Kelowna Transit Interchange in Downtown.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

November 4, 2024 – 17:00

The City of Kelowna is planning public transportation infrastructure to match housing development.

Council and staff took a bus tour of the center on Monday, November 4 to see how public transport infrastructure can help move more people as the city’s urban centers densify.

The plan is to expand public transportation along Pandosy Street, Richter Street, Lakeshore Road, Clement Avenue and more. The city said these transit corridors are intended to “put more people and jobs within walking distance of effective transit service.”

Part of the planning includes the Richter Transit Corridor Study. The city is asking people for feedback on its plans to put express buses, bus lanes and eventually light rail along Richter Street, and is considering doing the same in the other transit corridors.

The Richter Corridor Study will establish a vision for rapid transit from the far north to the Mission. Public transport will be the best way to move more people in the space we have available and prevent congestion from limiting our ability to add new homes and grow our economy, council staff said during the tour.

READ MORE: Kelowna working on plan for transit corridor from downtown to Mission

As the city aims to densify the population, it plans to allow taller apartment buildings, four to six stories, along traffic corridors, four-story buildings a little farther from traffic, and three-story buildings even further away. .

“Today we have a policy in our Official Community Plan that indicates that as you move away from the center of the city, we will see the building types decrease,” said a city staff member.

Traffic improvements will be implemented in stages; The first infrastructure developments will take place within five years and major developments will be planned for 10 to 20 years.

The city also wants to expand traffic along Bernard Avenue so people have easier access to parks and amenities like the Parkinson’s Recreation Center. Large development projects like the Tolko Industries factory are part of the city’s long-term vision to improve transportation.

READ MORE: City Council Grants New Vision for Unanimous Approval of Kelowna Tolko Mill Site

The plan is intended to be flexible and is still in the early stages, so details have yet to be determined. City staff told the council that planning transit around affordable housing is an important part of creating an effective transit system for residents.

“We’re going to turn east on Clement. This is one of the transit corridors where we have seen a lot of new redevelopment. This is that four to six story wood frame apartment. This is really the bread and butter of homes that are more affordable and quicker to build. Therefore, this type of housing is in high demand among first-time homebuyers and young professionals,” staff said.

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