Don't live on a busy street if you don't like traffic, says Lloyd Ferguson
The Ancaster councillor criticized "parochial" inner city councillors for pushing road changes
A suburban councillor says "parochial" inner city councillors should stop trying to limit traffic on important city roads.
Ancaster's Lloyd Ferguson also had some pointed advice for people who live on busy streets.
"I am getting really tired of parochial lower city councillors wanting to turn our arterial roads into local streets," he said at a public works committee meeting Monday that was dominated by traffic issues.
His comments were made in the midst of a debate on a recurring topic at council in recent months: Do lower-city arterial roads belong to the whole city, or the neighbourhoods they run through?
You don't expect the rest of the city to adjust the street to accommodate your personal needs.- Lloyd Ferguson
"If you don't want to live on a busy street, then don't buy a house there," said Ferguson, saying he's tired of the debate.
"You don't expect the rest of the city to adjust the street to accommodate your personal needs when you made the decision to move there in the first place."
The committee delayed a decision to spend $1,370,400 to make Queen Street two way from Main to Aberdeen.
Aidan Johnson, Ward 1 councillor, said his goal of making Queen Street two way remains. "I'll boil it down as simple as I can," he said. "Queen Street continues to be scary and unsafe to cross."
"Children cross it every day to get to schools in Ward 1 and Ward 2. On foot, on bicycle, it's scary and unsafe."
On foot, on bicycle, it's scary and unsafe.- Coun. Aidan Johnson
Councillors will debate Queen Street's future again after a handful of city councillors have time to meet with city staff and tweak the plan.
At that same meeting, Shakeel Hanif — whose 10-year-old daughter Jasmin was hit and killed by a car in Waterdown on May 16 — pleaded with the city for safer streets, particularly in Waterdown.
Hanif has started the Jasmin Hanif Foundation to promote safer streets. The foundation promotes the "Vision Zero" goal of zero pedestrian deaths.
