Whereas the provincial government offers grant funding to support the development of active transportation network planning and infrastructure, based on local governments contributing between 20 and 50 of project costs; And whereas a local governments required contribution to an active transportation infrastructure project can far exceed a small communitys financial capacity: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government fund 100 of the cost of active transportation network planning and infrastructure projects for communities with a population of less than 15,000.
Ministry of Transportation and Transit The BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program BCAT is specifically designed to support small, remote, and Indigenous communities in advancing active transportation infrastructure. Recognizing the rising costs of infrastructure, the ministry continues to adapt its programs to remain responsive to these challenges. In the most recent intake, the BCAT program awarded over 24 million in funding to projects across the province leveraging 174 million in new active transportation facilities, with the majority 53 percent of funded projects benefiting small communities. By providing cost-shared funding, BCAT is better able to support more projects in more communities around the Province including in Indigenous and smaller governments. Under the current structure, local governments between 50 percent and 80 percent of costs covered for Infrastructure projects, up to a maximum of 500,000 per project. The infrastructure grants operate on a sliding scale based on community profile: - Indigenous community or local governments working in partnership with an Indigenous community 80 percent - Population less than 15,000 70 percent - Population between 15,000 and 25,000 60 percent - Population greater than 25,000 50 percent Local governments may also stack BCAT grants with other external funding sources such as federal programs, which can help reduce the local funding contribution and make projects more financially feasible. The ministry is reviewing this funding cap to assess whether adjustments are needed for future intakes.