The city of Penticton wants to turn Lakeshore Drive into a one-way street to allow for a new separated bike lane.
Through the city’s Master Transportation Plan, the city is proposing to add a separated bike lane down Lakeshore Drive starting from Riverside Drive to Martin Street and eventually extending to Vancouver Avenue.
“This [bike lane] would be achieved by turning Lakeshore Drive into one-way and to maintain the majority of parking on Lakeshore,” said a report that is going to council at the Tuesday meeting.
The cost would be $1.6 million and the city staff is asking council to submit a grant application to the federal government’s Activate Transportation Fund to pay for a portion of it.
Construction would begin in 2024, said the report from GM of infrastructure Kirsten Dixon.
Design consultation and community engagement on the project will begin in 2023.
In 2012, the city added a three-metre-wide multi-use path along the boardwalk on Lakeshore. But the report contends there have been complaints about pedestrian and cycle and scooter conflicts. The report also notes that with added cyclists from the Lake to Lake bike route expected, a proper separated bike lane is needed.
The report includes that extending the one-way and bike lane from Martin to Vancouver presents many design challenges and it’s suggested that portion be looked at past 2023.
In 2021, city council approved the new Master Transportation Plan that includes $30 million in high priority cycle and walking projects.
In Tuesday’s agenda, city staff are recommending that council submit applications to Active Transportation Fund for:
• South Main (Lake-to-Lake Section 1), with design and construction in 2023, at an estimated total
project cost of $1.4M;
• Green Avenue (Highway 97 to South Main Street), with design and construction in 2023, at an
estimated total project cost of $2.2M, and;
• Lakeshore Drive (Riverside Drive to Martin Street), with design in 2023 and construction in 2024, at
an estimated total project cost of $1.6M.
These are the total project costs. For example, to finish the Lake to Lake will cost $1.4 million with the potential grant covering $840,000 and the city paying $560,000.
The Green Avenue project would be a separated bike path to connect the Lake to Lake from South Main to the Channel parkway bike path on the west side.
READ MORE: City looks to spend $15 million in next 5 years on bike lanes