Place stop-work order on bike lanes
The railings on the Martin Street bike lanes in Penticton have already proven unsafe as a railing was crashed into and a post on the opposite side broken off.
Did planners evaluate if a truck or long vehicle had enough room to turn the corner where the one lane begins? What safety evaluation was done before work commenced? Will people trip on these?
What happens if a bike swerves to avoid a pedestrian and their wheel hits the railing? Would they not indeed fall over into vehicle traffic? Was any thought of safety employed into this ridiculous, redundant bike railing?
In the name of safety and traffic flow, what should be done is to remove all railings and restaurant patios and make Martin a uniform two-lane street.
What if someone turns left or right at Nanaimo and pedestrians are crossing — a complete traffic stop? Does it appear planners really have no plan?
Do they get their bad ideas from some magazine with little or no research as to safety and traffic flow? In their failed attempt to improve Penticton, they have made it unsafe and a massive waste of the taxpayers money.
For the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers an immediate stop-work order must take place to review safety of the obvious failed attempt at a bike lane.
I am for a simple bike lane, but the railings and single lane needs to be immediately rectified before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Whoever designed this disaster should be held accountable for injury or death.
Clifford Martin Penticton