Shirley Bullock is concerned for her safety and the safety of her neighbours and has started a petition asking the Town of Huntsville to take action.
“The Town has allowed all this housing development but they have not taken into consideration any of the road infrastructure,” she said, referring to a circumference that includes parts of Hwy. 60, Fairyview Drive, Highview Drive as well as Chaffey Township Road and Muskoka Road 3 North.
She said existing and proposed developments in the area have added a lot more traffic to the neighbourhood. The roads are narrow, and most have no sidewalks which makes it difficult for vehicles and particularly pedestrians to get around without risk of bodily injury.
She is urging council to widen Chaffey Township Road and add a sidewalk. Sidewalks should also be added to Highview Drive where several multi-residential buildings are planned as well as a sidewalk for Fairyview Drives—all roads that have become much busier with existing housing projects and will only become worse as others projects are completed.
Bullock is also petitioning the MTO to include a streetlight on Hwy. 60 at Fairyview Drive. The Tree House development, more traffic from Fairyview, and other existing and future housing developments have made that stretch of highway busier and consequently more dangerous, particularly for those trying to walk on the non-existent shoulder of the highway, especially in winter.
She’s asking that Muskoka Road 3 North, maintained by the District, which also leads to Huntsville Hospital, get sidewalks and that the four lanes on King William be extended North of Hwy. 60 with a turning lane to the hospital.
Bullock points to the large dump trucks that use Muskoka Road 3 North—also a throughway between Hwy. 60 and Hwy. 11—and the increase to traffic on that road as a result of housing developments such Brookside Crossing, Settlers Ridge, Woodstream, and Campus Trail.
“Considering the increased volume of traffic and population on Muskoka Road 3 North between Williamsport Road and Hwy. 60, the road should be widened, sidewalks implemented and street lights installed. These upgrades will increase safety for vehicles and pedestrians. Huntsville is growing and so must the infrastructure!” reads her petition.
You can sign the petition at Godfrey’s Travel, located at 1 King William Street.
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I am a business owner as well as drive school bus. The roads, the sidewalks, snow removal , etc. have all been neglected. The safety of our elderly and children are in danger every single day. I see it daily driving bus. People are walking down roads, our elderly are trying to climb snowbanks, etc. I’m very disappointed in our town. We can do so much better than this. Something needs to be done before someone is seriously hurt or even killed. Like someone else said., children are expected to walk up to 1.5 km on roads where there are no sidewalks risking getting hit by the many big trucks, etc travelling them. Potholes are absolutley atrocious!!!! I thought we lived in a caring community. Another huge concern is Princess Street along beside Huntsville Public. I was promised by our last mayor that it would be looked at in regards to the safety of children going to and from school. It needs a posted limit to 30km/hr and one way coming from Center Street. That’s just one concern but there are several others and nothing has been done. Our roads and sidewalks should be first priority over building a new condo so to speak. They should be first priority this year over everything. We have so many emergency vehicles that need to access them as well. Let’s get them fixed. Let’s get back to caring about the people.
If there were sidewalks would that prevent drivers from going double the speed limit on “country roads” like Chaffey Twsp Rd.?
Definitely “urban sprawl” has created a new generational shift that needs to be addressed. Immediately, the elderly and disabled are not being emphasized by the Huntsville municipality and the ever changing landscape and growth of the community is just as significant in prioritizing all aspects and issues needed to be addressed, Sidewalks, street:pedestrian lighting and many other community concerns need to be resolved,as soon as possible. Just wanted to voice my opinion and concerns about supporting the genuine community and the ongoing growth of the future developments within the town of Huntsville Ont, which is currently happening…
Let us understand the importance of all the projects that will expand the local areas and support the community when it is determined to be required!! We can make the changes necessary together…
We need to ask the town why subdivisions are not made to put in sidewalks as part of their plans? When developers apply to put in a subdivision they should have to put in sidewalks. Not only in the subdivision but also leading in and out of the subdivision. You rarely see a subdivision in the south without sidewalks yet in this town you are lucky to find one. School boards must all think we have sidewalks because kids within 3 kilometres have to walk to school. Anyways that’s another topic. Get your act together council and make this a safer place and one for us to be proud of. Stop catering to a chosen few and put OUR tax dollars to good use. Kevin Mackinnon
Glad to read of others complaints I have written several times about the lack of sidewalk on Center St from the Bridge north to West Rd This is a tragedy waiting to happen This area services two schools, and multiple seniors. The traffic has increased since the detour for downtown construction was created and many drivers find Center Street to either West Rd or Hanes a great way to avoid downtown.
Over all planning is questionable – the development of Center Street from West Rd to Hanes is an example of poor planning – I am wondering how many stop lights will be installed A round about certainly would have been very wise – Are Sidewalks planned???? Why was the entrance to a Commercial development and Fairvern not tied together, Why was the Beer Store not off Ott drive?? Oh and who planned the right hand turn lane at Hanes from Center St. Must have thought the one lane would be used by a “Smart Car” only Yes Planning needs a hard look at for the whole town as the expansion is unbelievable We do not need more committees, we need more hands on workers. That’s enough for today Jacquie
Ive been SO disappointed with the state of almst ALL of the dwntwn roads in Huntsville!! Theyr dwnright dangerous and are literally DESTROYING my vehicle! Nothing but ruts, gaping holes, uneven pavement…i drive SO slow to try to minimize the damage but have had to do a ton of wrk on my car (ball joints, shocks, toe clips, front end alignmnts), am havng to do thes things a second time in a yr!
I wish i cld sue the twn for not maintaining roads and the expense its costing everyone. I cant afford a new vehicle and if i cant afford the upkeep on this one i lose my job (whch requires drivng out to cottages).
Considering the tax $’s that mst be rolling in frm hundreds of new builds this is UNACCEPTABLE!! And hey WE ALL pay taxes!
FIX the F’ing roads already, its shameful!!
Invest bck into this twn fer chrisake!
Couldn’t agree more. Sidewalks and a cycling lane are standard in some municipalities and should be here too. Upgrades should be to that standard as well.
Absolutely spot on. While the tax base has expanded considerably without raising taxes the town has fallen short in maintenance and redevelopment. Sidewalks widening of roads, particularly Chaffey Township and removing large vehicles transports and dump trucks from residential streets should be a priority.
It’s not just the North/East side of town, over on Yonge St S where we finally got a crosswalk and the beginning of a sidewalk last year, the town stopped only half way despite knowing that a development of more than 750 residences is going in up the road, on top of the multiple developments already underway or complete near the top of the hill. I’ve complained for years that the kids in the area have to walk next to 6′ snow banks on what is essentially a town bypass with heavy trucks and constant traffic on their way to high school or waiting for the morning school buses. Will it take a child getting run over to finally cave in and install the infrastructure, sidewalks, and lighting needed in our neighbourhoods?
100% correct. If the Town of Huntsville is going to allow an apartment building of that size on Highway 60, how can they not have sidewalks to the lights at 60?
FACT . On a regular basis , people are walking along the highway to Tim Horton s / the hospital area.
FACT. At night , people walk down the turning lane in the middle of the highway .
Those sidewalks need to be plowed.
Correct me if I’m wrong, I think that children are expected to walk along that road to school with the 1.6 km. walking rule. We tried decades back to get that road a sidewalk…but no! No foresight at all. I hope that council is listening now.
There are many sidewalk upgrades and snow removal on them that need addressing. The side of main St West by the train station on the other side needs to have snow removed. More residential on that side than the park by train station that is not used in winter. For example
She’s right! It’s a disgrace. Unfettered development without the basic infrastructure necessities to support safe enjoyment of outdoor spaces. All the new developments have those amenities as part of their subdivision plans, but that does absolutely nothing for the existing, essentially “country roads”, like Chaffey Township Road, Fairyview, never mind Highway 60, and Cann Street….
Perhaps some of the big bucks from Muskoka Meadows and Settler’s Ridge developments could be put towards where “the rest of us” have to go…
Just sayin’