With work nearly complete on new ditching, a multi-use path, bike lane and paving along Gibsons Way, councillors have given the infrastructure department the go-ahead to start planning for the expansion of the project.
The Town was recently awarded a Bike BC grant for the multi-use path and bike lane that will run from lower Gibsons to North Road, but it also took out a loan to cover the Gibsons Way project, which meant the borrowed money could be used for a different purpose as long as it’s part of the overall Gibsons Way project.
The other option was to use the Bike BC grant to pay off the loan.
Director of infrastructure services Dave Newman recommended council proceed with a bike lane on the downhill side.
He told council that it’s not possible to do the work to facilitate that bike lane as part of the finishing touches on the current project because crews are already well into the paving.
“At this point what we’re doing is stopping [the] paving roughly at the edge of what could be a future bike lane… Staff are suggesting we initiate that project by starting the process of moving the utility poles.”
Newman said a downhill route could then be planned to fit whatever funds remain.
He also said using North Fletcher as part of the route for cyclists headed from upper to lower Gibsons is the preferred option, which would mean the downhill bike lane would run from North Road to North Fletcher. North Fletcher is already being repaved as part of water main work.
Mayor Wayne Rowe said his only reservation is that money would be spent relocating utility poles only to find out there wasn’t enough left for the other work.
Coun. Jeremy Valeriote said he can see why some people might see going ahead with the downhill bike lane as an “extra” but feels it’s prudent to take advantage of a chance to get the work done, because it will be needed in the future.
“I just feel now’s the time, otherwise it’ll be noticeably missing and we’ll have to do it at some point in the future, and we have some momentum with the borrowing that we’ve done,” said Valeriote. “I see the temptation to pay off the debt … but I think we should forge ahead.”
In the end, council agreed with that point of view and voted to budget $80,000 for moving utility poles on Gibsons Way and to have staff report in September with a work plan and estimated cost for the downhill bike lane with an option to include cycling improvements on North Fletcher.
