Image Credit: Contributed
June 07, 2014 - 2:26 PM
KELOWNA - Phase 2 of the Rails with Trails pathway was opened Saturday, June 7, 2014 in Kelowna as part of the celebration for National Health and Fitness Day. This project completes a vital link in the existing network of active transportation corridors, helping residents get off the road for recreation or their daily commute.
The 4.5-metre wide pathway extends the existing pathway an extra 1.5 kilometres east, from Spall Road to Dilworth Drive, building on the success of the first phase of Rails with Trails, which runs from Gordon Drive to Spall Road.
The trail links employment hubs, such as downtown and the Landmark buildings, to where people live. It also connects neighbourhoods and town centres to many of the city’s recreational amenities. Future phases of the project will include a pathway that connects Kelowna’s downtown and cultural district to the University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna International Airport and beyond.
The Government of Canada is providing $1.46 million through the federal Gas Tax Fund, and the Government of British Columbia is providing $1.52 million through BikeBC toward this nearly $3 million infrastructure project.
Quick Facts:
- The Government of Canada provides $253,276,892 in annual funding for municipal infrastructure in British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund.
- The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in BC, in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia.
- Since 2006, the federal Gas Tax Fund has made over $33 million available to the City of Kelowna.
- Cycling is a key component of the BC government’s strategy for encouraging healthy living and addressing climate change, in conjunction with the Climate Action Plan and the Provincial Transit Plan.
- BikeBC is a cost-sharing program between the Government of B.C. and local governments. Since 2001, the Government of British Columbia has committed over $150 million to cycling infrastructure, creating new cycling lanes and trails in over 90 communities.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014