Sidewalk Master Plan

Although walking is the oldest and most basic form of transportation, this travel mode does not currently play a major role in Kelowna. (At present, only 5% of City residents’ work trips are undertaken on foot.)

Improving the pedestrian environment will enhance residents’ quality of life and provide an important transportation option. Improving the pedestrian environment will also bring benefits associated with reducing vehicle traffic.

There is significant potential for increasing walking trips in urbanized parts of the community. Local evidence suggests that when the presence of sidewalks is combined with mixed land uses (such as in Kelowna’s downtown area), pedestrian trips account for as much as 13% of all commuter travel. This is much higher than in urban areas with fewer sidewalks (the comparable figure for the Rutland area is only 6%).

History

Much of Kelowna has been developed without sidewalks. This may not have been much of an issue in the past when vehicle volumes were low and much of the Kelowna community was rural.

However with growing traffic and increased density, the need for sidewalks becomes more significant. It is therefore not surprising that residents are expressing increasing dissatisfaction with existing infrastructure.

Sidewalk Use

Kelowna residents want to walk and they are doing so more frequently. A 2000 regional survey on transportation-related issues found that among those polled 21% had increased the amount they walked over the course of that year. (Only 7% indicated they had decreased their walking activity).

Residents are also expressing a further willingness to increase their walking trips. This is especially encouraging in light of the Central Okanagan’s objectives of decreasing vehicle trips. Forty-seven percent of those polled indicated they would be willing to forego at least two vehicle trips per week in favour of walking.

Public Opinion

Over three-quarters of residents indicated that if they were making decisions for local government and wanted to reduce automobile reliance, they would add more sidewalks.

In comparing the results of the 2000 Citizen Opinion Survey to those of previous years, it is clear that local pressure for a better sidewalk system has been steadily mounting. Satisfaction with “sidewalk availability” decreased from a level of 2.7 out of a maximum 4.0 in 1998 to 2.5 out of a maximum 4.0 in 2000.

Developing the Sidewalk Master Plan

Over the course of 2000 City staff worked with a consultant (Hamilton Associates) to develop a Sidewalk Master Plan. The purpose of the plan was to provide decision-makers with the information necessary to maximize the number and safety of walking trips by ensuring that future investments are allocated in a manner that will most cost-effectively improve the quality of the pedestrian environment and increase pedestrian safety.

A comprehensive consultation process provided numerous opportunities for public input (letters, meetings, Open Houses, random-sample surveys). Comments from the public primarily centred on sidewalk projects of specific interest and on the general need for an enhanced pedestrian environment.

Content

The Sidewalk Master Plan recommends actions that can be taken to enhance Kelowna’s pedestrian environment. The recommendations are focussed in two areas, policies and projects, as outlined below.

Policy Recommendations

• Require sidewalks along both sides of all roads, with exceptions where low pedestrian demand is expected. (At present, the City requires sidewalks on both sides of arterial roads, and on at least one side of collector roads. The City does not require sidewalks along local roads.);
• Adjust requirements for minimum clear sidewalk width according to the surrounding land use, with wider sidewalks required where the pedestrian demand is higher;
• Review the provision of boulevards between roads and sidewalks to promote safety and to improve the walking environment;
• Develop consistency in providing pedestrian crossing facilities within the current guidelines;
• Assign priority to pedestrians at signalized intersections where pedestrian volumes are high; (This is understood to mean that the City would work towards ensuring convenient pedestrian crossing opportunities and strive for improvements wherever possible).
• Review the design elements of sidewalk ramps to facilitate mobility for wheelchairs and motorized carts;
• Increase funding for sidewalk projects;
• Ensure that property owners understand and carry out their responsibility for clearing snow from adjacent sidewalks; and
• Review existing design standards to specifically consider the needs of pedestrians.

Project Recommendations

In light of growing interest in sidewalks and an inability to complete all requests within any year, it was deemed desirable to develop a systematic prioritization method. The details of the ranking system that was developed are noted in the Sidewalk Master Plan.

In general terms, the projects with highest priority were those which would generate the greatest number of pedestrian trips and where not proceeding with the project would place pedestrians at greatest peril. Other factors that will be taken into consideration in selecting tax-funded projects will be as follows:

• Development Cost Charge (DCC) funding status
• Right-of-way availability
• Relationship to other civic infrastructure projects
• Relationship to City initiatives and objectives (access to transit, educational and recreation facilities etc.)
• Availability of developer contributions
• Existence of an alternate route
• Community input.