BC ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM COUNCIL REPORT

BC ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Town of View Royal apply for the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant for Project C-066 Island Highway Upgrades – Hart Road to Wilfert Road.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council endorsement for staff to apply for the Province of British Columbia’s Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant, for "shovel ready” active transportation projects.

TIME CRITICAL:

The submission deadline for this grant is October 27, 2023.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

As the Town now has an Active Transportation Network Plan, additional funding opportunities under the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program can be applied for.

Eligible projects must be ‘shovel ready’ active transportation projects, complete with final designs and cost estimates. The projects must also be completable by March 2025/2026 (budget dependant) and open to public bidding.

Based on an evaluation of all transportation projects within the 5 Year Financial Plan, staff recommend applying for the grant for Project C-066: Island Hwy Upgrades – Hart Rd to Wilfert Rd. Should the grant be successful, 70% of eligible costs would be covered, providing relief to Casino Revenue. This project is currently scheduled to be constructed in 2024.

BACKGROUND:

The Province of British Columbia (the “Province”) is continuing their Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant fund and are accepting applications from Indigenous and Local Governments. Council may recall that the Town’s Active Transportation Network Plan (ATNP) was partially funded by this grant program.

Per the Province’s website¹:

Eligible governments may apply for a maximum of two active transportation infrastructure grants for different projects or different phases of the same project if they satisfy the following criteria:

• Projects previously funded prior to 2022/23, or prior to 2021/22 for projects with budgets over $1M, must be completed by application submission date.
• Project is part of an active transportation network plan or equivalent
• Project can begin construction once provincial funding has been announced
• Projects will be completed by March 2025 (projects under $1 million) or by March 2026 (projects over $1 million)
• Projects are open to the public

Funding from this grant program supports the development of active transportation infrastructure, including but not limited to multi-use protected travel lanes, pedestrian and cycling safety improvements, end-of-trip facilities and other amenities, lighting and wayfinding.

Eligible projects must be ‘shovel ready’. This means that the project must be fully designed, complete with a construction cost estimate and confirmation of any third-party utility approvals and other provincial approvals (where warranted). Furthermore, the project must meet the best practices for safe infrastructure designs, such as following the BC Active Transportation Design Guide.

Council resolution authorizing the project with confirmation of secured funding is also required.

Cost share funding is based on the community’s population, up to a maximum $500,000 per infrastructure project. Based on the Town’s current population, the grant could cover 70% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum $500,000.

¹ Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. (2023, August 31). B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program – Cost Sharing Funding For Indigenous and Local Governments. Province of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/funding-engagement-permits/funding-grants/active-transportation-infrastructure-grants

DISCUSSION:

As the Town completed its ATNP in Spring 2023, this will be the first time that the Town will be applying for capital infrastructure related grants under this program.

The amount of ‘shovel ready’ projects that are identified in the ATNP are few at this time. There are many projects budgeted over the next two years that will be shovel ready; however, the readiness of these projects will exceed the grant application date, or requisite completion deadlines.

The Town currently have two (2) ‘shovel ready’ transportation projects:

Project 1:

• Project: Island Highway Upgrades – Hart Road to Wilfert Road
• Financial Plan Project ID: C-066, Construction scheduled for 2024.
• Budget: $175,000 (requires revision), Casino Revenue
• Description: This project is identified as a short-term priority project in the ATNP. The current capital project proposes extending a sidewalk from #1658 Island Hwy to #1660 Island Hwy (approximately 115m), complete with streetlights. The project would narrow a key pedestrian access gap along the Island Highway: upon completion of the project the only remaining stretch required to provide continuous sidewalks from Colwood to the Parsons Bridge is the section fronting #1636 Island Hwy, which historically has been left to be completed by future development.