Federal funding supports Rotary Greenway Trail upgrades in Peterborough, Ont.

Sections of the Rotary Greenway Trail in Peterborough, Ont., could receive significant upgrades thanks in part to new federal funding.

According to a staff report going to city council on Monday, an application for funding via the federal Active Transportation Fund (ATF), was recently approved for the Rotary Greenway Trail Link Lighting and Safety Project.

The national ATF is a $400M, five-year federal fund to expand and enhance active transportation networks promoting walking, cycling and human-powered mobility such as scooters, e-bikes, wheelchairs and more.

The federal funding of $390,000 for the city will support the estimated $1.7M project, which includes infrastructure enhancements along the 6.5 kilometre Rotary Greenway Trail link north-south corridor, making it a “higher functioning and more efficient key north-south crosstown route,” says Richard Freymond, the city’s commissioner of corporate and legislative service.

Among the upgrades include lighting along 1.35 km of trail using several dozen advanced LED technology luminaires and direct bury poles, a set of traffic signals and associated intersection safety improvements at the intersection of Hilliard and George streets, four benches, multi-use trail pavement markings, and trail signage.

The intersection was highlighted as an area of focus in the city’s 2022 Transportation Master Plan.

Freymond notes per the ATF terms, the project must be completed by September 30, 2025 with final reporting completed by March 31, 2026.

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To ensure the deadlines are met, Freymond’s report recommends city council approve a capital budget and associated budget transfers to fund the project. Other sources of proposed revenue for the project include $50,000 in community fundraising and more than $1.26M in capital budget funds from the past few years including accessing $147,500 in casino gaming reserve.

“Council approval to pass a by-law to authorize the execution of the funding agreement is a necessary next step to enact this funding and move the project forward,” said Freymond.

The report notes the trailway project was one of two submitted to the ATF. However, a multi-trail project from Lansdowne St. West, Spillsbury Drive to Clonsilla Ave. was not successful in securing funding.