There's been a lot of controversy lately considering whether we should continue to allow electric scooters and bikes on the promenades in Penticton. Letters to the editor concerning this topic have had many different views on the subject. As an example, here are links to just two of those letters written to the Penticton Herald this week:
As you can see from these examples, there are varying viewpoints on how council should approach the recent explosion in popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters.
Council has some difficult decisions to make, as it is obvious that some riders are not being responsible, which is essential for safety reasons during the summer months. Banning them from the Okanagan lake walkway would push them out onto the street which may not be safe during the high season. Yet many citizens in Penticton have let it be known that they do not want a bike lane built on Lakeshore drive.
So for now the answer seems to be to find a way to slow down the traffic on the walkway. Staff will be bringing forward a report on new signage for the season that hopefully will do just that. If this signage doesn't work, council will need to make some hard decisions moving forward concerning e-scooters and e-bikes on Penticton walkways.
All comments are my opinions only and not of Penticton City Council.