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A cyclist checks out the city's plan for a new recreational pathway on Lakeshore Road. (Photo Adrian Nieoczym)
By Adrian Nieoczym
The area of Lakeshore Road between Gyro Beach and the end of the Mission Creek Greenway is a popular stretch of road. Besides cars, it draws tons of pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, not to mention people in wheelchairs and scooters.
They’re attracted to the incredible sandy beaches and amazing views of Okanagan Lake. The only problem is, the roadway lacks a sidewalk and is not a great place to travel along if you’re not in a four-wheeled vehicle.
“In this area we have a lot of pedestrians and cyclists who use the corridor, but they only have a gravel shoulder,” said Kelowna’s manager of parks and public spaces, Terry Barton
That is about to change, thanks to a $3 -million project, funded by the province and the City of Kelowna, to install a multi-use corridor.
And right now, the city wants your input into what that corridor should look like . An open house, hosted by city staff and consultants working on the project, is going on at Rotary Beach Park, 3726 Lakeshore Rd. until 7 p.m. this evening.
In a large tent set up on the lawn in front of the beach, the city has its preliminary designs for the corridor on display.
Barton says the city wants to hear from members of the public what the walkway should look like, what kinds of trees should line the street and whether public art should adorn the corridor.
“We’ll take the input, discuss it…and we’ll go into detailed design work in the fall,” he said.
The design should be complete sometime this winter and Barton said construction on the new corridor should start next spring.
The multi-use corridor will be a separate pathway away from the road. It will be open to pedestrians and people using non-motorized transportation.
adrian@kelowna.com/(250)575-3517
