Saugeen Shores Council has rejected a temporary plan for summer 2020 to change one of North Shore Road’s traffic lanes into a trail for pedestrians and cyclists, from McVicar Street to Hilly Lane.
The proposal came forward following severe weather where high winds and Lake Huron wave action damaged the existing multi-use trail.
More than 1,500 respondents took part in the Town survey to gauge public interest in the proposal. Some of the findings include:
- 37% of all respondents preferred North Shore Road remain a two-way street with pedestrians and cyclists using the roads
- 52% of all respondents indicated they would prefer North Shore Road become a temporary one-way street with a dedicated trail for the summer
- 11% of all respondents voted to close the trail
- 14% of respondents live on roads in the area that may be impacted by the active transportation corridor. Of these respondents, 43% were in favour of the one-way option; 43% preferred the road remain a two-way street; and 9% recommended closing the trail
When asked how a one-way street would affect them, respondents said they would need to drive farther to do errands (26%) or to get to work (8%). Just over a quarter of respondents said they would feel safer using a dedicated trail (28%) and 17% indicated they would feel safer using the trail during COVID-19.
“It is excellent to see this level of public engagement for a proposal like this,” said Mayor Charbonneau. “Thank you to all who shared their input on this important feature of our community.”
