Dawson Rd resident opposes council solution for trucks
Thunder Bay council proposes reducing speeds, resident says only a ban on trucks will work
A vocal opponent of trucks travelling on Dawson Road said he doesn't like the solution being proposed to Thunder Bay city council.
A committee has recommended setting up a Community Safety Zone on the road, as heavy truck traffic on Dawson Road is a major issue for residents in the area.
Nikos Mantis — a rural Thunder Bay resident who says the big trucks make it dangerous for commuters — said the city’s resolution to create a safety zone is just backing away from the issue.
"I think slowing traffic would make it a little bit safer," he said. "However, I don't think it addresses the basic issue of the volume of traffic on that road, and the concern for safety that it poses."
Thunder Bay city councillor Joe Virdaramo said the committee looking at the issue had to consider many things, including the wishes of a neighbouring community.
"We also got some feedback from the people in Kakabeka [Falls]," he said. "Some of the people there really don't want the trucks to through their area, so that was another consideration."
Mantis said 2,000 residents of the Dawson Road corridor want all transports off the road. He said some of them will be at city hall when council considers how to proceed, at a meeting Monday night.