Central Okanagan regional transportation plan ready for council

Photo: Contributed

After two-and-a-half years of planning, study, and public engagement, the Central Okanagan Regional Transportation Plan is ready to be implemented.

The plan, which was shown in final draft form in the summer, is going out to each of the regional jurisdictions for endorsement.

Public engagement, which garnered more than 1,200 comments, was conducted in August. Those comments, the authors say, helped shape the final document.

It also includes a regional bicycle and trails master plan and a regional disruptive mobility strategy.

Kelowna city council gets its first look Monday.

"The interconnected recommendations for projects, programs and policies in the plans will help connect people and places across the region, improve the movement of people and goods, achieve fast and reliable transit, and help create a region where more people can choose sustainable and affordable transportation options," authors of the plan state in the final report.

"Moving forward, the plans will help Central Okanagan governments collaborate on the delivery of regionally significant projects, coordinate with their local transportation plans, and seek funding for transportation investments that benefit the entire Central Okanagan region."

Some of the measures contained within the plans include an eastbound transit lane on the William R. Bennett in the morning, dedicated transit lanes on Harvey Avenue, adding 81 kilometres of bicycle and trail networks plus upgrading of 30 kilometres.

The plan also recommends incorporating results from the 2018 Okanagan Travel Survey.