Kelowna city council has endorsed the goals of a new transportation master plan being prepared by city staff.
On Monday, council approved the 12 goals, which will now allow staff to move on to the second phase of the plan, identifying the challenges that lay ahead as it tries is to provide more transportation options for city residents.
The plan is de-emphasizing the original desire cut the number of vehicles on local roads, with a change of wording.
The new master plan includes a reworded the vision statement that says the city is using diverse transportation options to help it “shift away” from its car-centric culture, rather than “move away” from it, as stated in an earlier version.
“Ultimately, this vision is intended to articulate the community’s aspirations for the future of transportation in Kelowna, and was written to align with Imagine Kelowna’s (vision),” says city transportation engineer Gordon Foy.
He told council shifting away from Kelowna’s car-centric culture does not mean banning private vehicles altogether.
“Many trips will always be more convenient in a personal vehicle,” said Foy, adding not everyone has to make the switch from private vehicles to other forms of transportation, such as buses, cycling and walking, to benefit from less congestion.
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A staff report on the master plan says 59 per cent of the trips Kelowna residents make are short enough to walk of ride a bike.
“It’s about giving more choices to as many people as possible,” says the report.
The 12 goals—up from the original 10 in the preliminary plan—remain largely the same, but were revised slightly to reflect public and stakeholder feedback and provide more clarity, said Foy.
One goal, however, was totally renamed. Ensure Value For Public Investment replaces To Reduce Capital And Operating Costs.
The 12 goals include:
• Improve safety—Reduce the frequency and severity of collisions involving people who are walking, biking and driving.
• Foster a growing community—Support the city’s growing economy by ensuring the transportation system connects people to jobs and promotes the efficient movement of goods.
• Optimize travel times—Work to ensure optimized and predictable travel times for all modes of transportation (ex: driving, walking, biking, transit).
• Improve travel sources—Ensure residents and visitors have access to multiple means of getting around so they can choose what best meets their needs for a given trip.
• Promote inclusive transportation—Ensure the transportation network serves everyone, including all ages, incomes and abilities.
• Enhance urban centres—Ensure the transportation system supports and encourages sustainable, efficient growth within urban areas.
• Support livable communities—Ensure the transportation system helps support overall neighbourhood livability, quality of life and builds a strong sense of community.
• Be innovative and flexible—Adapt to emerging technologies and a changing climate by creating a transportation system that is resilient and responsive to future change.
• Enhance travel affordability—Reduce the cost of travel for individuals by ensuring a wide range of affordable transportation options are available in Kelowna.
• Improve health—Improve resident health by making it easier for people to be physically active (e.g. biking and walking) and reducing exposure to air pollutants caused by vehicles.
• Protect the environment—Reduce the impact of transportation on our agricultural land, sensitive ecosystems, water, and air.
• Ensure value for public investment—Make efficient use of public funding by maximizing benefits and reducing the costs of transportation infrastructure.