Kelowna new downtown

[cv23]

whose bright idea was it too destroy our funky heritage streets and make car and bike transit more difficult.

Public input?

[GenuinelyInterested]

whose bright idea was it too destroy our funky heritage streets and make car and bike transit more difficult.

Public input?

My thoughts as well cv23. Other possibilities might be:
Committees
City planers
Engineers
just for a few.....

funky heritage streets and make car and bike transit more difficult.

How is that so? Are you saying that the old streets were more "bike/cyclist" friendly? has the width of the roadway become more narrow? How is it that these "funky heritage streets" were better than they are now?

[Bpeep]

I like what they did to that stretch. IMO, its a really nice improvement.
What I do not like are the light standards- everything around is vertical or horizontal, the 2 angles on the light standards make them look cluttered.
IMO, they coulda made a better choice there, something with a more vintage look woulda been nicer.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Good for us bike people , cuz we can ride on the WIDEwalk..

[kibbs]

cuz we can ride on the WIDEwalk..

whats the wide walk i thought the road was a sharrow that we had to share with cars, doing 50k ,with one less lane

[kibbs]

How is that so? Are you saying that the old streets were more "bike/cyclist" friendly? has the width of the roadway become more narrow? How is it that these "funky heritage streets" were better than they are now?

"the road is one lane less funky old streets don't suck up millions of dollars .funky old streets have a common familiar style that everyone can tolerate. you can do great things with funky old streets to allow each business to express themselves in their own way with their money.free the graffiti artist . when you come home and new development is sprouting up everywhere you will always be able to relax and feel at home on your funky old streets.its a shame we don't embrace our heritage."
sung to the tune downtown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCnHWas3HQ

[Neroicco]

I think claiming heritage on the existing Bernard Ave road is a bit of a stretch...while there are some older buildings it is basically a cheapo 80's era road. There was hardly room to squeeze a stroller between the parking meters and various other shrapnel along the sidewalks and everything was looking pretty tired... If you want heritage perhaps we should go back to wooden sidewalks and dirt road?

If I remember rightly they had to redo everything anyway to fix the underground pipes so whatever funkiness there was had to be demolished anyway. I guess they could have just reinstalled what we had before but IMHO the lane changes and wider sidewalks alone are a vast improvement...

I do agree the poles are a bit weird when you look down the big line of them but like others have posted once the trees get growing I don't think they will be nearly as dominant.

[kibbs]

I think claiming heritage on the existing Bernard Ave road is a bit of a stretch..

just because we have no Gothic Accenture .that does not mean we are without a funky unique heritage. all that was needed was to parallel park the cars.we didn't need Toronto sized sidewalks i have never been short of room or felt a tokyo subway squeeze.when you tear down our old lamp posts and put these new ones ,which from a distance make the street look dilapidated like they are falling over.you take away the familiarity from it .you probably didn't notice them before but now they are gone i really miss them.it doesn't feel like home any more.

[John500]

Stupid crooked posts on Bernard.

[kibbs]

i was down town yesterday and i saw the sharrow markings on the road ,right next to where the car doors open.i dont blame 50 for riding on the wide walk it looks dangerous especially where it bottle necks from 2 lanes 2 one.

[kibbs]

when it is complete .i think it will be really good for bikes if they drop the speed limit.it will also encourage the new tax free revitalization program on leon/lawrence .once bikes are freely mingling amoungst cars at a school zone pace,waving and chatting to people on the widewalks. it could be a cyclists utopia and total disaster for people wanting business from people driving cars .drivers will avoid Bernard like the plague. i think it will take a long time for drivers to adjust to this European style concept. a much as i find the new concept very expensive and forward thinking if the speed limit is dropped when it is finished .i will forgive its style and promote the cyclist utopia concept.

[theyeti]

i dont know about cyclists ...

but i do think bernard from richter on should be pedestrian only . at least in the summer . south pandosy as well . lets get some fresh air and some more markets . look how good the farmers market does in a parking lot . imagine if we built a proper open air market and had seasonal vendors set up .

this would be cool and bring a great feel to the city . let us get away from always driving .

[cv23]

but i do think bernard from richter on should be pedestrian only .

Downtown businesses need customers 12 months of the year not just 3

[theyeti]

the road would still be there . just close it to cars for summer seems easy enuff

i look to nelson . nelson has a beautiful downtown . it has cars in it but there r no big chains . it is all cool little family run businesses . great food cool atmosphere . kelowna is not the hippy haven nelson is but that does not mean we could not follow there lead a bit and create our own unique culture downtown .

[cv23]

it could be a cyclists utopia and total disaster for people wanting business from people driving cars .drivers will avoid Bernard like the plague.

Very doubtful the downtown merchants can survive on cycle and foot traffic alone, especially in winter months when neither of those are at all prolific.