Downtown merchants urge Penticton City Hall to put brakes on bike route during pandemic

Penticton’s downtown merchants are calling on city hall to put the brakes on an ambitious multi-million-dollar cycling corridor connecting Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake.

Mayor and council approved an amendment to the city’s official community plan on Tuesday that paved the way for detailed design work to begin.

The most contentious portion of the route is along Martin Street on the north end of town, within the entertainment and hospitality district.

Parking will be maintained on the east side, but a total of 90 spots will be removed on the west to make way for a two-way cycle track.

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Some business owners along the proposed route oppose disruptions that could result from the construction, especially in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fear that the loss of parking will threaten their viability further.

TIME winery, the only urban winery in the South Okanagan, could lose its patio.

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“It’s a large portion of our revenue and our business,” said general manager Christa-Lee McWatters.

Said Mariana Wolff, owner of Cannabis Cottage next door: “I just don’t want to lose business to competitors that have free, ample parking.”

The Downtown Penticton Association said 600 people have signed a petition against the proposed bike route.

“This isn’t the right time, this isn’t the right place,” said executive director Lynn Allin. “To hear that this is happening now is very disturbing to a lot of our members.”

1:48 Penticton winery concerned its patio could be scrapped to make way for bike lanes

Mayor John Vassilaki said work began on the $8-million project in 2019 and will act as a spine in the city’s cycling network.

“I can understand how people feel, but when is the right time to put something like this in place?” he said. “We want to get more people on their bikes — to cycle all over the community.”

The city said bike shops are struggling to keep up with demand and that cities like Kelowna, where automated bike counters have been installed to measure the number of cyclists that use certain routes, are reporting increases of up to 50 per cent.

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Cycling enthusiasts agreed it’s time the city switched gears to prioritize investment in active transportation.

Matt Hopkins, urban area director with the Penticton and Area Cycling Association, said he was “elated” at the news of the downtown route.

“Cycling is an inclusive transportation option,” he said. “People can do it — from small children to older adults.”

City staff will now begin work on the detailed design of the route.

There’s no timeline on construction.