Okay but here's the thing nobody talks about.
### Your parking just got a little pricier
Good morning from the Okanagan — the lake is calm, the vines are growing, and we have things to discuss.
If you parked downtown or near City Park Beach yesterday, you might have noticed a slight change on the meter. City Council, in a 6-1 vote (Councillor Maxine Tremblay was the lone dissenter), approved the new tiered parking rate structure. This means the prime spots on Bernard Avenue and around the waterfront will see a 15% increase during peak hours, moving from $2.50 to $2.88 an hour. The idea, according to City Manager Mike Harrison, is to encourage turnover and make more spots available, especially with summer coming. My Yia-Yia would just say, "walk more, Nina," but for those of us with actual things to carry from the farmer's market at Dilworth, it's something to think about.
The city also announced plans to expand the bike lanes on Pandosy Street by 1.2 kilometers, connecting the Mission Creek Greenway all the way to Guisachan Heritage Park. This project, which received a unanimous council vote, aims to be completed by late fall. It's a win for all the cyclists out there, but let's be real, a lot of folks in their cars on Pandosy are going to be wondering where their lane went for a bit.
* **Parking Rate Increase:** 15% on prime downtown and waterfront spots * **New Hourly Rate:** $2.88 (up from $2.50) * **Council Vote:** 6-1 in favor (Councillor Tremblay opposed) * **Bike Lane Expansion:** 1.2 km on Pandosy Street, connecting Mission Creek Greenway to Guisachan Heritage Park * **Estimated Completion:** Late Fall
So, what does this mean for you? Well, pack an extra loonie for your downtown errands, or maybe dust off that bike. The city is trying to manage growth and traffic, but sometimes it feels like they're just moving the chess pieces around on the board. We'll be keeping an eye on those parking spots and the new bike lanes as they roll out.
Nina Papadimitriou, MiTL Sports Desk, Kelowna.
The crew on the Morning Wire show breaks this all down daily – find them live at mornings.live.