Revelstoke Growth Adds to Push for Cycling Infrastructure

“Basically I’m an evangelist,” admits Tom Robson, resident of Revelstoke, British Columbia.

A former National Geographic photographer, Tom is also former director of Cycling Canada, and a Go By Bike committee member for the town. So it’s not hard to be convinced of his cycling evangelist credentials, and in Revelstoke in particular, converting his neighbours may not be a very difficult mission.

Situated at the western entrance to Rogers Pass, and nestled between the Monashee and Selkirk mountain ranges of southeastern British Columbia alongside the famed Columbia River, Revelstoke is home to consistent winter snowfall and powder bases that draw some of the country's best skiers and snowboarders. The town has also served as the location for a string of Hallmark romance movies. Simply put, Revelstoke is a place that draws attention.

According to the Canadian Census, in 2016 Revelstoke recorded a population of just 6,719; however, in 2019 smartphone data showed a winter population of 14,570 residents, a number that surprised no-one, least of all the locals who have seen their town swell with people all year long.

That said, Revelstoke’s transportation infrastructure and facilities were not built with a doubling of the population in mind. Tom Robson, like many residents, can relate to the draw of the town, and welcomes this growth. He also hopes that the needs of people who commute by bike — like himself — will not be overlooked. 

Photo credit: Tom Robson.

That’s because cycling culture in Revelstoke is big. The town boasts a machine-built mountain bike trail of some renown that runs a full vertical drop of 5,620 feet (and is named, naturally, the ‘Fifty Six Twenty’). During a normal school year, the bike racks outside the elementary and high schools in town are packed — hundreds of bikes lined up to one another like dominoes. 

During the 2019 annual Spring Bike to Work and School Week event (now called Go By Bike Week), Revelstoke saw 14% of their population use bikes, and cycling advocates like Tom are certain that the real numbers are likely much higher, largely unreported.

“There’s great potential to connect what we’ve got,” asserts Tom. “The irony here is that everyone rides, but there are no bike lanes.”

Supporting the cyclists that already choose a bike over a vehicle, and encouraging others to start the new habit, is in line with the City of Revelstoke’s climate action plan and commitments they have made to reduce the community’s carbon footprint. Major employers such as the Revelstoke Mountain Resort even encourage their summer employees to arrive to work by bike by offering cash draw prizes to those who endeavour to do so. 

And infrastructure — a safe cycling network throughout the town — is on the horizon.

This year, Revelstoke was one of 43 recipients of the Province of British Columbia’s Active Transportation Infrastructure and Network Planning Grant program. They received $6,800 to provide four safe bike racks at strategic transportation locations throughout the City, and also secured $25,000 to help develop an Active Transportation Network Plan, which they will be bringing in under their new Master Transportation Plan. 

“The more you can integrate and keep things consistent the better” says Caitlin Hinton, Revelstoke’s new Climate Change Coordinator. “Being on the ground in a small community, if we’re all working together from the same plan, it's better. Trying to integrate the Active Transportation Plan into the Master Transportation Plan will ensure connections are being made.”

The Active Transportation Plan is on track for spring 2021 completion. This means that, with a plan in place, Revelstoke will also be eligible to apply for further infrastructure funding — beyond bike racks, this could bring actual cycling facilities to town. 

In the meantime, locals like Tom plan to stay visible, reminding visiting tourists and new residents that his active community welcomes sharing the road with cyclists.

“It's an amazing time because everyone is riding more all over the world,” Tom said, referring to the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen large spikes in both bike sales and ridership worldwide. 

“The key is to keep them going. That's what needs to happen. If we could get 30% of the population on bikes, that would make a big difference. Let's get the infrastructure so we can knit the whole thing together.”