Have we heard from you?
That’s the question city staff are asking residents as the year-long process to identify a preferred route for a bike lane from Skaha Lake to Okanagan Lake nears its completion.
With the community engagement process set to wind-down this month, city staff are again reminding residents to reach out.
Creating a lake-to-lake bike route that meets the requirements of an All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bike Lane remains a central focus of this project, but equally important is exploring how the chosen route can successfully integrate into existing streetscapes, building access, traffic patterns and parking usage,” said city communication manager Philip Cooper. “Communicating your feedback now will benefit and influence upcoming discussions concerning how the bike lane is designed along a preferred route and what that design will cost.”
Residents are asked to email: [email protected] to ensure your feedback is heard and understood.
During the lengthy survey process, many questions were asked of council and staff.
Following are the top five most frequently asked questions and answers.
Does the community support a lake-to-lake all ages and abilities bike route?
The city says it heard from 1,068 participants and 82% supported the creation of this route. The city is pursuing this work to support active transportation in Penticton for the health and environmental benefits as well as to support affordable and alternative modes of transportation - which was identified as a priority for the community in the 2019 Official Community Plan.
Do we have enough cyclists to support a route?
Through the initial questionnaire, the city learned that the number one reason that Penticton residents don’t cycle today is fear for their safety. This is consistent with other communities and the reason behind the creation of the All Ages and Abilities (AAA) route criteria. The creation of protected routes is not intended to support those that cycle today but those that would cycle if they felt safe and if it was convenient.
Why was the path by the channel not considered?
The path by the channel is outside of Penticton city limits on land owned by the Penticton Indian Band. This is a great path for recreational riders but it does not meet the goal of this project, which is to provide direct and convenient access to popular destinations and economic centre's throughout the city.
Why is the city identifying a location for the lake-to-lake route during the pandemic?
There are several reasons for completing the work to identify the location for the lake-to-lake route now:
The work began in 2019 before the pandemic. To not complete the work to identify the route risks wasting this initial investment. Additionally, once the city determines the route, council can decide when and how they would like to see it implemented.
The provincial and federal governments have announced a number of grants to support economic recovery. Some of these grants are designed to support the creation of green infrastructure and active transportation. The city needs to have a completed plan in order to be eligible for these grants.
There is a surge in interest in cycling as a result of the pandemic. Local bike shops are struggling to keep up with demand and cities such as Kelowna that have counters on their bike routes are seeing an increase in use of up to 50%. There is a growing interest in cycling as a form of transportation and recreational activity.
How will it be funded?
If the location is approved and council decides to proceed, the project will need to be part of the 2021-2025 financial plan. The city will apply for grants from the provincial government to fund a portion of the project. The remainder may be funded through taxation, the Electrical Dividend, Gas Tax funds and potentially borrowing.
A full FAQ document is available at shapeyourcitypenticton.ca or at City Hall.
