This fall, Comox Valley residents will be able to cycle and walk from Fifth Street to Cumberland Road along the railroad tracks.

The City of Courtenay, the Island Corridor Foundation and the Courtenay Rotary Club are partnering to build a new cycling and pedestrian trail between Fifth Street and Cumberland Road next to the railroad tracks along the east side of the E&N Corridor.

The Rail With Trail project was announced Monday when members of the Courtenay Rotary Club, dressed in period costumes, spoke to Courtenay council about the project. Councillors approved the project鈥檚 vision and agreed that the city will work with the Rotarians.

The section between Fifth Street and Cumberland Road will be the first phase of the project, and it will be built between April and September.

The second phase from Cumberland Road to 17th Street will be established pending community assistance, other partnerships and funding.

The Courtenay Rotary Club has made the Rail With Trail its major fundraising initiative for 2011, and the club鈥檚 online auction throughout the month of March and live auction April 16 will raise money for the project.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to get the whole community involved if we can to supply, install, do the landscaping and beautify a fairly rough-looking area at the present time,鈥� said Art Meyers, 鈥渃onductor鈥� of the Rotary delegation. 鈥淥ur long-term vision is to help the city and hopefully move the trail to 17th and eventually all the way down to 29th Street.

鈥淛ust imagine the trail itself going all the way to Victoria because they鈥檝e started at the other end with the Galloping Goose Trail. Rotary鈥檚 going to be raising the dollars, and the work will be done by our club, and we鈥檙e working hard with the community to raise the funds as we speak.鈥�

Plans for the project include a three-metre-wide hard surface trail, as well as beautification components such as treeplanting, seating areas, improved signage and other landscaping.

Coun. Manno Theos thought the project was exciting.

鈥淵ou have to be thankful to the variety of partners who would be involved in this project,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne of the main key reasons of why this project would be so important to the community is that it鈥檚 enhancing a community asset and it鈥檚 creating a cleaner, safer and more people-friendly area along the corridor there, and I think that will bode well for future activities in that area to again become a tourist attraction.鈥�

Coun. Ronna-Rae Leonard noted that the Rail With Trail concept first came forward at first through the cycling community, which is another area of partnership.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those opportunities we have to work in partnership and promote all good things,鈥� she said.

writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com