Reimagining misgivings

Dear Editor:

Plans are being made to reconstruct Saint David Street North in Fergus and apparently there is an “opportunity to reimagine” the entire area.

Wider sidewalks, plantings, bicycle lanes, etc. have all been suggested.

Considering that Fergus presently has no substantial bypass road, it is not practical to be considering any changes that could reduce  or constrict manoeuvring space for any vehicles. On such a major road, any kind of “jam-up” will shift even more impatient and often noisy speedsters onto our residential side streets.

Also, most people just want to park, without stepping out into flower beds and tree rings full of cigarette ends. The best and most “cost effective” answer to address “traffic calming”, is to initiate a Fergus-wide speed limit of 40km/h  and “double-fine safety zones” on all residential streets.

Coupled with  vigorous enforcement by extra patrol squads of police officers, there would certainly be a “calming effect.”

Just because there are engineers and designers involved, does not mean that common sense and practicality will prevail. The last “opportunity to reimagine”  resulted in an oversized library with nowhere to park.

Malcolm McCulloch, Fergus