Editor: In mid-January 2021 (30 months ago), I wrote a letter to mayor and council (the receipt of which was never acknowledged). It dealt primarily with the proposed decimation of Victoria Avenue and the possibility of moving the bike lanes to the west (Sandy Street).
Recent announcements, a donation and personal observation have given me cause to once more make my suggestion known.
If you insist on having bike lanes from (ostensibly) the Thames River on the south to Gregory Drive on the north, then I believe that west is best.
There is ample vehicle parking at the north end of Orangewood Boulevard near at the intersection of Gregory. There is no parking available at the Victoria and Gregory intersection.
Orangewood and Sandy have ample width to accommodate bike lanes to McNaughton, and there are existing bike lanes south on Sandy to Grand Avenue.
Orangewood is midway between Kingston Park (in the east) and the O’Neil Nature Preserve (to the west).
The greater number of potential bicycle riders living in or near Orangewood and Sandy compared to those living between Gregory and McNaughton on Victoria is obvious as the latter is for the most part single-family dwellings while the former has a few singles and a host of both fourplexes and apartment buildings.
The perceived – yet unconfirmed – need for advance greens and left turn lanes is already in place at Sandy and McNaughton. Potentially expensive changes at Victoria and McNaughton would not be required.
Advance greens are in place at Sandy and Grand as well.
Bicycle lanes already exist on Sandy between McNaughton and Grand. There is no need to re-invent Victoria.
A host of businesses exist at Sandy & McNaughton to serve cyclists. There are none at Victoria and McNaughton.
We then have to traverse the two short blocks between Grand and Mary Street (to the south of Grand). That should be do-able and this intersection too has both advance greens and left turn lanes. There is a huge apartment building a short distance to the west (more potential riders than at the corners of Victoria and James and Barthe combined),
We’ll turn left on Mary Street to the walkway in place between the hospital and the river. The hospital walkway would appear to end at the west end of Emma Street. Let me suggest the accommodation of bike lanes by designating Emma as one way – west only – between St. Clair and the hospital.
Now we’re at the north end of the Third Street Bridge which has bike lanes marked on it.
Cross the bridge to King Street. Here we with the Civic Centre a bit to the west, and food, beverage and theatre within a short walk.
Add to that the late Thomas Campbell’s donation of his corner lot at the northwest corner of King and Third streets and we have the perfect location for a Thames River park area in which could be located the southern terminus of the Gregory Drive-to -downtown Chatham bike trail. It’s almost too good to be true.
Reg DeNure
Chatham
