Category: Local cycling info

The City is hosting this information session on walking and cycling in Kelowna, and is inviting you to stop by to share your thoughts. Please see the note below from Ron Matiussi and put it on your calendar!

Public Service Announcement Residents and business owners are encouraged to drop by Orchard Park Shopping Centre on Saturday to share their thoughts about walking and cycling around Kelowna. The public information session runs Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the mall. Feedback from the information session will help inform a 20-year transportation master planning process to increase walking and cycling in our community. Unable to attend the information session? All information and opportunities to provide feedback on walking and cycling in Kelowna are available online at kelowna.ca/onthemove.

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We are continuing the Sunday morning rides throughout October … weather permitting! We are not known to “toughen it out” in the rain so if the roads are wet, it is more likely we will come for coffee and leave the bike at home. But on sunny fall mornings, we are keen to keep going until it gets too cold. Last Sunday we had a great ride!

Start at 9am from the Bean Scene on Dickson Road.

What you may need for fall riding is listed here.

The mistakes you should avoid are shown here.

And WHY WE RIDE.

And because all the details are so far down the blog, and I get asked regularly about the group ride details, here they are again:

Wednesday, 5pm, from Kelowna Cycle. 35-40km, leisurely pace.

Saturday, 9:15am, from Kelowna Cycle. 40-50km, not too fast.

Sunday, 9am, Bean Scene Headquarters on Dickson Road. 60-70km, a good workout!

The Westsiders ride on Fridays, starting at 9 am from Starbucks on Louis Drive. Hilly.

Regular weekly KillerBeez rides:

• Sundays leaving 9am sharp from the Bean Scene Headquarters on Dickson road (opposite the first 3 Landmark buildings). Distance usually 60-70km
• Saturdays leaving at 9:15am from Kelowna Cycle on Pandosy. Distance usually 45-50km.
• Wednesdays leaving at 5pm from Kelowna Cycle on Pandosy. Distance usually 35-40km. Social ride. Smell the flowers, chat over coffee after.

June 2 was the last day for a potential operator to secure the railway between Kelowna and Coldstream/Vernon for continuing a rail service. Yesterday the offer for sale to the government began. The only future now for this magnificent corridor is either public land for the benefit of all, or private use. In less than 90 days this decision will be made. The time is now to let our voices be heard.

The abandonment process allows a 30 day window for each level of government to purchase the right of way for public use. The process begins with a 30 day window for the Federal Government, followed by 30 day windows for Provincial and Municipal Governments. After that, the corridor will be broken up and sold off for private use lot by lot.

The reasons to ensure this corridor is kept for public use are many and are outlined in an impact assessment report just released and can be found at www.okanaganrailtrail.ca/resources.php. They include health and wellness, environmental, transportation and safety, and economic benefits. The report clearly shows that purchasing the corridor for public use is an investment that will provide beneficial returns for generations.

With less than 90 days to determine the outcome of this corridor, the time is now to ensure we have our say. Nearly 7,500 emails have been sent expressing their desired future. If each of us can get 2 more to send in their desired future of this corridor, we will have an inspirational number of emails that will ensure our voice is heard.

What can we do now?

1. Please encourage people you know to visit www.okanaganrailtrail.ca to express their views on the future of this corridor.

2. If you are part of an organization that supports the preservation of this corridor, then visit www.okanaganrailtrail.ca/business-support.php and click the link at the bottom of the page to upload your logo and statement of support.

3. Lastly, if you are feeling very inspired, send in a short video clip describing the future you desire and why to [email protected].

This information will be shared with those who can make the decision to protect this corridor.

The future is on our hands now.

We can transform this wonderful linear property into a lasting legacy that will provide benefits for generations, or we can allow this transportation corridor and last natural lakefront access to be sold off for private use.

The decision is ours! okanaganrailtrail.ca 

We had a wonderful ride yesterday, going out Glenmore to Winfield, and then on the old Highway 97 to Oyama. Perfect temperature to ride, great company for coffee after! (Paul, Alistair, Warren and Larry missing in this picture!)

It would be great if we would get more pictures of any 2014 rides. If you happen to have your phone with you and manage to snap some good pictures of the group, please forward them to me for posting.

 

 

Great News! As of today 5,814 people have sent in their message of support. The benefits of protecting this corridor are many, including providing safe bicycle access access to UBCO (picture shows Hwy 97 rail underpass). A detailed study of all benefits will be completed this month. In an effort to help gain more support, we have added some resources to the website (http://www.okanaganrailtrail.ca/resources.php) to help explain the benefits. The benefits study will be posted here when completed. There is also a flyover presentation of images taken from an airplane of the railway (thanks to a volunteer with flying and photography skills). It is well worth checking to see the magnitude of the beauty of this corridor. As of today no operator for the railway has provide a feasible plan to continue operations of the railway. There are only 3 more weeks before this period ends and the offer to governments begins. Please continue to spread the word and have people visit the website http://www.okanaganrailtrail.ca to send their message of what future they would like see here in the Okanagan. Sincerely, Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative www.okanaganrailtral.ca

Lawrence is encouraging riders to join him on Monday afternoons for a ride. Here are the details:

Starting May 12: Monday Ride.  Meet at 5.30 pm at Kelowna Cycle.  If there is a hard or long ride on Sunday, this will be a recovery ride (30-35 km, heart rate in recovery zone).  If the Sunday ride is a moderate ride, then this will also be a moderate ride of 50 km.  NO DROP.

Email him if you have questions: [email protected]

Reminder: Our Sunday Beez rides are starting at 9am now (from the Bean Scene headquarters on Dickson Road).