Bicycle trails in south-end Barrie are poised for significant upgrades thanks to a grant to the tune of more than $1 million to be used over the next three years.
Councillors gave the project initial approval without any discussion at Monday night's meeting. Final approval will be discussed at the next city council meeting.
The money will come from the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling (OMCC) program and will be used to reconstruct a multi-use trail in “poor condition” near Mapleview Drive West, from Highway 27 to Essa Road, and create a multi-use trail on Hurst Drive from Brennan Avenue to Minet's Point Road.
Although there is an existing trail on Hurst, cyclists must share the road with motor vehicles. The new trail will also connect the system in southeast Barrie to the waterfront, as well as downtown and beyond.
The $1.3-million project will include just over $1 million from OMCC and the remaining $316,000 will be drawn from the city's capital reserves.
Brendan Matheson, president of the Barrie Cycling Club, says he's happy to see progress being made on the city's trail system.
“The Barrie Cycling Club is always looking for safe routes through the city,” said Matheson, adding he's “thrilled” to see the city is making active transportation and recreation a priority.
“We don't want to be fighting for our place on the road, and paved shoulders and the development of new trail systems make that easier for cyclists and motorists to share the road.”
There is always room for improvement, however.
“Don't get me wrong, the city has done some great work over the past few years,” Matheson said. “The Duckworth Street green lane is a fantastic development. The waterfront trail connects recreational cyclists to Oro-Medonte and is packed every weekend during the summer. Ferndale has Share the Road signs and a bike lane. All great stuff. But for sure, the City of Barrie has some work to do.”
Matheson said there are gains to be made in various areas, including safe routes in and out of the city, while also connecting neighbourhoods to places such as shopping malls, schools and the downtown.
He believes those connections would encourage even more people to hop on their bike, because it's an activity that continues to grow.
“Cycling has definitely grown in popularity, especially recreational cycling,” Matheson said. “The club has seen year-over-year growth. Just go for a bike ride down Ridge Road on a Saturday morning and you are guaranteed to pass a half-dozen groups of cyclists. Active transportation will likely grow as the city becomes safer and more accessible for bikes.”
Matheson says the Barrie area has some of the best trails in the province. The county is also developing a 160-kilometre loop that goes through Barrie and is primarily off-road.
“I don't know of too many regions doing that,” he said.
The city applied for the grant in September and received word two months later that it had been approved.
