Kelowna`s transit exchange downtown.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

The City of Kelowna is planning for public transit infrastructure that meshes with housing development.

City council and staff took a bus tour around downtown Monday, Nov. 4, to look at how public transit infrastructure can help move more people around as the city’s urban centres densify.

The plan is to expand public transportation along Pandosy Street, Richter Street, Lakeshore Road, Clement Avenue and more. The city said these transit corridors are meant to, “put more people and jobs within walking distance of effective transit service.”

Part of the planning includes the Richter Transit Corridor Study. The city is asking people for feedback on its plans to put express buses, bus lanes, and eventually light rail transit along Richter Street, and look at doing the same along the other transit corridors. 

The Richter Corridor Study will establish a vision for rapid transit from the North end to the Mission. Transit is going to be the best way to move more people in the space we have available and prevent congestion from limiting our ability to add new housing and grow our economy, staff told council on the tour.

READ MORE: Kelowna working on plan for public transit corridor from downtown to Mission

Since the city aims to densify the population it plans on allowing taller apartment buildings, four to six storeys, along the transit corridors, four storey buildings slightly further from transit, and three storey buildings even further.

“We have a policy in our Official Community Plan today that indicates that as you move farther away from downtown, that we would see building types taper down,” a city staff member said. 

The transit improvements will be rolled out in stages with the first few infrastructure developments coming within five years, and major developments planned for 10 to 20 years from now.

The city also wants to expand transit along Bernard Avenue so people have easier transit access to parks and amenities like the Parkinson Recreation Centre. Big development projects like the Tolko Industries mill site are part of the city’s long term vision for transit improvement.

READ MORE: City council gives new vision for Kelowna Tolko mill site unanimous approval

The plan is meant to be flexible, and it’s still in the early stages so the specifics have yet to be determined. City staff told council that planning transit around affordable housing is a major part of making an effective transit system for residents.

“We're going to turn east on Clement. This is one of the transit corridors where we have seen a lot of newer redevelopment. This is that four- to six-story wood frame apartment. This is really kind of the bread and butter of the housing that's more affordable and faster to build. So this type of housing is really in demand for those first-time homebuyers, and young professionals,” staff said.

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