Ongoing struggle for businesses to survive

Every time I turn onto Martin Street, I grit my teeth. I am amazed at the reconfiguration that has transpired the last few weeks with the new bike lane.

Squeaking around the corner off Westminster onto Martin St. is so tight. How can a larger vehicle make it without knocking something over? It is now a one-lane with 50% less parking than before.

How are those businesses going to survive? They are trying to recoup from the pandemic and now, with limited parking, many patrons will go somewhere else. There is a bike lane running along Government Street already and it that isn’t good enough, the band would probably have welcomed an upgrade along the scenic Channel Parkway. Were they approached?

It would have been far less expensive than what we have been hung with now. Oh, and wait, to add another nail to the coffin of downtown business, the bizarre new system of a $2 minimum parking fee further discourages people to come downtown. If they only need to drop into a business for a few minutes, no one wants to pay two dollars. There was nothing wrong with the old system.

Notice the empty parking spaces on Main Street now? Good indication people will not pay two dollars for a short stop. The city is trying to recoup some revenue by doing this, but at the same time, have decided that an $8 million bike lane through the city is necessary now. Insane!

What percentage of our citizens will use it — 5–10%? If council wants to go on a spending spree, why didn’t they put those dollars towards our overworked RCMP detachment? Their caseload of 170 files per member being the highest in the province tells us they desperately need funding for more police. That would benefit everyone.

Or maybe Pathways Addictions and Resource Centre could have been saved if they had been supported by the city. The people who relied on that service will not be comfortable going to the new Interior Health facility where they are just a number and stand in line to get an appointment to speak to a stranger. Many of them won’t go there at all and in turn will end trying to deal with their addiction alone which will lead to more crime.

Janet Parker’s informative letter (Herald, June 30) outlines the many services Pathways provided and we know that won’t happen through Interior Health. Our problems keep compiling through bad choices and the city as a whole suffers for it.

Joni Cutler

Penticton