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Bike lanes are a benefit

I have been a resident of the South Okanagan for 35 years and a resident of Penticton for five years. I have lived in Europe and Africa where the bicycle is an essential means of transportation.

I support the (Penticton) bike lanes because:

1. They support safer bike use. North Vancouver is installing more bike lanes due to the continued deaths of cyclists caused by vehicular collisions. This increase in safer bicycling will translate over time into more use of the bike lanes.

2. They reduce carbon emissions. We, in North America, need to evolve beyond the perception that the the internal combustion engine is the primary way to get around our community. Most trips in town do not require a vehicle.

3. Their use supports the health of the cycling community and the community at large.

4. They decrease the need for parking areas for vehicles. Our city has a small footprint and needs to use space as efficiently as possible .

5. They support the “liveability" of our community. The BBC website has a number of articles which speak to which factors create a more liveable community. There are cities around the world that have hundreds of kilometres of bike lane and are planning to build more.

6. Our city bike lanes can connect with the Trans Canada Trail, which follows the KVR line east and west and the Okanagan Rail Trail north and south that will eventually connect Osoyoos to Sicamous. This world class bike route system will attract tourists worldwide to continue to support the Okanagan as a global tourist destination.

I applaud the city council for its forward looking decisions to install the designated lake to lake bike lanes. Well done.

Craig Hunter, Penticton



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