Your city hall finally approved that new Bernard bike lane

Good morning from the Okanagan — the lake is calm, the vines are growing, and we have things to discuss.

Okay but here's the thing nobody talks about: after months of debate and a lot of back-and-forth, Kelowna City Council has officially approved the construction of the new Bernard Avenue bike lane. This is huge for anyone who uses Bernard to get downtown, or even just wants to feel a bit safer pedaling from City Park all the way up.

* **The vote:** Council voted 7-2 in favour of the project on Tuesday, June 18th.

* **The cost:** The approved budget for the project is $3.5 million, with a significant portion expected to come from provincial grants.

* **The scope:** The lane will stretch from Richter Street to Abbott Street, connecting existing infrastructure and, honestly, making downtown a lot more bike-friendly.

This has been a hot topic since early spring, with a lot of residents wanting better active transportation options, and some businesses worried about parking and traffic flow. The city's transportation plan has been pushing for more dedicated bike lanes, especially connecting our core areas. Now that it's approved, we should start seeing construction begin in late summer or early fall. Keep an eye out for those orange cones.

That's the latest from City Hall — have you eaten?

Catch Keith and the crew breaking down all the local stories every morning on mornings.live.