Rage over roads?

By Miriam King editorial Bradford Times January 13 2011
Bradford West Gwillimbury has been going through growing pains – in particular, the pain of road construction.
Even though painful, the construction has been needed.
Do we support the widening of Dissette and the 8th Line? Absolutely – but we deplore the miscues, delays and poor management that resulted in months of misery for local residents and businesses. And it has always infuriated us that a regional ring road is being constructed on the backs of BWG taxpayers: we have argued that the province and County should be stepping up to pay a bigger share, for solving a regional traffic problem.
Do we support the 5th Line-Hwy. 400 interchange? Absolutely. The interchange will make it possible to develop the Hwy. 400 industrial corridor, provide a safe alternative to the Canal Rd. ramps, and ease congestion at 88 – and the cost-sharing deal with the Province and County, which includes land acquisition, should protect the municipality from out-of-control costs.
But do we support the Southeast and Southwest Arterial Roads being proposed? Nope. At least, not at this point in time.
Bradford’s population and current growth pattern don’t seem to support construction of a new road running south from Dissette, a road that furthermore would cut through Marsh farmland. Nor can we see a crying need for both 10 Sideroad south of Holland and the 5th Line west of 10 SR to be widened to 4 lanes. Maybe in decades to come, but not now.
We’d like to see the Town complete the Southeast and Southwest Arterial Road Environmental Assessments – and shelve them. Give residents a break from new road construction. Focus, for the time being, on other issues – like the development of transit, trails, revitalizing the downtown core, and the 2011 budget.