The Town is getting ready to make some important changes to enhance our pathway and sidewalk system, our active transportation (AT) network, to increase safety, accessibility and connectivity to the network that will provide citizens with an improved possible user experience. Learn more about the project by clicking on the tabs below.

AT refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity and includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes, cross-country skis and more. (Source: Infrastructure Canada 2023)

Benefits of AT

HEALTH

• can reduce health risks and chronic illness due to inactivity
• can improve physical strength

ENVIRONMENT

• increases green space
• reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• reduces air, noise, and light pollution

QUALITY OF LIFE

• improves accessibility & community connectivity
• reduces road congestion
• increases social interaction

ECONOMY

• can reduce costs of personal transportation, infrastructure and healthcare
• increases tourism potential

The Town has identified approximately 30 improvement projects (as indicated in the map below) that will address missing links and upgrade infrastructure elements. We need your feedback to help us better understand the needs of the community and how we can improve the Town's AT network's safety, accessibility and connectivity.

The information we receive will help us draft an AT Implementation Plan to organize this important work. The Plan will include recommended AT improvements that build upon the strategic objectives, issues, feedback and goals from the 2015 Active Transportation Strategy, provide budget estimates for recommended AT improvements to inform long-term capital planning and implementation.

The AT Implementation Plan project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through a $50,000 Active Transportation Fund grant, received in late 2022. The plan, which will provide a prioritized list for future improvements, will align with significant Town plans such as Council's Strategic Plan, the Municipal Development Plan, AT Strategy, Recreation, Leisure and Parks Master Plan and the Age Friendly Action Plan.

The initial phase of the Active Transportation Implementation Plan involved two main tasks:

1. Reviewing existing documents, including the 2015 Active Transportation Strategy, 2020 Transportation Master Plan, and 2021 Municipal Development Plan.

2. Analyzing active transportation needs using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to pinpoint areas for active transportation enhancements based on various criteria, including: road type, proximity to schools, sidewalk conditions, existing pathways, key destinations, and areas with higher concentrations of vulnerable populations. Pedestrian and cycling network needs analyses were conducted, as shown in the maps below.

In 2015, the Okotoks Ad-Hoc Active Transportation Committee prepared the Active Transportation Strategy, establishing the following goals for our community. Since that time, many improvements have been implemented and new opportunities are emerging. The Active Transportation Strategy goals include:

• Okotoks as a model for AT
• Identify, implement & maintain a system of safe routes throughout Okotoks for all AT users
• Increase the percentage of children using AT to get to school
• Improve AT accessibility throughout the community for all age and ability groups
• Improve maintenance of AT infrastructure
• Ensure all new development supports AT
• Improve AT in existing neighbourhoods and commercial areas
• Increase educational awareness of the benefits of AT
• Develop an implementation and monitoring system that measures the progress of AT policies adopted by the Town

Thank you for providing your input!

The information gathered from the in-person open house and online engagement will be compiled and shared back to the community through a What We Learned report. Later this spring, the draft AT Implementation Plan will be shared with an explanation of how community feedback was incorporated. Watch this page for more details coming soon!

Please use the Follow button at the top of this page if you would like to stay informed.

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.