A plan to add a significant chunk of active transportation infrastructure north of the Upper Levels Highway is rolling into its second round of public input.
At a council meeting Monday evening (April 25), City of North Vancouver staff presented a report after an initial round of community consultation on a proposed greenway through the Westview and Tempe neighbourhoods.
The Upper Levels Greenway is set to stretch from Westview Drive eastward to Lynn Valley Road, and would be around three kilometres long.
The project’s first phase of public engagement wrapped up at the end up February. Now, staff are presenting options for a preferred route, as well as types of infrastructure that could be featured along the greenway.
At the meeting, city project manager Mo Bot said that around 2,400 people visited the project’s discussion page in February.
She explained that top sentiments expressed involved safety, features people would like to see, concerns about traffic, and the desire for separation of different types of transportation users.
Three possible routes were presented, along with different approaches to design. Those approaches include shared pathways, separated paths, and natural surfaces. Bot indicated the final design will likely incorporate a mix of infrastructure depending on the section.
The next phase of engagement launched April 27, with another online discussion page and survey. There’s an open house planned for after school at Ecole Larson elementary on Tuesday, May 10, as well as outreach at CityFest on May 7 and along Grand Boulevard on May 14.
Mayor Linda Buchanan, who said the project was “particularly important” to her, noted that most of the feedback came from high-income adults (52 per cent) 35-years-old and above (68 per cent).
“I’m just curious how staff are going to get a little more targeted in terms of engaging with students,” Buchanan said, adding renters in apartments and multi-family dwellings to the list of underrepresented residents in the first survey.
Bot responded that the Larson open house is slated to happen around the after-school pickup time, to gather more feedback from students. She said that every surrounding neighbourhood was mailed postcards about the greenway, but more information could potentially be posted at individual buildings.
Coun. Tony Valente asked about funding options for the project. City staff explained that several avenues were being explored, including B.C.’s active transportation fund and ICBC grants for road safety.
The Upper Levels Greenway was originally endorsed in 2002 as part of the city’s Parks and Greenways Strategic Plan. The project is being developed in accordance with a commitment to provide active transportation and recreation “that support and enhance the health and well-being of all community members.”
