Project Overview
On March 29, 2021, the Province of BC announced that the Town of Gibsons was one of 14 communities to benefit from a $9.2 million investment to support tourism infrastructure development. The grant was sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and was offered to communities that rely heavily on visitors for their economic health.
The Town received $675,000, which will be used to complete safe, continuous links between the tourism centres of Lower Gibsons and Upper Gibsons.
The network improvements will also include directional signage to beaches, key trailheads, public toilets, and bike charging stations, as well as eight short-term bike parking locations to be installed throughout the community.
Work on the network upgrades will begin in 2021 in tandem with planned paving projects, with the bulk of the work to occur in 2022.
Scroll down to bottom of this webpage to view mapped aerial view of planned improvements.
At the time of the grant announcement, the Town’s planned improvement locations included:
A. Glassford Road: Glassford Road will be improved to create a friendlier street for all users. This may include a trial closure of Glassford near Franklin, where we may link into planned Gower Point Road improvements to be completed by the developer of Gospel Rock. These improvements, along with lower vehicle speeds and town-funded street beautification (tree planting) will create a pleasant atmosphere for cyclists. The road will provide a safe and comfortable connection to key cycling routes along the Sunshine Coast, popular seawalks, beaches, kayak rentals and the Gibsons Public Market. Click here for updates on the Glassford Road improvements.
B. Gower Point Road: A 250m paved multi-use path will connect existing cycling facilities along Gower Point Road between Dougall Road and South Fletcher Road. An additional curb bulge will also be added to control the speed of traffic travelling past Dougall Park and to reduce crossing distance for pedestrians at a crosswalk to be located at the Glassford intersection. The improvement will also include crossing improvements at Stewart Road, which will connect cyclists to existing trail systems leading to Upper Gibsons.
C. Brothers Park: The gravel multi-use path which was recently completed by an adjacent developer will be extended through Brothers Park to connect cyclists and pedestrians to the community center and local shopping areas. This path will travel through a natural, wooded area and increase the accessibility to nature for walkers and cyclists.
D. Payne Road and Venture Way: Improvements at this location include 230m of painted-on street cycling facilities, 130m of paved and 140m of gravel multi-use path. These improvements address three small network gaps, allowing visitors and residents to travel safely from Gibsons Way to Reed Road. At the crossing of Payne Road and Venture Way, a painted crosswalk as well as a Rapid Flashing Beacon (flashing lights activated by a pedestrian or cyclist) will be installed. (Painted on-street cycle path completed at Venture Way/Gibsons Way in summer 2021.)
E. Reed Road (Payne Road to Park Road): As per a recent service agreement with a nearby developer, a multi-use pathway will be installed along a portion of Reed Road between Payne Road to Park Road. The resulting 170m gap will be closed via a paved multi-use path, which will allow cyclists and pedestrians a safe and comfortable connection to cycling facilities and public amenities along Park Road. Click here for updates on the Reed Road improvements.
F. Marine Drive: A welcome sign, directional signage and pavement markings for cyclists entering the community near Armours Beach from the BC Ferry Terminal in Langdale is proposed to better inform tourists of the Town’s cycling facilities. Pavement markings along Marine Drive for on-street cyclists are also proposed all the way to Jacks Lane. An additional curb bulge will also be added at the Jacks Lane intersection to control the speed of traffic travelling through the commercial corridor. This will create a safer and more comfortable environment for cyclists.
