Cities dismantling their bike lanes

DEAR EDITOR:

We are obligated to protect cyclists, as well as the disabled in wheelchairs, riders of two- and four-wheel scooters, and of automobiles in our city.

The research is ambivalent about whether protected bike lanes improve public safety or not. Studies by large universities are finding that they do not.

One attendee at a large, standingroom only meeting this week read us a list of almost 20 Canadian and U.S. cities that are currently dismantling their protected bike lanes.

The curbs, barriers, and confusing signage already installed by council here create a strong risk of mega-lawsuits against our city. These suits will likely come from CEOs and surgeons visiting Penticton with their families.

Also, as the province turns our Main Street into East Hastings, we are likely to see even greater losses to our local economy from slowmoving shopping carts full of trash trapping our sustainable microtransportation in the “protected” bike/wheelchair/scooter routes harming commerce and tourism.

The lake-to-lake route down South Main Street is already in place for all stakeholders.

Some time ago, one of our city councillors suggested leaving the long, safe and popular bike lanes down South Main alone. To compare their safety against the socalled “protected” lanes on Martin, Atkinson, and Fairview. Council was 4-3 against, voting to risk another several millions on this dangerous, contentious project.

We call on our mayor to bring the question up for another vote, and on our council to put off imposing more immense cost and hazards onto Penticton’s residents and visitors. As a bonus, putting off this cost now will also save the cost of dismantling it later.

Jonathan Sevy Penticton