Cycling Coalition Position on new 6th St Bridge Budget

On Wednesday of this week Courtenay City Council will consider the results of seeking bids on construction of the proposed 6th St pedestrian/cycling bridge. Our position given the new cost estimate follows:

We are submitting this letter on behalf of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition (“CVCCo”) to provide our input prior to the discussion of the 6^th St Active Transportation Bridge update at the next City Council Meeting.

As per the agenda note and staff report, the updated project cost estimate has risen to over $11M and staff are seeking direction from council as to how to proceed.  The following are the three options proposed in the staff report:

1. THAT Council direct staff to amend the 6th Street Bridge Capital Budget in the 2025-2029 financial plan to $11,165,100, and award the construction contract, and proceed with construction of the project. THAT Council direct staff to prepare a loan authorization bylaw for $4,300,000.
2. THAT Council cancel the current procurement, and direct staff to report back on alternative options for a 6th St Bridge.
3. THAT Council cancel the project.

With regard to Option #1, CVCCo does feels that it would not be fiscally prudent to pursue this project given the latest cost update (especially given the volatile nature of today’s economy).  Not only would proceeding with debt financing place a much larger than expected financial burden on Courtenay residents, it may indeed also affect public will to pursue other critical active transportation infrastructure efforts.

We also believe that full cancellation of the project (option #3) is short sighted, and that a safe river crossing is a critical active transportation link in connecting East and West Courtenay.  The city has identified an AT bridge a strategic project and it should be kept moving forward.  Every effort should be made to transfer all or part of the federal grant monies to fund the best possible river crossing option.

That leaves Option #2 which would look at alternative routes or methods to cross the river.  A detailed review of how costs have increased would help in quantifying how much might be saved in choosing an alternative.  The cost increase could be a function of inflation on material and labor cost, or it may be a result of the construction method requiring more time and effort than originally planned.  There are limited options that will reduce material/labor costs but choosing an alternate location and/or bridge design could offer savings.  The first matter at hand is to quantify the range of possible cost savings.

In support of our preference for Option #2,  we note the following items that could contribute to cost savings:

Crossing Location Options – The original 2014 evaluation compared the 6^th St bridge location against one on 3^rd St.  In recent years, two additional properties along the riverfront have been acquired by the City and are slated for remediation (Anderton Arms and Kona Hostel).  Combined with the other city-owned properties along the waterfront, this could provide an opportunity to situate the bridge at a different location and develop a new gathering space along the riverfront – including a functional bike underpass (a ramp to replace the existing stairs) on the west side of the 5^th St Bridge to connect the Filberg Centre area to 6^th St and the Courtenay Riverway Path.

We have attached a map showing the various crossing location options.

Construction Methodology – The most practiced and cost-effective method to install an AT bridge is to construct it on land near the crossing site and lift it into place with cranes.  Due to restrictions in accessing Simms Park with a suitable crane, we understand that this methodology was not feasible at the 6^th St location.  This limited the choices of both the bridge type (cable stay, which was most expensive) and construction method (cantilevered construction from the west side).  Although it was very aesthetically pleasing, this surely increased costs and a balance between form and function must be considered in future options.

Environmental – the Simms Park/6^th St location required significant tree cutting work and construction season can be limited by environmental concerns (eagle nesting).  Both these issues could be removed or significantly mitigated at a different location.

Priority of Use – Who will use the AT bridge and what is the primary driver of the design?  The existing design prioritized providing an aesthetically pleasing gathering point for residents and tourists to enjoy.  Pedestrians currently have a relatively safe and efficient way to cross the river using the 5^th St bridge, and it is reasonably aesthetically pleasing.  The focus for this AT bridge needs to be the safe and efficient movement of cycling commuters and mobility device users across the river.

E-bikes have become far more prevalent which must be considered in assumptions of how many users should be expected and where they may travel to/from.  People are now far more willing to commute longer distances and hills are not as intimidating (the crossing is going to involve a hill into downtown no matter where it is placed).  The primary driver for any bridge design option should be to build a critical link for the cycling commuter connection between East and West Courtenay, including downtown.  That is the “need to have” portion.

In planning for this priority and expected community growth, any design should optimally have a minimum width of 4.8m to allow for separation of pedestrian and wheeled users (either immediately or at some point in the future).  Build it and they will come…

Connectivity – during the bridge design discussions in 2020, CVCCo emphasized the fact that any crossing must include a comprehensive plan to connect the crossing to an efficient city-wide cycling network.  The growth of e-bikes and large construction projects slowing commuter vehicle traffic has only driven that need for commuter connectivity higher on the priority list.  Yet, there is still no plan how AT commuters will move efficiently on the east side of the river (from Lewis/Simms Park to East Courtenay).  Design work and options for a Tunner Road and/or Ryan Road AT connection need to be accelerated.  A holistic approach to how all these pieces fit together is critical to deciding where and when to build a river crossing.

There are a number of good existing N-S connectivity options within West Courtenay (Riverway, Fitzgerald and Rotary Trail) and these also need to be connected to the crossing point.  The 6^th St portion from the river up to Fitzgerald is in the design stage and any crossing should also connect to this route to provide access to downtown and the south end of Courtenay.

Downtown BIA – We would recommend that any bridge study going forward should include consideration of how cycling and pedestrian routes can contribute to the revitalization of Downtown Courtenay as well as better connecting East Courtenay to downtown.  Downtown Courtenay was doubly affected by the pandemic and 5^th St Bridge construction and the Downtown Playbook developed in 2016 envisions AT crossings at 6^th, 4^th and 3^rd Streets and how they fit into a bigger picture plan.

Financing – The funding mechanisms for larger active transportation infrastructure are currently somewhere between impractical and impossible.  Other than the provision of some limited grant funding, the province has pushed funding onto individual municipalities which puts undue financial risk and burdens on them, especially the smaller communities.  The municipalities within the CVRD have definitely “punched above their weight class” in accessing numerous grant opportunities to build AT network plans and smaller projects; however, the financial capacity of the communities limits the work that can be done primarily to providing painted bike lanes.  Occasionally, larger grant funds such as the $2.5M federal grant for the 6^th St Bridge can be accessed, however, even those cannot cover more than a small percentage of the costs.

CVCCo are part of the BC Cycling Coalition who are spearheading advocacy efforts with MOTT to have them provide a higher level of funding to reflect the need for AT infrastructure.  MOTT provided $3.42B in funding to highways in 2024-25 and $1.08B to public transit.  Since 2011, an average of only $15.3M per year has been dedicated by MOTT to active transportation ($3 per year per capita vs $1046 and $215 for the other two).  We would like to ask the City and other CVRD municipalities to spearhead and/or support efforts at UCBM to gain additional annual funding for AT infrastructure that more aptly reflects the need and vision of increasing AT use in smaller communities.

Moving Forward – Vision

The Cycling Coalition sees enormous opportunity to combine an AT river crossing with the potential redevelopment of the riverfront area between 3^rd and 6^th Streets in downtown Courtenay.  This area could be a gathering place that residents and visitors flock to and are proud to have as part of our amenities.

We know there are other options for a bridge location and design but in order to move forward and better understand which may be viable, there needs to be a strong coordinated effort between a number of parties including City staff (Engineering, Operations-Transportation, Parks), the DTBIA and potential user groups (CVCCo and other active transportation and mobility groups).