Editor:
Having often driven on Dogwood Lane in Gibsons, either as a motorist or as a cyclist, I feel I’m being generous in describing its surface as possibly fit for traversal by surplus Mars rovers but unsuited for use by most other wheeled vehicles. And while I no more wish to intercede in the discussion residents of the surrounding area are having about closing Glassford Road to automobiles than I would want to referee a married couple’s debate of who is remembering a camping trip correctly, I do have a suggestion to make before withdrawing to another room to make coffee.
From the Town’s website I can see that the road-blocking experiment flows from a $675,000 grant by the province for active transportation network upgrades, and that the Town released an interim report in December showing a resulting increase in traffic along Dogwood of 97 per cent. I notice also that the trial closure ends soon, that a final staff report is to be expected afterwards and that the overall completion date for the grant isn’t until March 31, 2023.
My thought is that it wouldn’t take too much bureaucratic imagination for one of the findings to be that resurfacing Dogwood to a width which would permit side lanes for bikes or wheelchairs would be beneficial in an active transportation-y way, no matter what happens with Glassford. I know that doesn’t address the underlying issue but it is a small practical road improvement that could fit within the scheme of the grant.
David Stow, Elphinstone
