohler said she thinks AT is critical for residents and tourists to enjoy the community, and with good planning she said: “we can get ahead as a community and try to make that happen.”
Coun. Delainey recommended the city start now, by keeping an eye open for grants which could help fund components of the city’s Active Transportation Plan and have them dovetailed into other projects.
Staff told Mayor Surinderpal Rathor they already do look for funding opportunities, but with the guidance from a focused Active Transportation Plan they will be able to search for funding more effectively.
The recommendation was carried unanimously.
