Active Transportation Path
SPRING – FALL 2023
The City of Merritt is committed to making it easier, safer, and more enjoyable to walk, bicycle, and use other forms of active transportation. The West Merritt Active Transportation Path involves a number of improvements. See map on this page and also see the City’s Active Transportation Plan.
PLANNED CONSTRUCTION
Main Street to Voght Street: The City of Merritt received $1,690,586 grant funding in 2021 from the Integrated Bilateral Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of BC for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Green Infrastructure Stream (application submitted October 2020). This $2.3 million project, once fully completed, will create an active transportation loop connecting to Merritt Secondary School and Central Elementary School. The path will also connect to the Coldwater River Trail.
Construction plans are to work from west to east, starting with the former railway bed along Quilchena Avenue (commenced fall 2022), then down Main Street, Coldwater Avenue, and Voght Street throughout the 2023 Spring-Fall season. (SEE MAP). The project may continue into 2024 as Fortis has intermediate pressure mains located throughout the project area. The timeline for project completion is pending approvals from Fortis.
As this is an active construction site, the public is asked to refrain from using the path for their own safety and to refrain from damaging the site. Construction signage and barricades will continue to remain in place while the project is ongoing.
Construction updates are posted at merritt.ca/roads.
COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION
In July 2021, the City applied for grant funding for an improved Active Transportation Path. Funding of $203,976 was provided from the Province of BC towards a total project value of $291,395.
Spring 2022: Rotary Park was badly damaged and did not meet accessibility standards. It was also subject to seasonal flooding and ice formation making parts of the path inaccessible. The pathway was elevated and widened to make accessibility and snow removal easier.
Spring-Summer 2022: A section of Voght Street between Lions Park and Blackwell Avenue was recently upgraded and include an updated Active Transportation Path along the road side. New trail connections were also added to provide better multi-modal connections to and from transit: (a) Voght Street to Rotary Park Trail; (b) Voght Street to the Central Park Trail; and (3) Voght Street multi-use path to different areas of the park. Final touches to the project will include the installation of benches and some landscaping.
Spring-Summer 2023: The section of Voght Street between the Middlesboro Bridge by the Claybanks RV Park to Priest was completed May 15 – June 30, 2023. The west shoulder of this area is being worked on July 26 – August 15, 2023.
Main Street, from Quilchena Avenue, along Voght Park to the Coldwater River, was developed June 1, to 15, 2023.
Coldwater Avenue between Chapman and Greig is being worked on July 31 – September 15, 2023.
Active Transportation Path
Long-term Goals
