Plans for the "all ages and abilities" Lake-to-Lake Cycling Route through urban Penticton continue moving forward, and the city is now collecting feedback from those who'd be most impacted -- the businesses and residents directly on the four distinct sections of roadway that comprise the proposed layout.
Here at PentictonNow, we figured that's a pretty good idea.
So we did a miniature version of the same thing.
And this past weekend, just before we cycled the suggested corridor and posted our impressions here, we combed the streets to chat with those who'll potentially live with it on an everyday basis.
We began downtown, on busy Martin Street, where controversy proved to be high over the two-way "cycle track" planned for the west side of the road.
The feedback was so strong in fact that we ultimately spent half our survey there before moving on to the Fairview, Atkinson, and South Main segments, where painted bike lanes are already a thing and opinions were generally less vociferous.
Kirby Layng is the owner of City Centre Fitness at 247 Martin.
"Nobody down here is excited about it," started the long-time cyclist. "We fortunately have our own parking lot, but to see parking removed from here, especially after 2014 when they spent 1.25 mil adding all these sidewalks, I don't know."
"And you're going to have two-way bike traffic here on a one-way street. So it'll be dangerous at the intersections and when you're pulling out of parking lots. Instead of looking one way, people will have to look both."
Layng showed us a petition and said, "All the business owners have signed it, now we're going to the customers. I do think there's better places to do this. Other routes where it won't affect so many businesses."
Christa-Lee McWatters is the general manager of Time Winery at 361 Martin.
"We're absolutely for green initiatives," McWatters said. "But now we've been led to believe we'll be removing our patio (licensed for 50 people). That would be a big challenge for us."
"We're working with other merchants along Martin. It's really about getting questions answered. When will the impact happen? We're already dealing with the economic crisis of COVID. How much will it interrupt our business yet again?"
McWatters referred to the recent revitalization of the 200 block of Martin and added, "To rip that up and do it again is an added cost at a time when everyone's struggling already."
"None of the businesses I've spoken with on Martin are in favour of it."
Corey Hounslow is the owner/operator of Valley Ink Tattoos at 602 Martin.
"I think it's preposterous," he said. "We're going to give up half of our parking on Martin to appease the few people each week who ride their bike to work."
"If we lived in a region where the lane would be used 12 months of the year, it would make more sense. But in a town like ours where that lane is going to be used maybe four or five months a year, it doesn’t. The taxpayer's in a hole paying for a small part of the population."
"I just think it's a preposterous idea, like most of the ideas our current council has put together."
Harish Kumar is the owner of Ashoka Indian Cuisine at 101 Westminster.
"My customers come here, pay for parking, and they sit here and eat food," he said. "But if there's no parking, that's a big problem."
Kumar doesn’t believe the bike route would mean less vehicular traffic on Martin.
"Many people come from outside the area, and they all come in cars. And bikes are only for a short time, not the whole year."
"We don’t have any problem with a bike lane, but they need to think of the businesses too. Winnipeg Street, there's not too many businesses there. That seems like a good idea."
Douglas Hutcheon lives on Fairview Road, near the Winnipeg Street intersection.
"It's not a bad route," said Hutcheon, an avid cyclist and, at 76 years old, a regular Granfondo finisher. "It's probably the best of the three they've put forward so far."
"I think a lane is safer (than no lane) for people who don’t ride much. Also, since they've brought e-bikes in, there's a lot of older people who are riding them. So for them, a route like this would be a lot safer."
Myron lives at 2125 Atkinson, across from Cherry Lane Mall.
"I think it's a great idea," he said. "Atkinson is a recognized thoroughfare and a recognized lane for cyclists, and I think vehicular traffic will have to adjust to accommodate that. I think it will be positive."
Myron regularly rides through the city, often to the downtown core. "I coincidentally take the route they're talking about, except for one specific corner."
He says he looks forward to a time when Penticton installs stoplight sensors that recognize bicycles, and he's a big proponent of an entire network of city bike lanes.
But he's curious how the city will extend the bike lanes from his block of Atkinson through the narrower segment running from Warren north.
"It's not that wide there. I'm not sure how they'll pull it off."
Pat Lachmuth lives in the 1600 block of Atkinson.
"This street," she said, "is called a connector because people don’t want to go down Main with the lights. It's a very busy street, and they’ve said there'll be one lane on each side. It'll be narrower, and there'd probably be no parking on the street."
Lachmuth readily says she's "not a fan," though she admits the city may have plans that'll ease her concerns.
"The space it's going to take up, and it's not a very wide road here, I think it will be very dangerous. People will get hit on their bikes. The traffic doesn't calm down 'til 11 at night."
Dan Fehr is the owner of South Main Market at 3010 South Main Street.
"The lane is a fine way to keep vehicle traffic and bikes apart from each other," said the fervent cyclist.
"But I don’t agree with having the all ages and abilities lane on South Main (the fastest segment of the lot). That puts a whole different respect to what a bike lane needs to be as opposed to what commuter or sport bikers need. I think it should be left the way it is."
"Here in front of the store," continued Fehr, who, like most respondents, was clearly well versed on the topic, "it'll be sidewalk, bike lane, a little buffer zone, car parking, traffic lane. They haven't nailed down what barrier yet."
"But if my boys were under five, I'd sooner take them through a subdivision where the traffic is slower, where there aren't big barriers, and where you don't have to keep an eye on them."
