Local residents are taking further steps in speeding up the process to get a Highway 6 bypass around Morriston – by means of paper and online petitions and a YouTube video.
Last September, in response to safety concerns caused by congestion on Highway 6 South and Brock Road, MTO officials said that they would consider taking some interim action.
Among them were: gateway signs, community safety zone signs and larger speed limit signs in Morriston.
They also agreed to monitor the traffic lights at the Highway 401 exit ramp to reduce the traffic backup on Wellington Road 46 and the exit lane on Highway 401.
Local business owner Bill Knetsch labeled MTO’s response to his concerns as “Band-Aid solutions” and that, “It is obvious that the only viable solution to our growing safety problems is to get the Highway 6 bypass into the province’s five-year plan.”
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott agreed.
“Ultimately, the only solution to all of the problems is the … realignment,” he said in a press release.
Thanks to the Puslinch Community Oriented Policing (COP) committee, frustrated drivers and residents will have an opportunity in April to voice their support by signing a petition that urges the government to make the bypass a priority.
The committee has worked with Arnott to create a paper petition that Arnott will present to the Ontario Legislature.
Petitions will be available for residents and commuters to sign from April 1 to April 18.
An on-line petition at www.hwy6bypass.ca will allow individuals to sign the petition and to express their concerns directly to the Minister of Transportation about Morriston’s bottleneck.
Within 48 hours of the launch by the Puslinch COP committee’s on-line petition at www.hwy6bypass.ca , a total of 372 people had signed up to express their concerns directly to the Minister of Transportation, with 61 per cent of those who penned individual comments citing safety as their primary concern.
Perhaps the most dramatic expression of concern for safety is a personal video entitled The Morriston Nightmare created by Knetsch to express his concerns and frustrations regarding Highway 6. It can be viewed on YouTube at http://youtu.be/MdsWcUssC8s.
Knetsch said he created the video to show the people of Ontario the growing problem people face while traveling Highway 6 through the village of Morriston.
“We are all standing up and saying, ‘stop the Morriston Nightmare,’” Knetsch said in a press release.
Officials say paper petitions will be available at many local sites in Puslinch Township, including Change of Pace Restaurant (Morriston), Arctic Cat (Aberfoyle), the township office (Aberfoyle), Car Store (Aberfoyle), Petro Canada (Aberfoyle), Duff’s Church (Aberfoyle), Puslinch Library (Aberfoyle), Great Wall Restaurant (Morriston), Mini Lakes (Aberfoyle), Millcreek Country Club (Aberfoyle), Pioneer Gas Station (Aberfoyle) and Subway (Aberfoyle).
