Ellis St. residents oppose bike lanes

THURSDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2013 02:00 JOHN MOORHOUSE Penticton Herald

The Ellis Street corridor gained the lion's share of attention at an open house into a proposed expansion of Penticton's bike network. Dozens of people turned out to City Hall on Tuesday evening to view bike network maps and diagrams, while talking to city officials about the plans. Most were upset over a proposal calling for designated bike lanes along Ellis from Wade Avenue north to Vancouver Avenue. Plans call for parking to be eliminated along the west side of the street. Similar lanes would be created up the Vancouver Avenue hill to the KVR walkway at Vancouver Place. Ellis Street property owner Rick Valenti urged the city to look for alternate solutions. Valenti wondered why the city would want to remove 68 parking stalls along a street which is home to several businesses. The city also has future plans to create a cultural corridor along Ellis, he added. Valenti said he canvassed several business and home owners along Ellis who were unaware of the bike lane proposals. "We're hoping they'll re-examine it, because there's going to be anarchy on this street. Where do we park?" he said. He also pointed to the limited season for cyclists. "Come November until March, who's biking? There's a big climate change here (during winter)," he stated. Jennifer Dery, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 10 years, noted there is no back alley for homes along Ellis. "We won't be able to park in front of our own house," she said. "Where are we going to park Ð on our roof? It's just stupid." "We've got enough bike lanes around that they can use," she added. "Use those. Don't take away the only parking that we really have in that area." Dery said Ellis is also a prime parking area on Saturdays for people attending the farmers and community markets on Main Street. Van Horne Street resident Al Gartrell wonders why cyclists can't be directed onto the existing Penticton Creek pathway instead. "There's no reason why they can't put it along the bicycle path that's already there and run it down to where it comes out on Front Street," Gartrell said. Mitch Moroziuk, the city's director of operations, explained that the Penticton Creek pathway is already a designated multi-use route. The bike network is designed to provide a more direct route on the street for cyclists to use. However, Moroziuk emphasized that nothing is a done deal just yet. Comments from those attending Tuesday's session will be incorporated into a report to be presented to city council in early November. He said a second public forum was held after only a handful of people showed up at a previous meeting in September. "I don't think you'll see anything on Ellis Street this year because by the time we finish that process, it will be too late to paint and stuff like that," he said. Although no cycling traffic count figures are available, Moroziuk said the bike network is designed to increase safety and encourage a greater use of bicycles throughout the city. "Really, it's aimed at what the future will be, not what's there today," he said.