B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program

News Release

March 25, 2024 - B.C. builds cleaner communities with active transportation
$24 million to support 80 active transportation infrastructure projects provincewide.

The 2023/24 grants program general intake has closed. The rolling intake for Indigenous applicants or partnership applications between Indigenous and local governments remains open.

Contact us at BCATgrants@gov.bc.ca to request an application.

Eligibility

The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program offers two grant options for Indigenous governments and local governments, including municipalities, regional districts, Islands Trust, and Indigenous Economic Development corporation where the Nation is the shareholder. Indigenous applicants or partnership applications between Indigenous and local governments may apply anytime. Non-Indigenous applicants must apply during an annual intake period. The next intake will open on September 3, 2024.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant

Eligible governments may apply for a maximum of two active transportation infrastructure grants for different projects or different phases of the same project if they satisfy the following criteria:

Projects previously funded prior to 2023/24, or prior to 2022/23 for projects with budgets over $1M, must be completed by application submission date.
Project is part of an active transportation network plan or equivalent
Project can begin construction once provincial funding has been announced
Projects will be completed by March 2026 (projects under $1 million) or by March 2027 (projects over $1 million)
Projects are open to the public

Active Transportation Network Planning Grant

Just as roads are part of a network, active transportation projects work best when they are connected to a broader network of active transportation infrastructure.

Network planning grants help smaller communities develop active transportation network plans to encourage active transportation for all ages and abilities. Eligible governments may apply if:

Their community has a population under 25,000
Their community Active Transportation Network Plan is over 5 years old or non-existent

Funding Amount

The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program provides guidance and cost-sharing for B.C. communities to make it easier and safer for people to walk, ride or roll using active transportation modes.

Active Transportation Network Planning Grant

The province cost-shares to a maximum of 50%, or $50,000 whichever is less.

Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant

The province cost-shares to a maximum of $500,000 per project.

Provincial cost-share portions are determined by the type and size of community applying for a grant. Eligible and ineligible costs are detailed in the Program Guidelines.

Eligible Infrastructure Funding by Community Type

Percent of eligible funding by applicant’s community profile:

Indigenous community or local government(s) working in partnership with an Indigenous community - 80%
Population less than 15,000 - 70%
Population between 15,000 to 25,000 - 60%
Population over 25,000 - 50%

Successful recipients of a grant will:

Be asked to sign a Conditional Grant Agreement
Receive initial funding when the agreement is signed
Submit before and after photos
Submit expense reports with supporting documentation
Receive the remainder of the grant funding when the agreement is fulfilled

Overview

Active transportation relates to human-powered forms of commuting to work, school, recreation, socializing or running errands. It can take many forms and is continually evolving as new technologies emerge. It includes:

Walking
Cycling
Rolling (skateboarding, in-line skating)
Other emerging modes that are legal in B.C.

The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program provides cost-sharing opportunities for network planning grants and infrastructure grants. Funding from these grant programs support the development of active transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities. For example, infrastructure grants fund:

Multi-use protected travel lanes
Pedestrian and cycling safety improvements
End-of-trip facilities and other amenities
Lighting and way-finding

The funding is not available for:

Maintenance
Beautification
Recreation sites (e.g. skateboard park)
Projects that create an unsafe or illegal environment

The following instructional presentations are available to assist with the application process:

Benefits

The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program aligns with CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 and the Clean Transportation Action Plan.

Active transportation infrastructure improves:

Safety
- See ICBC Statistics and crash maps for the province, and
- Transport Canada’s National Collision Database
Local economic opportunities and tourism
Air quality, environment, and GHG mitigation efforts
Physical and mental health
Accessibility and equity
Community connectivity

Apply

Applications will be accepted from local governments beginning in September 3, 2024 through an online application portal. Indigenous governments or Indigenous governments that partner with local governments will be able to apply for grants year-round.

B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program Guidelines

(Mandatory)

Before applying for the following grants, review the B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program Guidelines. (Opens in a new window.)

Review

Program Overview Instructions

Business BCeID Required

The new online applications require a Business BCeID account. You can use your Business BCeID account to access more than one government service.

B.C. Active Transportation Network Planning Grant

Complete these forms to apply for cost-sharing funding for Indigenous and local governments whose communities have populations under 25,000 to create a network plan for their community.

B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Applications

Complete these forms to develop active transportation projects in your community that improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or improve tourism opportunities.

There is a maximum of two applications for infrastructure grants