Editor’s note: The cycling network and bike lanes proposed in the city of Penticton’s 2021-2045 Infrastructure Master Plan identifies the city’s future needs but does not mean that city council has approved these costs. A key outcome of the Master Plan is its ability to prioritize the city’s needs which will then drive what gets budgeted in future years with future councils.
Penticton’s bike lane network is extending well beyond the $8 million budgeted for the lake-to-lake route that was initially pitched to residents.
In the 2021-2045 Infrastructure Master Plan, that Penticton city council adopted on July 20 in a 5-2 vote, with coun. James Miller and Judy Sentes opposed, there are cost estimates for bike lanes listed in sections broken down into three priorities. If approved through the years from future city councils, could total $32 million.
High priority projects will be completed in the next five years and are focused on locations where there was a collision involving a cyclist at one or more intersections along that stretch from 2015 to 2019.
The high priority projects total $15,309,000 for the 12 projects, including the city’s budget of $8,069,000 for the four phases on the Lake-to-Lake route, to be spent over the next five years.
Medium priority networks include those located in strategic investment areas and would be finished over the next 5 to 10 years.
Low priority projects are those that aren’t in a strategic investment area, and are expected to be completed over the next 10 to 25 years.
As of right now, the $2.2 million for phases 3 and 4 of the lake to lake route is the only bike lane city council has budgeted for.
It is important to note that not all of those projects are part of the lake-to-lake cycling route.
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For example, the master plan identifies extending Warren Avenue’s proposed bike lane to connect with one Atkinson Avenue, connecting Holy Cross School to the bike lane network, connecting Columbia Elementary to the bike lane network and more.
In total, all of the listed projects, if approved by future councils, add up to $32,302,000. So far, the city
The figures listed in the Infrastructure Master Plan for the Lake-to-Lake route segments line up with the budget amounts presented to council for approval on Nov. 7, 2020, and which were said to still be in line with costs as of March 31, 2021’s special council meeting.
| The map in the Infrastructure Plan for the City of Penticton's bike lanes. |
The other projects listed as High Priority include adding separated bike lanes along multiple streets.
Along Duncan Avenue West, from Highway 97 to Government Street;
Along Fairview Road from Highway 97 to Hastings Avenue;
Along Warren Avenue East from Highway 97 to Atkinson Street;
Along Green Avenue from Highway 97 to South Main Street;
Along Burnaby Avenue from Riverside Drive to Westminster and Power Street;
Along Lakeshore Drive from Riverside Drive to Winnipeg Stree;
Along Lakeshore Drive, Front Street and Vancouver Avenue to connect the three with Vancouver Place.
There is also plans listed to add standard bike lanes along Power Street from Westminster Avenue to Lakeshore Drive.
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