'Gauntlet' demonstration draws attention to safety hazard

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

A stretch of Highway 358 between Greenwich and Port Williams has been dubbed “the gauntlet” by many cyclists and pedestrians because it’s so dangerous to cross. Two former candidates for Kings County council want immediate action to be taken.

The Saturday, Oct. 4 supervised trip across “the gauntlet”, which concluded with a presentation of a Kieran Pathways Society report by member Glyn Bissix, was led by Patricia Bishop, who was a candidate in District 2 for the Oct. 18 municipal election, and Audrey Haig-Stewart, candidate in District 10.

In a news release issued prior to the demonstration, Haig-Stewart said the current council’s trails committee has recommended that a county-wide strategy be put in place. However, action to remove this specific hazard can’t wait until then. The delay is unnecessary and too risky.

The Kieran Pathway’s Society is a not-for-profit organization focused on active transportation in the Grand Pre-Coldbrook-Berwick corridor. The society views the section of Highway 358 between Greenwich and Port Williams as a key link between two densely populated areas and scenic cycling routes in Kings North.

Bishop and Haig-Stewart stated in the release that many cyclists and pedestrians are concerned that a broader active transportation strategy for the entire county might recommend they share a pathway with motorized all-terrain vehicles. The society calls for a barrier to protect the pathways from any use by motorized vehicles.

Bishop stated in the release that she considers a safe passage across the dyke to public transportation routes and services essential, especially for students. Additional pathway development could link Highway 1 to Horton High School so students can commute safely to and from extracurricular activities.

Following the demonstration, attended by about 40 people, Haig-Stewart said she thought the event was successful. “It was meant to be educational for participants and the general public, as well as draw attention to the real need for a safe crossing for walkers and cyclists across this dangerous and busy stretch of road,” she said. “Clearly, it is important we understand and consider the facts and details of the issue if we’re going to arrive at the best possible solution.”

She said she learned from Bissix that a previously commissioned professional study found that simply widening the road and paving a shoulder is not a solution because the many large trucks using the road would simply move further out toward the shoulder, to the detriment of both the road and those attempting to cycle or walk on its edge.

Council approved a recommendation from the trails committee to initiate an active transportation project to widen the stretch of road and pave the shoulder, in partnership with other government departments, at the Tuesday, Oct. 7 session. The recommendation came from a Sept. 24 trails committee meeting. The original recommendation from the society was for a separate, paved trail across the dyke beside the highway.

Haig-Stewart said she is disappointed that once again council chose to ignore the facts and advice of experts, choosing instead to follow a piecemeal approach that will not solve the problem safely and effectively. “I understand that cost is always an issue, but putting money into a project that will not successfully deal with the problem is not, in my opinion, a wise use of funds,” she said.

Haig-Stewart said she believes a trail system would promote healthy recreation and provide an alternative route for commuters and tourists within the county. She said it isn’t a new or revolutionary idea and wonders why it’s taking so long to get action.

Bishop said the cost of fuel, the move toward active transportation and safety are three reasons why we as citizens must engage to have something done. The walk provided people with an opportunity to demonstrate and express their concern and learn about the initiative for a safe pathway started a number of years ago. “My position is why initiate an active transportation project that doesn’t include a group of people who have been working so hard and have already compiled research, professional guidance and worked at building relationships within various departments,” Bishop said. “It is another case of reinventing the wheel versus working together toward a common goal.”

She wondered why council took action now and why the matter hadn’t been at the forefront over the past four years. “Instead of getting a safe pathway established between Port Williams and Greenwich, our current councillors have been working to have more homes built,” she said. “One might think that having safe ways of moving about would be a higher priority than having more people to move about unsafely.”

Council has approved a recommendation also to have staff investigate the feasibility of the potential development of a public trail between Kentville and Hantsport along the Windsor-Hantsport rail line.

Councillors respond

In response to the news release and a letter circulated in the area in regard to the “gauntlet” demonstration, District 10 councillor Chris Parker, chair of the county’s trails committee and who was re-elected Oct. 18, said the candidates had hijacked the issue and misrepresented what has actually happened to-date.

Parker said the candidates had an opportunity to get involved in the trails committee as citizen appointees and didn’t pursue the option. He said there have been 12 trails committee meetings and 10 budget meetings where they could have made their concerns known, but they hadn’t attended one. “They used this situation as a cheap political shot,” Parker said. “Actions speak louder than words.”

District 2 councillor Janet Newton said this is a matter that should have been taken up with the two local MLAs and cabinet ministers. Highway 358 is provincial jurisdiction. She said the demonstration endangered the participants and their children and was done solely for political motives.

She said the trails committee recommendation raised fiscal issues, which involve finding taxpayers dollars, and it seems the candidates were totally ignorant of council’s substantial involvement with the Kieran Pathways Society initiative.

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