News

Public engagement summary

2 February 2021

In April 2018, we delivered a public engagement opportunity to collect feedback on the Houghton Road Active Transportation Corridor connection with the Okanagan Rail Trail. Engagement methods included an in-person open house and online survey.

Purpose of engagement

  • To inform residents and collect feedback about the four proposed options for the Houghton ATC connection to the Okanagan Rail Trail.
  • To understand public opinion about each option, which option respondents prefer, and why / why not

Format of engagement

  • Drop-in, informal open house: April 18, 2018 at Heritage Christian School
  • Hard-copy survey
  • Online survey

Promotion and outreach

  • Newspaper ads: April 6 & 13, 2018
  • News release: April 9 & 18
  • Social media
  • Roadside electronic message board
  • Email bulletin

What we heard

Approximately 28 people attended the open house, and 43 people completed the feedback survey. Most of the open house attendees live or work on or near Houghton Road. All attendees said that they were generally supportive of the Houghton Road Active Transportation Corridor (ATC) connection to the Okanagan Rail Trail.

Most attendees said they were in support of Option Four: Leathead Road that was proposed as a route option. Attendees considered the costs associated with each option and determined cost as a factor in selecting an option.

Engagement feedback

All survey respondents indicated that the information presented was clear and understandable and that staff were able to answer their questions. 86 per cent indicated they understood how public input was used in the process. 93 per cent indicated that participating was a valuable experience. 100 per cent responded that they had an opportunity to share their views, and 93 per cent responded that they learned something new.

Next steps

Detailed design is scheduled for Winter 2018, with construction anticipated for summer 2020 pending budget approval.