Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fury In River Heights-Active Transportation



Looking east on Grosvenor Avenue. No parking signs went up on Saturday. Right, Westworth United Church.



Looking west on Grosvenor Avenue. No parking signs went up on Saturday. Left, Westworth United Church.



There is absolute fury in River Heights about the no parking signs that went up in front of Westworth United Church on Grosvenor Avenue on Saturday. Voters are calling John Orlikow and his assistant was shocked to hear the no parking signs are in front of the church.

The church has been present since the 1950s and the parking across the street on Grosvenor Avenue has been used by people for services on Sunday, for funerals and weddings, for rummage sales and teas and ironically, for voting.

This all came to an end Saturday when the no parking signs went up. People will be forced to park on Lanark and Beaverbrook Streets which are already filled most Sundays.

The bike path will run in front of the church on the north side and no parking will be the rule on the south side of the street.

People were talking about civil disobedience defying the rule and challenging the city to ticket and tow. It is possible that a lawsuit will be contemplated since the economics of the church renting its hall will be greatly affected.

The ones who should feel the most heat on this are the elected officials. Some could face defeat if they don't put a stop on some of the dimwitted blockage of a church to function. Sam Katz, are you listening?

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1 comment:

Claire said...

For the community's people to have less access now to their community centres and churches, or parking outside their homes... that stifles a community's growth and development, imo. How are these "traffic calming" methods supposed to benefit the community if they limit access to the community's core gathering places? How do you build and maintain a community if you limit access to these common places? This is a really poorly thought out venture, imo.