Ask the Councillor: GO station; Vehicle right of way signs; Locust/Elgin development
Ask the Councillor:
Resident N.H. asks: Do you know the latest update on the Burlington GO station re-opening?
Answer: The GO Transit website indicates that the completion date of the Burlington GO Train Station (south side – Fairview Street) is June 2015. More details can be found here
In this day and age when all the emphasis is on green living and pollution, I am dismayed that our city erects such signs. Is there any other place on this planet that does this? I can name many that provide well posted pedestrian crosswalks. Why not our council? Fortunately, there are always a few considerate drivers who will stop to let one cross. The most indefensible sign is at the base of Locust at the Lakeshore We spend great sums to provide a beautiful lakeside park, pier, and promenade. Then we discourage people from crossing. I am sure the city fathers will say it is to protect pedestrians. I don’t buy that.
Answer: Many residents have shared their dislike of these signs for exactly these reasons. Good news: I have worked with our transportation staff to replace these signs with a standard provincial sign that advises “wait for the gap.” Some sign must be put at pedestrian crossings for liability reasons, but at least “wait for gap” sends a pedestrian-friendly advisory message, rather than conveying the idea that vehicles come first. We want downtown to be a pedestrian priority area; the new signs are a step in that direction.
Resident J.S. asks: A couple of months ago I emailed you about the condo development at Locust and Elgin. I haven’t heard anything about it and saw last week that the sign is gone. Just wondering if you have any information about it?
Answer: The city does not yet have an application for this property. I will let residents know as soon as the city receives a development proposal for this site.
June 12, 2014 @ 10:10 am
Dear Councillor Ward, There is now a small piece of paper taped to the glass wall of Platform 3’s staircase stating that due to the unusually severe winter and ‘unexpected events’ of some sort, the completion date of the station is now August, 2015. This is TWO YEARS behind the original projection date, and I presume that the new projection will be as inaccurate as the old one. Agreed, we had a lousy winter, but what has been going on there lately? I see no one working on the site at all. Who is in charge of the station construction, GO Transit, Metrolink, or the city of Burlington? And if they are delaying it yet again, why put this small and nearly-unnoticeable announcement in an obscure location?
May 23, 2014 @ 9:28 am
I will pay $15 for that ‘Vehicles have right of way’ sign.