FALL RIVER: The local councillor is growing increasingly frustrated with delays from HRM staff and their review to see if a crosswalk at Fletcher Drive and Highway 2 in Fall River meets the criteria for installation.
Steve Streatch, the representative for Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley, said there are currently two active crosswalk applications for the Fall River area and a sidewalk/crosswalk application in for the Waverley area.
“Sometimes when it comes to crosswalks, HRM staff tend to drag their heels,” he said in a Jan. 18 interview with The Laker at his office in Fall River. “That frustrates me. I’ve had discussions as of late asking them how we can move these items along a bit quicker.
“Their indication to me is that a lot require foot traffic studies and traffic studies and that can only happen in the summer when university students are available to help.”
Streatch isn’t buying that answer.
“That’s an answer that I just don’t accept,” he said. “I am staying engaged with staff and asking them to move this along quicker.”
He said as to how quick they get through doing the staff reports and the level of scrutiny they give, leaves him with some concern.
Streatch said HRM staff that look after traffic tend to be a bit “ambiguous” as it relates to bending to political will.
“They have criteria that is enabled by provincial legislation that allows them to either approve or deny,” he said. “I believe Fall River and area needs to have attention quicker rather than later, and I’ll be working hard to make that happen.”