Construction of the permanent Agnes Greenway is set to start this month.
The City of New Westminster has announced that construction of Phase 1 of the permanent Agnes Greenway active transportation corridor, the section between Dufferin and Seventh streets, will get underway in mid-July 2022. Work on the one-kilometre project is expected to be completed in December 2022.
“This is an exciting milestone for the City of New Westminster. The Agnes Greenway was first envisioned 10 years ago in the Downtown Community Plan,” Mayor Jonathan Cote said in a news release. “This project is part of the City of New Westminster’s commitment to sustainable transportation, climate emergency response, and the creation of accessible active transportation infrastructure that allows individuals of all ages and abilities to move around our community safely whether they cycle, walk or roll.”
As part of its goal of supporting walking, wheeling and cycling, the city approved a plan to create a new 1.2-kilometre greenway along Agnes Street. Construction of the first phase of the interim greenway was completed in January 2021.
“The final detailed design is based on what the City of New Westminster heard from the community and neighbourhood users through two rounds of public engagement in 2021, as well as technical analysis by the project team,” said a press release from the city. “It includes a two-way protected lane for people cycling and rolling, improved spaces for people walking and sitting, and will be similar in size and configuration to the existing temporary greenway with no changes to traffic flow from the current configuration on Agnes Street.”
According to the city, several of the greenway’s final detailed design will be different than the interim treatment, reflecting the priorities and preferences heard from the public and stakeholders. These include:
* A raised crosswalk across Agnes Street connecting to Blackwood Street.
* Closing off Blackwood Street at Agnes Street to provide space for public amenities such as seating, a water fountain, and a dog parklet.
The greenway will also include other design features such as bike racks and green infrastructure, including a rain garden and stormwater tree trench to reduce impacts on our sewer network.
The Agnes Greenway is part of the city’s plan to encourage the use of sustainable transportation modes, provide opportunities for healthy and active movement around New West and enhance the community’s public realm.
Mike Anderson, the city’s transportation manager, said the city is contributing $800,000, the province is providing $500,000 and TransLink is contributing $1.9 million towards the $3.2-million infrastructure project.
“Building safe and convenient traffic-separated multi-use paths like the Agnes Greenway will make it easier for people to choose zero-emission ways to travel, like walking or cycling,” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said in a news release. “The Agnes Greenway is part of Transport 2050’s vision of connecting communities and making sustainable transportation options more attractive through an 850-kilometre major bikeway network.”
In September 2021, the province announced it was providing New Westminster with a $500,000 Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant towards the project.
“Creating safe, environmentally-friendly and sustainable connections in urban areas is an important step towards decreasing our collective reliance on passenger vehicles,” said New Westminster MLA Jennifer Whiteside. “I’m pleased that our government can support the City of New Westminster’s latest effort to improve livability for its residents by enabling active modes of transportation like walking and cycling.”
The Agnes Greenway was identified as a priority in city council’s 2019-2022 strategic plan and the 2020 Downtown Transportation Plan.
In addition to the 1.2-kilometre, multi-modal transportation corridor being built as part of Phase 1 of the Agnes Greenway, a future phase of the greenway will connect to New Westminster SkyTrain station and the riverfront esplanade. As part of the Pattullo Bridge replacement project, the Agnes Greenway will connect directly to the Victoria Hill neighbourhood, the Central Valley Greenway, and to Surrey via the new bridge.
More information on the final design for the Agnes Greenway, as well as details on the construction area, dates and impacts can be found at www.newwestcity.ca/agnesgreenway.
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