A while ago, I wrote a letter to the editor thanking the appropriate city department for putting the right-turn-only arrow back onto the far right hand lane on Eckhardt Avenue between Westminster Avenue and Riverside Drive.
Turns out it was the highway department who actually painted the arrow there.
I have a request of both the highway department and the City of Penticton. To the highway department, please paint another arrow halfway between the first one and Westminster Avenue. The one that is currently there is not very visible until it is too late. People are still using that lane as a merge lane onto the highway; I counted several people doing it within a few minute span.
To the city, my request is either to replace the yield sign with a stop sign, or mount a sign underneath the yield sign that says “do not merge from far right lane.”
Sooner or later, there is going to be a serious accident there.
Mark Billesberger
Penticton