Whereas the lack of Ministry of Transportation and Transit MOTT active transportation infrastructure on rural highways adversely affects provincially declared climate initiatives, and encouragement of active transportation commitment in smaller local governments; And whereas these highways are located in the central key parts of rural communities, often as main streets, and are in dire need of safe, affordable transportation options which can also facilitate local governments to tie their own active transportation plans into to improve community health, economic opportunities and social interactions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the provincial government to expand budgetary funding so they can be proactive in the development and installation of active transportation options on all existing MOTT infrastructure within rural local government boundaries.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The Ministry works in partnership with Indigenous and local governments to support the development of active transportation infrastructure that reflects local priorities and conditions. The Ministry encourages active transportation network development through the Active Transportation AT Capital Program, BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program, and the Active Transportation Design Guide. The AT Capital Program funds infrastructure projects on ministry rights-of-way to improve safety and connectivity for people walking, cycling, and rolling. In June 2024, the Ministry announced 11 projects under the AT Capital Program. A total of 85 million in investments will build active transportation infrastructure on ministry-owned rights-of-way across the province. The BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program provides cost-sharing opportunities to Indigenous and local governments to develop and upgrade active transportation infrastructure. Since 2020, 73.5 million in grant funding has been awarded to 265 projects, leveraging more than 287 million in AT infrastructure across the province. This years intake is paused pending decisions flowing from the CleanBC Review. The Active Transportation Design Guide is a free guide for communities to use to plan and design high quality active transportation infrastructure that is safe, accessible, and consistent across the province.