Transportation themes explored by Complete Streets for Prince Rupert as part of their ongoing engagement towards City's Official Community Plan

An in-depth review of the potential for improved transportation networks in Prince Rupert makes for the latest contribution to the discussion for planning for the community.  

That as Complete Streets for Prince Rupert provides a glimpse at how transportation goals can be included as part of the ongoing work on the Official Community Plan.

An item posted to the CS4PR website calls on the experiences of a graduate of Vancouver Island University's Masters of Community Planning program, with Seamus McConville a Prince Rupert resident offering up a few themes for consideration to the desires for a more active future for the North Coast.

Reviewing some of the background to the Official Community Plan, he notes how much has changed since the adoption of the OCP of 2007 and how Active Transportation goals now are of much more importance and more readily accepted by the public.

VIU Masters of Planning
Graduate Seamus McConville

Using a mix of his own observations from his visits back to his hometown and some of the results of studies from other communities that he has had experience with, the Masters Grad charts a handy blue print towards how Complete Streets may see the realization of their ambitions when it comes to transportation.

Among the key elements of his proposals, the opportunities that exist for grant funding at the moment as the City moves forward with their 2020 version of the OCP.  

In his notes, McConville observes towards a number of sources of money that would help develop those networks and improve the transportation options in the community.

For Prince Rupert, this could not be more of a convenient time to consider a Transportation Master Plan which focuses on Active Transportation. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) has a grant opportunity right now for communities under 25,000 to fund up to $10,000 of an Active Transportation Strategy. 

These UBCM grants allow for planning maneuvers that larger centres could afford to undertake – my recent poverty reduction study with Port Alberni was undertaken with a similar funding stream! Money also exists to physically build projects. Right now, the province is preparing for an intake to fund further Active Transportation projects. 

With this grant coming up in October 2020, this may be a good opportunity for the city to potentially build active transportation opportunities. Terrace got in on the most recent funding, with $200,000 going towards cycling routes.

You can review his full presentation from the Complete Streets website here.

Further notes on what Complete Streets for Prince Rupert is all about can be explored here.

The Official Community Plan process has moved into the public consultation phase, though a limited approach towards that is in place owing to COVID, with the Mayor having hosted one-on-one sessions for those who may have booked appointments.

Previous to the release of the Draft OCP in August, the city had hosted a range of surveys and other information gathering through the Rupert Talks portal, you can access some of that background material here.

To this point, the City has not outlined what other community engagement plans they may have in mind into the fall to help receive more feedback from the public as to the shape of Prince Rupert into the future.

For a look at some of the background to the OCP see our archive page here.