Editor: While it’s true that I prefer to approach things with hope, optimism and trust instead of the anger, pessimism and paranoia preferred by others, do not think for a moment that also implies naiveté or a lack of skepticism.
The concern that the proposed layout for Bear Street could reduce traffic volumes is not unreasonable. However, the facts would suggest differently.
According to the Transportation Master Plan, Bear only sees 18 per cent of the traffic that Banff and Lynx do on a congested day. This suggests Bear is not being used to get across town like Banff or Lynx.
My personal experience is that I drive down Bear if I am looking to do something in that area – I do not consider Banff and Lynx as alternatives in those situations. Therefore, I doubt a woonerf is likely to change the driving habits of people that are already heading down the one block of Bear that will be affected.
If it enhances the experience for pedestrians, then in my opinion, that is a good use of that urban space.
As a frequent cyclist, I agree that a bike lane along Muskrat is unnecessary and other, cheaper, changes would be more beneficial. However, implying that a run on torches and pitchforks is necessary to oppose one suggestion put forth in a proposed plan (which hasn’t reached council) that included dozens of other suggestions on a myriad of matters is both unnecessary and a gross overreaction.
The 1993 election reference is hardly a comparable example. With the backdrop of a recession, increased deficits, NAFTA, GST and the Charlottetown referendum, voters decided to turf that government. However, the federal party system has little similarity with the municipal system of elected individuals, so turfing a government is a bit different.
Every eligible voter in Banff had an opportunity to use the power of their ballot in the last election and the results were clear. Nothing has happened in the past year that would lead me to significantly change who I voted for and I have yet to hear from enough people that would now vote differently to suggest a different result in the event of a new election.
It seems that what particularly irks some people is that town council is not representing ‘their’ wishes. The sooner that we can grasp the concept that an individual’s wishes may be different than the community’s wishes, the sooner we can move on with discussing what is best for Banff (and why) and not just what is best for whomever is spewing the most vitriol that particular week.
Ben Berci,
Banff
