Dear Editor:
Re: Elora clearing the way for pedestrians and safe distancing, May 28.
I’m happy to see the measure of closing the busiest block of downtown Elora to traffic on weekends. I’ve often thought that this area should be foot-traffic-only every weekend in the warmer months.
This safety measure is needed now more than ever as the mill project and many new shops and restaurants have created a lot of new visitors – luckily for the town. We’ve all seen tourists, clearly enjoying themselves, step into traffic without regard to cars. We don’t want a pedestrian tragedy here.
I understand that this measure would reduce available parking spots. But I find that street parking on Mill Street West and Metcalfe Street creates part of the concern. People step out between the shelter of cars, making it so drivers can’t see them until the last moment. I realize that lack of street parking will be an inconvenience to shop owners, but not more so than the bad press that a pedestrian fatality would cause.
This time period has created an opportunity for people to get used to driving through the downtown less. The rebuilding of the Badley bridge has necessitated that drivers get used to working around the downtown area. The need for physical distancing has created an opportunity for people to get used to foot-traffic-only in the downtown on weekends. Let’s keep it that way.
Jennifer Hewitt,
Elora