Area near Anne McClymont elementary school selected for $5.2 million upgrade after parents complain
A section of Lakeshore Road between DeHart and McClure Roads will soon have sidewalks and a more pedestrian-friendly look after city council voted unanimously to support moving a $5.2 million upgrade to the top of the pile of city projects.
The area has become a point of contention for residents in the area, particularly as Anne McClymont Elementary School sits directly on the stretch in question, making it very difficult for young students to traverse the stretch safely.
“Although this will impact the timeline of the other road projects in the area, this is the right thing to do,” said Coun. Colin Basran, who assumed the mayor’s chair for Monday’s council meeting in Walter Gray’s absence.
Noting a temporary fix would not be a good use of city funds, Basran said the councillors who have met with parents in the area are very aware of the concerns and are definitely prepared to act now, rather than wait seven years—the original timeline for the project.
Some $700,000 has been pulled together to get preliminary design work underway and council has given city staff the go ahead to get the project into the 2015 as a priority item. The city is promising curbs, sidewalks, gutters and lighting and parents are pushing for cycling lanes.
