copying an earlier entry

Unfortunately, one of my earlier posts has received more than 150 spam "comments" in the past 48 hours.  I'm trying to fix this problem by deleting the post and reproducing it here to keep the record complete.  We'll see if that works.

This is a post from just before the election, re going door to door on Beaver and Muskrat:

It was a glorious day for a walk yesterday.  I visited Beaver Street, most of Muskrat and a bit of Moose.

 It was also a great day for conversations! 

During the campaign, there has been some discussion about permanently pedestrianizing the 100 and 200 blocks of Banff Avenue.  Although — of course — I love the idea of pedestrian spaces, I’ve been concerned about what such a choice might do to the folks who live along Beaver Street.  This summer was a trial run of what their traffic would be like, so I had a chance to ask whether it has affected their lives.  The answer was a resounding yes.  One person told me that he was happy to put up with it for a summer for the good of Banff Avenue, but permanently — definitely not.  Even on Muskrat Street, it was possible to observe an increase in the amount and speed of traffic, as impatient drivers looked for a way around downtown.

Perhaps the best solution would be to close Banff Ave a few times a year for special events.  I also think that we will be amazed by how different the pedestrian experience will be there when the new sidewalks are opened up.

One question that arose today was about the design of the traffic light standards — and whether they might be a bit too “ladder-like”, encouraging drunken climbing contests. 

Other topics today: the rec centre, street maintenance and line painting, train whistles, debt, and affordable housing.