Plans to build a pump track for cyclists on Douglas Drive in 2023 look like they might be on hold for up to five years.
During the most recent Bracebridge general committee meeting, councillors looked at upcoming projects as part of the planning for the 2023 draft municipal budget.
While the pump track was originally set to be considered as part of the 2023 draft plan, the proposed budget indicates it now isn’t scheduled until 2028, when $900,000 is tentatively set aside. Another $610,000 is earmarked for the project in 2029.
Pump tracks are both playgrounds and riding facilities for bikers, skateboarders or scooter riders of all skill levels. A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed for riders so they can use their momentum, created from their arms and legs, to pump their bikes, boards and scooters around the track.
In March of this year council voted to locate the track on a 9.4-acre parcel of parkland located between Little Ryan’s Way, Douglas Drive and the CN Rail Line.
Councillors expressed some concerns with pushing back the project given the public interest expressed in moving forward.
Geoff Carleton, the Town’s director of public works, explained that building the park at the same time as the largest infrastructure project in Bracebridge’s history (the Muskoka Lumber Community Centre) is a daunting financial challenge. He said caution must be exercised.
Town treasurer Paul Judson also cautioned that any financial estimates past 2023 were variable. However, he said the Town is actively pursuing funding support and if it is achieved the project could be expedited.
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