The City of Dauphin will have up to an extra $75,000 to spend on active transportation infrastructure this year thanks to a Trails Manitoba grant.
Director of Public Works and Operations Mike VanAlstyne said the grant, secured through the rural stream of the program, is a two-to-one cost share agreement.
“So we would have to spend $150,000,” he said, adding the money will be allocated to projects planned for this year including expanding the trail system to include Assiniboine Community College (ACC) Parkland Campus “To provide access for them to a safe multi-use trail system.”
Plans are also in place to extend the First Avenue South trail to Second Street Southwest, VanAlstyne added.
The Trails Grant for Manitoba is an annual grant intended for trail associations, municipalities, or other not-for-profit groups, that have the means to provide continued stewardship of trails. The aim of the program is to provide new recreational trail opportunities which includes extending or improving existing trails, developing new trails, and addressing trail gaps and barriers. It also aims to improve the quality of an existing recreational trail network or the user’s experience including safety improvements, signage, way finding, and barriers to access. Funds can also be used for maintenance of a recreational trail network, including pruning, repairing holes, trail beautification, normal erosion/drainage repairs, clean-up, usual repairs to signage, barriers, fencing, surfacing and other maintenance tasks that are undertaken for upkeep of a trail.
Given those parameters, VanAlstyne expects the City will utilize the entire $75,000.
“We’re going to be close with our current plans. The trail will include some signage and some furnishings such as benches and maybe some planters along the way,” he said. “As well, the ACC trail will include some solar lighting and pathway lighting, because it is off the roadway, just to make it safer and more visible. It definitely allows us to add some more features.”
City council authorized the signing of the grant agreement at its Apr. 11 regular meeting.
