Sidewalk Funding Boost to Be Considered
Prince George, B.C. – There is growing demand in the City of Prince George for new sidewalks, and City Staff would like to see the annual budget increased.
In a report to Council, staff say that on average, it costs about $335 per lineal metre to build a new sidewalk and there are already calls for improved linkages that exceed the current annual budget of $250 thousand.
For example, 420 metres to link Edgewood Terrace School, 400 metres to Vanway Elementary and 385 metres around Immaculate Conception would cost a total of nearly $480 thousand dollars.
Staff would like to see the annual sidewalk improvement budget boosted to $400 thousand a year. The request will be part of the Capital Plan that will be discussed at the February 1st budget meeting.
If the increase is approved at the budget meeting, staff will present a list of priority projects for the 2017 construction year.
Comments
It would be nice to see the upper part of Sintich Road repaved.
Maybe take it out of the bike lane budget ?
$335 per meter? What are they made of? Or maybe it’s because it takes 6 City workers to put in a sidewalk.
Exactly, the costs need to come down or the projects put out to tender.
I am in favour of a bigger sidewalk budget. It’s something tangible that is needed in this city in many places.
I would really like to see a walking circuit with a median between the road and sidewalk that goes around the PG golf and Curling Club from Westwood, to Ferry, and around again back to the mall. I think it would get a huge amount of use especially in the dark during the winter months when it’s dark by the time one gets home from work.
There is definitely a need for better sidewalks in our City. Boosting the budget to $400K is a great idea. Hopefully, this City starts to see a population growth to start paying for this and things like the pool upgrade that is also being considered. Boosting funding to things like sidewalks sounds good, but with no growth it means that something else will likely need to be cut or the City will have to borrow more money.
But surely $150K can be found in the budget somewhere.
Use some of the 276K the feds coughed up for a bunch of fireworks to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.
Would it be possible to read that staff sidewalk report to council on the web somewhere?
Go to City of Prince George website. Click on Council Agendas & Minutes. Click on the January 23rd meeting. You can watch the video in a couple of days when it is up on the site, or watch on tv in the next day or two.
This is not the first time nor will it be the last that parents/concerned citizens have brought this to the city’s attention. Out of the 6 school complaint areas according to the city 5 of them are elementary schools
In past 13 years there has been 170 km planned of sidewalk yet in that time only 1% has been done.
But for some strange reason the city cannot take the concerns of parents and other citizen seriously when it comes to trying to protect children a little better.
Why is it they can find money for bike lanes and new trails but not for our children?
As for the area around Westgate the council and administration are very well aware of the problems as people spoke/wrote at the council meetings in regards to the new subdivisions in the area and the new motel area.
Question is if the city planning dept knew of the concerns why was it not recommended by them that the applicants put in sidewalks? Who lines who’s pockets? They are saving the applicant money instead of being concerned of the kids that walk that area. Something is definitely wrong with the planning in this city.
Hmm. My neighbourhood has sidewalks on one side of the street. We clear them and then the city plows the chunks of ice right back on. So I guess it’s nice to have sidewalks for the half of the year where it isn’t dangerous to walk on the street.
City of PG would rather paint rainbows on the road than put sidewalks in place for safety. Hall is not my mayor.
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