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Penticton seeks grant of up to $500k to continue lake-to-lake bike lane

Council will also be asked to support a grant for changes at Greenwood Dr. and Dartmouth Rd.
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The intersection of Atkinson Street and Kinney Avenue now features a three-way stop, due to the city’s lake-to-lake bike lane project. (Facebook- City of Penticton)

Penticton’s newly-elected council will be asked to support a grant application for two already-funded projects on Nov. 15, including one to the tune of up to $500,000 for the lake-to-lake bike lane.

City staff is hoping to get the green light from council this Tuesday to prepare and submit a formal request to the BC Active Transportation Fund for the section of the bike route from Atkinson St. and Kinney Ave., to the so-called “Point Intersection” at South Main St. and Galt Ave.

The 500-metre stretch would build off the recent completion of the bike lane on Atkinson and prelude construction to the planned route on South Main.

At the same time, the city is hoping to get an additional sum of cash from the province to address concerns related to speeding, lack of sidewalks and the steep, curvy design of Greenwood Dr.

Billed as a “traffic calming” initiative at the intersection of Greenwood and Dartmouth Rd., the city says changes will provide a connection for pedestrians and cyclists from Pineview Rd. to Green Ave..

With both projects already approved in Penticton’s 2022-2026 financial plan, the proposed grant applications are being looked at as a “win-win” at city hall.

“This is an excellent opportunity for Penticton to receive funding for two projects that will support our goals of being a healthy, active community by increasing transportation choice within the community,” said Kristen Dixon, the city’s general manager of infrastructure. “These projects are shovel-ready and will begin in the spring.”

Dixon added that work on both the lake-to-lake bike lane and Greenwood Dr. is scheduled to be done in conjunction with the aforementioned “Point Intersection,” starting early in 2023.

READ ALSO: Portion of Kinney Avenue in Penticton officially closing to ‘address congestion’

The grant will provide a maximum amount of $500,000 for each project.

Penticton council, headlined by a number of new faces and Julius Bloomfield as mayor, will be asked to sign off on the grant applications when they meet for their first regular meeting at city hall at 1 p.m. on Nov. 15.

The city has also previously applied for a transportation grant at the federal level for Section No. 1 of the lake-to-lake route.

They have yet to receive a response.

READ ALSO: Penticton intersection hit with traffic pattern changes due to bike lane


@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com