Once upon a time there was a little village north of Toronto. It was once known as the “Greenest Town in Ontario” but that was before Highway 50 became one of the busiest truck and traffic corridors in Ontario. The once little green town now bears the shame of bing one of the most congested.

The problem is both local and provincial. Waiting for the Province an Metrolinx to get appropriate public transit into this are has been glacial in progress. So, I have a local solution. Now that the Emil Kolb Parkway skirts the Town, we can put up signs on Highway 50 to direct through traffic to go around the Town – so easy! However, when faced with a wide open double lane road, why detour? Here’s why.

Change highway 50 back to a little two lane Town Road, let’s call it Queen Street, between Coleraine to the south and the Emil Kolb roundabout in the north. Strictly enforce a 50 km/h MAXIMUM speed limitPut in traffic calming planters, bike and walking lans from Tim Horton’s to the south and The Caledon Centre for Wellness and Recreation to the north. That’s tight – only local Bolton traffic on that quiet little road through Town.

As for the BIA – permit short term parking in front of the shops – on both sides of Queen Street during business hours. Insist that the facades of every store look as historically classy as the former dentist’s office at 34 Queen Street South. If you make it attractive and easy to access, they will come. What we don’t need piling thorugh our Town are all the commuters heading north at high speed.

Perhaps, just maybe, the shame will go away and we can justly reclaim our title as “the greenest Town in Ontario.”

The way I see it.

***

Skid Crease,

Caledon