BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Announced by Provincial Government
Cost-sharing for 23 communities across BC; total value of provincial grants down compared to 2019
Yesterday, the Province of British Columbia announced almost $9m in grants awarded to active transportation infrastructure projects in municipalities across the province.
The grant program provides Indigenous governments, municipalities and regional districts with funding to build ‘shovel-ready’ infrastructure, and make improvements to existing active transportation networks.
As part of the 2019 expansion of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s mandate to account for all forms of non-motorized transportation — including walking and accessibility for those with mobility challenges — the former ‘Bike BC’ fund was renamed and refocused to meet the goals of the province’s CleanBC strategy for active transportation, called Move Commute Connect.
As a result, 18 of the 23 grants awarded this year are for muti-modal projects — those intended to improve safety, connections, and accessibility for non-motorized travel, including water-borne transportation.
Additionally, of the nearly $9 million in total grants, $635,000 has been granted to 21 communities across the province for the development of active transportation network planning (ATNP), to support future active transportation infrastructure that aligns with the B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide.
Despite the expanded scope of the AT Infrastructure Grants program, the total amount of infrastructure funding dropped from $10 million in 2019, to approximately $8.4 million in 2020; the total number of projects benefiting from provincial funds dropped by five, from 28 to 23.
One example of the dozens of projects that did not receive funding was a protected bike lane on Larchwood Drive in Saanich, part of the municipality’s planned ‘all ages and abilities’ (AAA) bikeway network. Supported by the local community, advocacy groups and the Capital Regional District, the project would have connected several existing bike lanes; however, the request for $167,000 in provincial funding was denied.
“While the opportunity for local governments to apply for provincial funding supports the goals of the province’s active transportation strategy, many BC communities are still in desperate need of resources to activate walking, cycling and rolling infrastructure projects,” said Colin Stein, Executive Director of the BC Cycling Coalition.
“We’re always happy to celebrate funding for such projects, but also must express our disappointment that so few cycling projects received funding, and that the total financial commitment from the province actually went down this year,” said Stein. “Especially in light of our 10-year CleanBC GHG emissions reduction goals — and considering the ways in which British Columbians have stepped up to the challenge of COVID-19 and embraced active travel — it’s absolutely critical that the BC government rethink its approach to evaluating, planning and funding transportation projects.”
“Ideally, the provincial government would take a triple bottom line approach to funding infrastructure — one which places equal weight on social, environmental, and economic considerations. Ultimately, without government investments as bold as their stated goals, we risk sliding back into the status quo. British Columbians simply can’t afford that.”
Along with the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition and HUB Cycling, the BC Cycling Coalition recently presented a request to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for an increase to annual provincial active transportation budget, from current levels of less than $2 per capita to between $20 and $40 per capita, reflecting leading jurisdictions around the world, as part of the 2021 Budget Consultation.
Such funding could be applied to significantly extend the AT Infrastructure Grant program, as well as to fund cycling and walking facilities on provincial rights-of-way throughout the province, badly needed reform of the Motor Vehicle Act, comprehensive updates to provincial transportation policies and regulations, upgrading, maintaining and connecting non-motorized trails, financial incentives for e-bike purchases, greater investment in education, training and promotion programs and general active transportation support for local, regional and indigenous governments across the province.
For more information about yesterday’s AT Infrastructure grant recipients, read the announcements from the BC government: