Final piece of funding now in place for lake-to-lake trail

Penticton’s lake-to-lake cycling route pedalled closer to fruition this week with the announcement of a $1-million provincial grant that represents the final piece of funding required to go ahead with the first phase of the project.

But it not a done deal yet.

“We are still working with landowners along the route as part of the detailed design process on specific details and will be coming to council on March 16 with an update related to the design, timelines and costing for the project for council to review,” Anthony Haddad, the city’s general manager of community services, said in an email Friday.

The other $1.2 million required for the first phase of work is included in the city’s 2021 budget.

When complete, the 6.5-kilometre route will stretch from Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake at an estimated cost of $8 million.

Most of the route will be contained in separated bike lanes on surface streets through the heart of the city.

The first, and most complicated, phase of work will run from Okanagan Lake up Martin Street to Fairview Road and end at Duncan Avenue. The downtown section has generated the most controversy from business owners worried about losing amenities such as patios, parking and driveways.

City staff is working with property owners to address those concerns in the final route design.

The second phase of the route will see riders join an existing multi-use path north of Duncan Avenue to get onto Atkinson Street, where they would have separated bike lanes all the way to Kinney Avenue.

From there, cyclists would connect to South Main Street, where existing bike lanes would be separated from cars all the way to Skaha Lake.