Chelsea Creek trail

The municipality of Chelsea, in collaboration with Sentiers Chelsea Trails, is submitting a feasibility study to prepare the development of a trail that will encourage active transportation to and from the city of Gatineau. Building this bike network will make it possible in particular for certain workers to bike for their daily commutes to and from employment hubs in Gatineau. The proposed linkage with the Freeman Park-and-Ride station is an asset that could increase the number of people using transit services and active transportation in the region. The project is aligned with several current plans and policies of the municipality of Chelsea, including the city plan, the sustainable development action plan and the active transportation master plan, and it will complement an existing bike and walking trail network. The goal of the feasibility study is to determine the trail route that will provide the most environmental and socioeconomic benefits, and to confirm indicators in order to assess use of the trail, the potential for reducing car use, and the potential reduction of resulting greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions. In addition, the goal of the project is to improve public health and safety, to ultimately improve resident quality of life and the potential to attract visitors and newcomers. To carry out this study, multiple municipal departments will work together on different phases. In addition, a major partnership has been established with a community group, Sentiers Chelsea Trails, to make sure that the community’s needs are honoured. Finally, the project will involve citizens early on to ensure the usefulness of the study, and the community will also be consulted when the active transportation master plan is updated. Innovative aspects • The municipality of Chelsea demonstrates a high level of commitment to sustainable mobility that is reflected in several plans, including the active transportation master plan and a partnership with Sentiers Chelsea Trails. • The idea of building a functional and utilitarian transportation trail that will require changes in citizen travel habits is a bold idea for a suburban municipality. Replicability • Several small-sized municipalities located near large urban centres could take inspiration from the findings of this study to develop bike trail networks that are more functional and utilitarian. More specifically, the planning process, the long-term vision and the partnership with Sentiers Chelsea Trails that the municipality of Chelsea has developed could prove useful to other similar municipalities. (Project description from original funding application)