Cycling projects subsidized

Photo: Heyman Classic

Several cycling projects in the Central and South Okanagan have received grant funding from BikeBC, the province's cost-sharing program.

The province gave $258,697 to West Kelowna for phase two of the Boucherie Road Wine Trail, $21,395 to the Westbank First Nation for its active transportation plan, and $20,000 for Summerland's 'Cycling Hub,' which debuted earlier this spring.

In total, the province gave 18 grants worth just over $6.1 million on Wednesday, for "projects that support green transportation options and encourage healthy, active lifestyles."

Grant recipients were a mix of urban and rural communities, and Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said the funding went to a diverse range of projects.

"B.C. is a leader in North America when it comes to cycling infrastructure, and I'm pleased to see 18 more communities building a culture of cycling and encouraging healthy living," Trevena said in a news release.

The province said the number of people who bike to work has increased 64% since 1996, adding that biking 10 kilometres daily to work, each way, can save 15,000 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Since 2014, the province said more than $34 million has been provided for 117 cycling projects in 70 B.C. communities.

The full list of Wednesday's grant recipients can be found here.