Grand Opening of the Fairview to Downtown Neighbourhood Bikeway!
Nelson, BC - Creating safe cycling infrastructure is a key goal of the City of Nelson’s Active Transportation Plan. In June 2020, the Province announced that the City of Nelson would receive $424,510 in funding through the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program to complete Phase One of a primary bike route and develop end-of-trip facilities such as a bike parkade.
“Nelson-Creston MLA Brittny Anderson and I are excited for our government to be partnering with the City of Nelson to deliver this cycling route,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of State for Infrastructure. “Enabling more environmentally and socially responsible modes of transportation like active travel is an incredibly important part of the work of building a sustainable transportation network that supports livable communities.”
The Fairview to Downtown Neighbourhood Bikeway has been built through the grant program and consists of a 2 km long shared road running along Third Street and High Street. It is a low-speed and low-traffic volume corridor for cyclists, pedestrians and local vehicle traffic. (See project map below). The grant has also allowed the City to install a safe bike locker in the City Parkade on Vernon Street with room for 20 bicycles, including cargo e-bikes and 22 new bike racks in the downtown area.
“Statistic Canada data shows that 30% of Nelsonites commute by walking or cycling, which is one of the highest rates in the Province,” says Mayor John Dooley. “We want to continue to be leaders in this area and increase this number even more. We can achieve these results through our partnership with the Province as we invest in key transportation networks to make roads safe and efficient for all users.”
Nelson City Council understands the importance of investing in our active transportation network to lead to a healthier, sustainable and equitable community. Council is looking forward to continuing its working relationship with the Province to implement the subsequent phases of our Active Transportation Plan.
Interested in an E-bike?
E-bikes are an efficient way to commute in Nelson’s hilly terrain. Did you know that Nelson offers loans up to $8,000 per household for the purchase of e-bikes?
Media Contact:
Sebastien Arcand, Senior Planner sarcand@nelson.ca
The painted Sharrows along the bike route indicate where the road is meant to be 'shared".