Sections 3 and 4 of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route were completed in 2021. Construction of section 2 is now underway, with work currently being conducted along Atkinson Street. This page will be updated as work progresses.
Construction Updates
A full road closure will be in effect on Atkinson Street between Duncan Ave and Industrial Ave starting today, June 22, until Monday, June 27, to allow milling and paving work required for the construction of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route.
The road will be open to local traffic only, with buses rerouted to Fairview Rd or Main St. Detours will be directed down Huth Ave and Granby Avenue. Please obey all traffic control personnel and signage.
Residents in the area are also being notified about construction work starting Monday, June 27, along Atkinson Street between Industrial and Warren. Expect single-lane alternating traffic, with no parking permitted on the street.
All City road closures are posted on the City's Road Closures webpage and bus route alerts and updates can be found on the BC Transit website.
Thank you for your patience at this time.
Construction is currently underway on Atkinson Street between Duncan and Industrial. Expect road closures in this area starting Wednesday, June 22, 2022 until Monday, June 27, 2022. Thank you for your patience.
With spring on the horizon, work on two notable roadway construction projects will soon be underway.
Lake-to-Lake Bike Route – Section Two
Beginning in late April, work on Section Two of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route is set to begin. Construction will focus on portions of the following roads, with most work typically proceeding north to south.
- Lanes (between Fairview and Duncan Avenue)
- Duncan Ave (between Lanes and Atkinson Street)
- Atkinson Street (from Duncan Ave through to Kinney Avenue)
- Kinney Avenue (from Atkinson through to South Main Street)
Residents, businesses and drivers in the area should expect to see crews at work during day-time hours, Monday to Friday, with more activity ramping up through the months of May and June. Specific things to watch for during construction include minor earthworks, utility upgrades, line marking/removal, preparation for and installation of new curbing, traffic signals, signage, lighting upgrades and periodic single lane traffic at crossings and intersections.
To help raise awareness of the planned construction before work gets underway, residences and businesses impacted by the route will be mailed information and invited to one of two online information sessions or one of two in-person open house events.
- March 3 - Online Info Session #1 (7 pm to 8:30 pm) sign up at www.shapeyourcitypenticton.ca
- March 5 – Open House #1 (10 am to 12 pm) at the Senior’s Drop in Centre
- March 10 - Online Info Session #2 (7 pm to 8:30 pm) sign up at www.shapeyourcitypenticton.ca
- March 12 – Open House #2 (10 am to 12 pm) at the Senior’s Drop in Centre
“The City is committed to constructing the route with the least amount of disturbance to residents, businesses and motorists,” said the route’s Project Manager, Ian Chapman. “We thank everyone for their cooperation and patience over the course of the project.”
For more information and updates about the project and its construction phases, please monitor the City’s website - www.penticton.ca/lake-to-lake
Point Intersection
The Point Intersection is the name given to the location where Kinney Avenue, Skaha Lake Road, South Main Street, Main Street, and Dawson Avenue each meet. Known for delays and traffic constraints, this busy location and adjacent intersections will be the focus of road construction starting in early April. Planned works include:
- Galt Avenue will be reconstructed with a signalized intersection at Galt and Skaha Lake Road and a roundabout at the Galt Avenue/South Main Street/Pineview Road intersection.
- Once Galt Avenue is open, Kinney Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between Skaha Lake Road and South Main Street to allow for installation of the bike lane.
- Bike lanes will be installed, connecting the existing bike lane networks on Kinney Ave and South Main Street.
- As some traffic will be rerouted along Warren Ave, left-hand turn lanes will be added to the Main Street/Warren Avenue intersection to improve traffic flow.
While construction is underway, motorists should expect delays and traffic flow changes. To stay informed on the project, please monitor updates on the City’s website – www.penticton.ca/point-intersection or monitor the City’s road closure page – www.penticton.ca/road-closures
Residents wishing to learn more about the Point Intersection project can do so by attending two upcoming open house sessions or joining city staff during one of two online information sessions. Note: these events will be held in conjunction with the Lake to Lake Bike Lane events.
“Both of these projects support key goals contained in the City’s Transportation Master Plan and lead to outcomes that create a safe transportation system for all ages, abilities and modes while also meeting our City’s environmental objectives and requirement to use our infrastructure responsibly,” said Penticton Mayor, John Vassilaki. “If you have questions about either of these projects, please attend one of the four information sessions taking place in March. Now is the time to get informed.”
About the Project
For upcoming road closures updates:
Visit the Road Closure webpage
For BC Transit alerts and updates involving route changes:
Visit the BC Transit Alerts webpage
Residents, businesses and drivers in the area should expect to see crews at work during day-time hours, Monday to Friday, with more activity ramping up in June. Specific things to watch for during construction include:
- Rapid flashing beacons being added to crosswalks to improve safety
- All signalized intersections will have a specialized traffic signal for cyclists
- Watch for a new signalized intersection at Atkinson and Duncan
- A new sidewalk will be built on the west side of Atkinson
- Bus stops may be repositioned for the safety of passengers and cyclists
- Concrete barriers are being added to the roads to provide a protected bike route with separation from motorists
- Underground works will be conducted to upgrade the electrical and storm sewer systems to support the new signals and drainage on the route
- Line markings will be removed
- New curbing will be installed
- Traffic signals and lighting will be upgraded
- Expect periodic single-lane traffic at crossings and intersections
Construction of sections 3 and 4 of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route are now complete. Construction of section 2 is now underway.
The following provides a timeline of this ongoing initiative.
In 2012, Urban Systems developed a report for the City highlighting a need for a safe and convenient cycling route connecting Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. Following consultation with stakeholders, Council adopted an updated Bike and Cycling Network map into the 2019 Official Community Plan.
Over the past two years, the City worked with the community to identify the location of the Lake-to-Lake route to act as a spine in the Cycling Network.
June 18, 2019: City Council endorsed the project to identify the location of the Lake-to-Lake route. The project involved an extensive engagement process and a technical analysis to determine the preferred route.
Sept. 6, 2019: The City hosted “Pedal Penticton,” a community-wide cycling event to gather input into the work to identify the Lake-to-Lake route. Approximately 500 people attended the event and the City received input from more than 1,000 individuals.
June-July 2020: The City conducted a targeted engagement program to ensure feedback was received from businesses and residents in the downtown area.
Nov. 17, 2020: Council amended the Official Community Plan to approve the alignment of the route after holding a Public Hearing on the proposed amendments on Nov. 16, 2020.
Dec. 8, 2020: Council endorsed staff working with affected landowners, residents and businesses along the proposed route, identifying issues and developing design solutions.
Feb. 2, 2021: City staff presented an updated design for sections 3 and 4 of the route based on feedback received. This included relocating the cycle track from the west side of Martin Street to the east side, allowing for existing patios to be retained and no significant impacts to the 200-block revitalization works.
Feb. 25, 2021: The City was awarded a $1 million grant from the provincial government to construct sections 3 and 4 of the route.
March 31, 2021: Council approved the detailed design endorsement for sections 3 and 4 of the route, directing staff to proceed to construction design work.
May to July 2021: Construction was underway on sections 3 and 4 of the route starting from Lakeshore Drive through the downtown area to Duncan Avenue.
Aug. 1, 2021: Official opening of the first sections of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route.
Spring 2022 - Date: Construction of section 2 began in spring and is currently underway. Watch the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route Construction page for updates.
Online Information Sessions
To help raise awareness of the planned construction before work gets underway, residences and businesses impacted by the route were mailed information and invited to one of two online information sessions, which have now wrapped up.
Watch for these Changes along the Route
This list below details changes that have been added along the route during construction of sections 3 and 4 to ensure the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. As part of the next phase of development for section 2, further upgrades to intersections, line painting, lighting upgrades, flashing beacons, wayfinding signage and additional concrete curbs will be completed.
The bike route uses concrete barriers along the road to protect and separate cyclists from the flow of traffic. Be aware that the barriers will have openings in front of private driveways to ensure they don’t block entry to the homes.
To help raise awareness of the planned construction before work gets underway, residences and businesses impacted by the route were mailed information and invited to an online information session, which have now been completed.
Where possible, the City has worked with commercial property owners to reduce the number of entrance points to improve safety for the cyclists. This means that there may be fewer entrances and exits to parking lots than you are used to. Note that on-street parking will also be affected in certain sections of section 2 of the route, including along Atkinson.
To help raise awareness of the planned construction before work gets underway, residences and businesses impacted by the route were mailed information and invited to an online information session, which have now been completed.
The purpose of the green box is to alert drivers of the presence of cyclists in that space. If you see a green bike lane or box at an intersection, watch for cyclists. These boxes allow cyclists to pull over at intersections as they wait to turn. Cars are required to stop behind the green boxes and never to stop on the green paint.
A combination of safety barriers and curbs are being used to provide physical separation between cyclists and vehicles.
Within the 100-300 blocks of Martin Street, within downtown Penticton, you’ll notice steel bike rails bolted into the ground.
For other areas, including construction of section 2 of the route, precast concrete barriers will be fixed to the road’s surface to create a barrier between the cycle track and vehicle lane.
The City is working closely with TransLink involving the need to reposition some stops along the bike route for the safety of cyclists and passengers. Visit BC Transit's Alerts page for the latest route updates.
Within downtown Penticton, some sections of the bike route are bi-directional, meaning that cyclists will be riding both directions on the same track. The track is painted yellow down the middle to mark the centre line and cyclists are encouraged to stay to the right within their track.
Within section 2 of the bike route, under construction now, the lanes will be single-lane tracks flowing with the direction of traffic.
All signalized intersections will have a new additional traffic signal specifically for directing cyclists. These guide cyclists safely into an intersection, with a delay for traffic. They are intended to improve safety for cyclists and reduce the potential for conflicts with motorists. This will involve adding and upgrading existing signals, including adding a new signal at Atkinson and Duncan.
The City will be installing bike racks at strategic locations along the bike route and will work with property owners and businesses to identify additional locations to locate these racks.
Building the Bike Route in Waves
The following is a summary of the key activities that will take place to build the bike route. Road construction normally occurs block-by-block to expedite the work and minimize disruption. As the bike lanes are long and narrow, the work is stretched across several blocks and will occur in waves with the following activities overlapping.
The first set of activities that need to occur are the underground works. This involves digging up the road at key intersections to upgrade the electrical and storm sewer systems to support the new signals and drainage on the route.
Once the electrical and storm sewer upgrades are completed, new signal bases will be installed at the intersections. These signals indicate when a cyclist or pedestrian is waiting to cross and trigger a dedicated signal.
After the signal bases are installed, the sidewalks and curbs are restored to the City’s new age-friendly standard which allows for greater accessibility for people with impaired mobility.
New signal arms and heads are the next thing to be installed once the curbs and sidewalks are restored. The new signal heads include a dedicated signal for cyclists that allow them to cross safely.
Lines on the road will be replaced with new markings over the course of construction. In some areas, this involves grinding down the existing paint before the new paint has applied. Grinding can be noisy and the City has committed to complete these activities during the working hours of 7 am to 10 pm. Line painting will occur at night as normal to allow the paint to dry.
One of the final activities to occur is the installation of the barriers to separate the cyclists from the vehicular traffic. Different barriers are proposed for different sections.
Before the route is open for use, all line marking needs to be complete and pedestrian signals and signage installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
The City has received a number of questions about the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route since construction has started. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Email getconnected@penticton.ca if you have any additional questions.
Through the creation of the recent Official Community Plan (OCP), the community identified moving towards a “complete transportation approach” as a priority. A complete transportation approach aims to create a safe transportation system that supports all ages, abilities and modes of transportation and prioritizes investment in active transportation.
(Watch this video to learn more about how the OCP will influence transportation in the city.) One of the main recommendations in this section of the plan is to create a pathway within City limits connecting Skaha Lake and Lake Okanagan that is separated from motorized traffic, has minimal grade changes, and has connections to key destinations.
The estimated cost of the full route is $8 million including a 25 per cent contingency. The City received a $1 million grant from the Province towards the first phase of the construction, which was estimated to cost $2.3 million.
The City conducted a 19-month process to involve the community in the identification of the route. The process was conducted in multiple phases allowing for ongoing participation as the location was narrowed down and finalized. All feedback gathered through the process was made available publicly and can be found on shapeyourcitypenticton.ca/lake-to-lake. The most recent feedback shared with Council occurred at the Public Hearing on November 16, 2020. The Agenda package includes a summary of the engagement process and all of the 360 pages of correspondence received for and against the project at the hearing. Follow this link to watch the hearing.)
The City frequently receives comments that there are already bike routes in the City that are underutilized. The City adopted a Cycling Network Plan in 2012 that identified the routes needed to make cycling a viable mode of transportation. The City has made some progress in adding the bike lanes identified in the plan such as those on Government St. and with this project, the spine of the network will be completed. It is important to note that the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route is the first protected bike route in the city that is safe for cyclists of All Ages and Abilities (AAA) and through community survey the City learned that safety is the number one reason why there are not more cyclists on the roads today.
While businesses on Martin St. are no longer able to receive deliveries on the east side of the road, they do have the option of receiving deliveries on the west side or via the back lane. The City’s bylaw does allow for deliveries in the lane and businesses are encouraged to use this option.
The intersections along Martin St. include a dedicated cyclist light to allow cyclists to advance before vehicles can proceed. This will clear most of the cycling traffic before vehicles have a green light to proceed. It is very important that drivers watch for cycling traffic going both directions before crossing the track.
Changes were made to the curbs at the intersections on Martin to reduce the distance that cyclists and pedestrians are exposed to vehicle traffic when crossing and reduce the gap that vehicles need to pay attention to as they pass through the intersection. This is a best practice design for Age-Friendly communities as well. It has the added benefit of slowing vehicles down which has been a frequent concern on Martin St.
Through the detailed design phase of the project, drawings showing the details of the plan block-by-block were created for the downtown and Fairview sections. The drawings show the paint markings, the changes to intersections, the changes to curbs and sidewalks, the location of the bike lane and more on each block of the route.
In 2012, Urban Systems developed a report for the City highlighting a need for a safe and convenient cycling route connecting Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. Following consultation with stakeholders, Council adopted an updated Bike and Cycling Network map into the 2019 Official Community Plan.
Over the past two years, the City worked with the community to identify the location of the Lake-to-Lake route to act as a spine in the Cycling Network.
June 18, 2019: City Council endorsed the project to identify the location of the Lake-to-Lake route. The project involved an extensive engagement process and a technical analysis to determine the preferred route.
Sept. 6, 2019: The City hosted “Pedal Penticton,” a community-wide cycling event to gather input into the work to identify the Lake-to-Lake route. Approximately 500 people attended the event and the City received input from more than 1,000 individuals.
June-July 2020: The City conducted a targeted engagement program to ensure feedback was received from businesses and residents in the downtown area.
Nov. 17, 2020: Council amended the Official Community Plan to approve the alignment of the route after holding a Public Hearing on the proposed amendments on Nov. 16, 2020.
Dec. 8, 2020: Council endorsed staff working with affected landowners, residents and businesses along the proposed route, identifying issues and developing design solutions.
Feb. 2, 2021: City staff presented an updated design for sections 3 and 4 of the route based on feedback received. This included relocating the cycle track from the west side of Martin Street to the east side, allowing for existing patios to be retained and no significant impacts to the 200-block revitalization works.
Feb. 25, 2021: The City was awarded a $1 million grant from the provincial government to construct sections 3 and 4 of the route.
March 31, 2021: Council approved the detailed design endorsement for sections 3 and 4 of the route, directing staff to proceed to construction design work.
May to July 2021: Construction was underway on sections 3 and 4 of the route starting from Lakeshore Drive through the downtown area to Duncan Avenue.
Aug. 1, 2021: Official opening of the first sections of the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route.
Spring 2022: Construction anticipated to begin on section 2 of the route. Watch the Lake-to-Lake Bike Route Construction page for updates.
Contact Us
For questions about bike lanes, contact the Engineering Department. To make a suggestion or report a concern, please use our online form.
Engineering Department
Phone: 250-490-2521
Email: engineering@penticton.ca