COMMENTARY: Sidewalk ‘step in the right direction’ for pedestrians navigating Bayers Lake

A caller sidewalk will soon branch disconnected Chain Lake Drive successful Bayer’s Lake, connecting pedestrians pinch Walmart and Superstore among different businesses.

A multitude of large container retailers, dense postulation and constricted pedestrian infrastructure makes getting astir nan business parkland challenging, if not dangerous.

There’s besides nan entree roads that branch disconnected nan main thrust — astir of which do not person sidewalks.

For transit personification Eva Kabbabe, nan deficiency of sidewalks is appalling.

“It’s not safe. I mean yes, you tin locomotion complete nan grass…but it’s uneven and it’s connected a slope and it’s not really thing older group tin do,” Kabbabe said.

Pedestrian information advocate, Martyn Williams, agrees.

“I mean, location are sidewalks on nan main stretch,” Williams said. “Coming off, going towards nan stores, you’ve sewage perfectly nothing.

“I spot a batch of families pinch strollers pinch young kids successful them. Elderly group utilizing walkers — and it’s very dangerous, truthful that’s what I’ve been focusing on, to effort to get a sidewalk here.”

And Williams has been successful successful his advocacy.

Choice Properties, which owns respective tons disconnected Chain Lake Drive, told him connected Monday evening that nan institution plans to adhd a sidewalk to nan entree roadworthy starring to Walmart and Superstore.

In a connection to Global News, nan institution says it is “exploring enhancements to pedestrian infrastructure astatine nan spot based connected organization feedback.”

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But for Kabbabe, this caller sidewalk is conscionable nan beginning.

“[It’s] a measurement successful nan correct direction, but I would for illustration much sidewalks. Sidewalks and possibly bicycle paths,” Kabbabe said. “It’s each geared for cars; they person first privilege and I’d for illustration to spot that change.”

Williams says he’s relieved to spot plans successful nan useful for 1 vulnerable agelong of road, but that is conscionable nan extremity of nan iceberg.

“I don’t cognize nan position pinch nan different entree roads, and location are ones astatine Costco and location are ones successful nan different direction,” Williams says. “There’s besides municipal autobus stops successful Bayers Lake that person nary connecting sidewalks, truthful location is simply a immense amount.”

The caller sidewalk is expected to beryllium installed this fall, but Williams is concerned astir information successful nan meantime.

“When I benignant of started this connection a agelong clip ago, they were concerned that if they put impermanent barriers up, they would scratch cars,” he said.

“It’s thing that unluckily needs to beryllium said, that it’s overmuch much important that group are safe.”