Cheers for Joyce Munn, Duncan’s accessibility activist
Joyce Munn’s complaint in this week’s Citizen is relevant I feel, to many more than the 200 signed petitioners. I expect there are more, like myself, who did not have the opportunity to sign it.
Having given up my car to ‘go green’ a few years ago in Victoria was OK, as they have fabulous bus service. Here, although the bus service is sort of reasonable, it is still quite difficult to get to many places. Since arriving almost two years ago I walk, which is healthy and I like it, but I recently bought a scooter for longer distances. Well, both are quite the experience in Duncan!
Drivers are the No. 1 problem, not stopping at crosswalks when someone is waiting there to cross, or even scarier is when the car in the centre lane stops but the one in the curb lane roars through just as one steps/rides off the curb or; cars turn right or left on the walk sign and we have to wait hopefully for the next light change. The police say catch the driver’s eye’ to know they have seen you at the intersection, but with so many cars having darkened windows it is hard to see the driver and know if they have seen you.
Then there are the city streets and corners, the former have curbs that are quite unfriendly for wheelchairs and scooters; there are poles that clutter the walkway for wheeled vehicles — they are not well placed; on several streets there is often shrubbery that grows out over the sidewalk — a challenge for two people to walk side be each or for wheeled vehicles.
The latter sees some odd v-shaped configurations at some corners sloping to left and right to the street — is this a new the arty way engineers like? They can be tippy for wheeled vehicles; some corners are very narrow to turn the corner or access the street for crossing.
These problems come from government folks whom I doubt ever walk except to lunch, and are never either wheeling babies or riding scooters or wheelchairs.
If you don’t know from experience please ASK.
That goes, too, for the traffic turn changes on the Malahat; ask locals and frequent drivers, they are the ones with experience. Do we really think that old or new politicians will do this differently? I think they accede to bureaucrats who are not always in touch with or willing to listen to the people.
Toni Graeme
Duncan