Lake-to-lake bicycle route to be built in Penticton

Penticton city council has approved a new bicycle route connecting Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake.

The bike route will run along Martin Street, through the heart of Penticton’s downtown core.

The City of Penticton said the new bike route will remove 90 parking spaces on the west side of Martin Street.

There is some concern with some business located on the street.

“One of the biggest things is Martin is a busy street. We don’t feel it’s a safe street for a bike path — it’s dangerous,” said Kirby Layng, City Centre Fitness’s owner.

“Also, they’re taking away a lot of our parking.”

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The City of Penticton said the new bicycle path was identified as a priority in 2018, and will cost roughly $8 million.

“We do not have a construction start date – too early for that. The next step in the process is a detailed design of the route itself,” said Philip Cooper, the city’s communication manager.

The lake-to-lake bike route will be a part of the city’s 2021-25 financial plan.

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