Leamington Council has taken another step towards implementing an active transportation plan within the municipality.
During a meeting Thursday night, council accepted to adopt the Leamington Active Transportation Plan, which was completed by a consultation group during 2015 and the spring of 2016.
The 15 to 20-year, long-range plan is expected to connect the community together with bike trails, walking trails, new sidewalks, paved shoulders, as well as additional "share the road" signage.
Leamington Mayor John Paterson says there are a number of projects detailed in the plan that can be implemented this year, with minimal cost or construction.
"There are a number of items that we can put into effect very, very quickly," he says. "That will be the signage, showing where the bike lanes are, and the lines we can put down on the roads... We don't have to build anything in that respect."
Paterson says more costly projects, such as road lane reductions for bike lane and bike trail construction, are expected to begin in 2017.
According to Paterson, the ultimate purpose of the active transportation plan is to make the community a more pedestrian friendly area. He adds that the plan also includes the implementation of community promotion and outreach.
"It will be one of those parts of the project that's ongoing year, after year," says Paterson. "[It's] what they call the soft efforts of the plan, and that is really educating cyclists as to where the routes are, how to use them properly; and for those of us who are driving cars most of the time, how to drive responsibly with the cyclists in mind."
The active transportation plan is expected to cost the municipality an estimated $100,000 in 2017 and $160,000 in 2018. By completion in 15-20 years, the project is projected to cost Leamington an estimated $6.2-million. The finalized amounts will be determined by council during annual budget deliberations.
The Leamington plan is being implemented as part of the County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS), which is a large-scale travel strategy that will link Windsor-Essex municipalities with trails for pedestrians and cyclists.
