Dear editor,
The City of Courtenay is inviting the public to provide feedback until Aug 8, 2019 on a transportation planning document that will guide future decision-making on infrastructure improvements for all modes of transportation for years to come.
We are dismayed to see that Arden Road is being designated as a major collector connection and here are four reasons why it is a really bad idea:
1) Arden Road intersects with Lake Trail Road just a few hundred metres away from Arden Elementary School. For most children this is the only route, to get to and from school, whether by car or bicycle or on foot. Designing a busy road with a major intersection this close to an elementary school with 300 children is a bad idea. This means an average of 600 children will be crossing the intersection each school day, travelling between their homes and the school.
2) The construction of a large bridge over the critical habitat of endangered lamprey and salmon spawning grounds of the Morrison Creek will cause stress upon these populations. Construction of a bridge will permanently alter salmon habitat. There is a critical resting pool for spawning salmon in Morrison Creek at Arden Road.
3) Along the length of Arden Road, there are two major intersections, Lake Trail Road and Cumberland Road. This is not a good option for a future major corridor as it will be costly to build and will create more traffic congestion in the future.
4) Arden Road is densely residential between Morrison Creek and 1st Street.
Here are some details from the City of Courtenay’s website (July 2019) The draft Connecting Courtenay: Transportation Master Plan (https://bit.ly/2KiZASy)
We can submit comments to the city via email: connectingcourtenay@courtenay.ca until Aug. 8, 2019.
Shirley Coulson,
Courtenay