matt hopkins

board member of the Penticton and Area Cycling Association focused on urban cycling. I like bikes but parking reform is my true passion😃

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

beautiful video of our new Manitoba St. mixed-use path going in - 12 feet wide where no sidewalk existed previously - will empower kids + families to walk and roll to school

https://t.co/jcT4XBm9Qm

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

Eckhardt Ave upgrades w/grade separated bike lanes going in - curbs coming in which provide space and slow cars - this will connect directly to our AAA lake to lake route and to the KVR trail

also directly in front of our high school - nice work!

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

first electronic counter with a display put up on the lake to lake route this week

final leg of the route set to open next month which will form a 6km all ages and abilities route spanning the full length of Penticton from North to South

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

Lake to Lake Bike Route counter (at Eckhardt Ave) for 2024 showing huge increase to 119,991, up 24% over last year and 59% over 2022.

Huge given the route is not yet complete and no other network expansion yet!

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

@Lanefab that’s neat! do you happen to have a floor plan of the units?

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

@DavisJKyle @IPaget9515 that’s such an awesome thing to start

parking lots such a muni tax drain with tax on improvements/no land value tax not to mention they employ around 0

I could go on and on…

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

*Lake to Lake bike route counter at Eckhardt Ave for the month of September:

Sept 2023 - 11,202
Sept 2024 - 16,117 (43% increase)

YTD: 108,243
entire 2023 total: 96,634
entire 2022 total: 75,343

*route still not complete

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

28% increase year over year in spite of the route still being under construction and counter data 51% higher in August 2024 than 2023

wonderful to see!

[Castanet @CastanetNews]

Penticton and Area Cycling Association reports increase in usage of lake-to-lake bike lane #Penticton https://t.co/m1XbfNbnZC

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

penticton last year:

a motion put forward by Coun. Amelia Boultbee to direct city staff  "to cease all work … related to the creation of any new bike lanes with separated concrete barriers" until the end of the current council term in 2026.

https://t.co/16s1YogbdI

[How-Sen @HowSenChong]

We also must blame Gaudreau’s death on the lack of respect for cycling, to the point where politicians actively campaign *against* safe infrastructure for cyclists because they’re worried about constituents complaining that they have to share the road with other users.

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

the gravity of Penticton City Council voting to ban concrete separated bike lanes last year to national media attention hits hard

if these men had concrete protection from this drunk driver they would have made it home to their families last night

instead they are gone

[Martyn Schmoll @martynschmoll]

Media: “NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and brother killed in car accident.”

What actually happened: a driver made the decision to get behind the wheel while impaired and drunkenly rammed their car into two men riding bicycles, killing them.

#DriverNotCar https://t.co/MMMEwCwHp1

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

@Burgundavia ya it’s really neat to see this counter data and especially since we have had no network expansion since last year (our lake to lake route will be completed in ‘25)

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

Fantastic numbers emerging from
our Lake to Lake AAA route work

1137 thru Eckhardt @ Martin Aug. 10 (all-time one day high)

77,154 thru this counter in ‘24 (24% increase on ‘23)

599 bikes parked at 2024 Peachfest Bike Valet!

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

13 days since city councillor & @pentictonherald editor James Miller was arrested & charged with sex crimes against a child

an enormous local story

this is their total coverage & no story at all on their website

is this normal? @ChrisWalkerCBC @rodmickleburgh

[Castanet @CastanetNews]

Unclear where suspended Penticton city councillor James Miller stands in government, newspaper roles while sex assaul https://t.co/fparMr9kin

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

families riding to Peachfest in Penticton as seen today via our lake to lake AAA bike route

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

great reporting work by @chelseapowrie and @CastanetNews

two days since the managing editor of @pentictonherald and city councillor was charged w/sex crimes and still no story or mention in the paper

[Castanet @CastanetNews]

Unclear where suspended Penticton city councillor James Miller stands in government, newspaper roles while sex assaul https://t.co/fparMr9kin

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

Sometimes the power of what I see in our Lake to Lake 🚲 facility hits me like a ton of bricks…

today was one of those days

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

“Had this access point been closed, the injuries of Mr. DuGray would have never happened” - me

these driveways through the bike lane bring unnecessary danger to those on bikes, close them

[Castanet @CastanetNews]

Penticton and Area Cycling Association calls for closure of parking lot access points through bike lane #Penticton https://t.co/ZsUkm2h4hk

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

PACA will be restarting efforts to close
these parking lot access points for the safety of all using the bike lane

there is no excuse not to

[matt hopkins @matthopkinspen]

as the story indicates, there is no justice for the victim: they are left with life altering injuries and perpetrator leaves with a fine and continues driving

drivers also continue to be seen often accessing Martin St from these lots, which is illegal….