Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Peace River council was able to evaluate the final Active Transportation Plan (ATP) at its regular meeting on June 23, to see the long-term active transportation network that will be used to determine project priorities in the community.
“The ATP has been actively worked on for two years by the planning and development department and was assisted by a contracted company who examined all the active, meaning non-vehicle, ways of getting around Peace River as well as viewing the accessibility of the town,” explains Mayor Elaine Manzer.
“This stage was writing the plan for future use in planning infrastructure projects, and it will also be helpful in applying for grants.”
Council has accepted the plan as presented, a plan that will help introduce and prioritize walkways, bike paths and other active transportation pathways in the community.
Peace River received a $50,000 grant from the Canada’s National Active Transportation Strategy Planning and Design Projects Stream.
With the money, Manzer says council hired a company to examine the current state of active transportation pathways and noted gaps including accessibility. The company then wrote the ATP.
“Residents have had chances to impact the plan with their engagement through a survey,” says Manzer. “(The plan long-term) will help residents getting around Peace River by walking, biking, and other methods. We will also look at lighting some areas.”
Manzer says currently there are gaps in some of the sidewalk infrastructure, gaps that the Town will be actively work on closing to allow pedestrians to get to more locations.
“The Town has been working on repaving some of the dike over the past years and including work being done this year,” she explains.
“Capital budgets over several years will start to implement the plan’s recommendations. Any development will also be looking to this plan.”
The first engagement sessions happened in the winter 2022 to help provide the baseline and context review of the project. In winter 2023, the second round of engagement occurred, informing recommendations for the ATP.
“The Town has realized that with the way Peace River is developed there are gaps in getting between different areas of town as well as some accessibility challenges that can be addressed,” Manzer explains.
“I would say the plan focuses on walking trails but there is an overlap with bike/skateboard types of transportation.”
Length of the project completion will depend on the annual budget allocations, Manzer explains. She adds it is a long-term plan and some of the plan involves CN crossings.
“It is realized that despite a wish to connect Shaftsbury Estates to Upper West Peace with a trail along Shaftsbury Trail, this is not possible as some of the construction would be in the ditch where it could not be maintained in the winter as well as the Town does not own some of the land that would need to be used in the trail system,” she says.
“So likely, access from Shaftsbury Estates will be up the back of Misery Mountain coming out near south Saddleback. There are many parts of the plan that will be very expensive to do.”