Bike route connecting Penticton’s two lakes takes step forward

A proposed new bike route through Penticton connecting Skaha Lake with Okanagan Lake is getting close to the final community engagement phase.

Penticton city council will receive an update on the preferred route through the city at its Sept. 15 meeting, according to a City of Penticton media release.

“Until now, our engagement process has focused on communicating and explaining the concept of a lake-to-lake bike lane, along with exploring options on where best to build it," City engagement strategist JoAnne Kleb said in the release. "For this final phase of engagement, attention shifts towards the specific streets that could form a route and understanding how the integration of a bike lane impacts adjacent homes or businesses.”

The present proposed route includes South Main Street, Atkinson Street, Fairview Road and Martin Street. Over the past 10 months, the City has held a dozen "engagement opportunities" and bought advertising but some property owners and tenants along the route may not have heard of the project.

"Past efforts to share information and generate awareness is no guarantee everyone’s informed,” City communication manager Philip Cooper said in the release. "Potentially affected individuals can quickly get up to speed by reviewing the information resources located on the City’s engagement website. If you’ve been putting off providing feedback or you’re someone who’s just learning about this project now, we encourage you to get involved in the process while the window for engagement remains open and staff are actively gathering feedback."

To provide the City with your opinion on the proposed route, go to the Shape Your City website here.

More information will be made available before the final engagement round from Sept. 16 through mid-October, the City said.

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