Commercial Drive
Monday, May 22, 2006 by Michelle
Recently, Commercial Drive was "fixed up" - roads were ripped up and repaved; sidewalks likewise; old trees were removed and new ones planted; etc. I was thrilled to see that a bit of money was being spent in my neighbourhood on fixing things up a bit. The sidewalks in particular were serious barriers to mobility for many people because they were so broken and uneven. I never saw enough into the future to understand that all this fixing up would also have a very negative impact on our wonderful, pedestrian-oriented neighbourhood though.
Looking North up The Drive from Broadway, the road looks like a major thoroughfare now and drivers are treating it as such. It no longer feels pedestrian-friendly (and, I assume, no longer bicycle-, skateboard-, rollerblade-, stroller-, wheelchair-or scooter-friendly either). It doesn't feel safe to cross the street with the kind of carefree ease and "to hell with vehicles" attitude we love so much about The Drive. Cars now whiz by at higher speeds and to hell with pedestrians. Having community road-hockey games and street festivals will only marginally help keep some drivers aware that pedestrians abound here, but the day-to-day reality is that Commercial Drive now feels like any other automobile-dominated area. That's sad.
Where are the rumble-strips and speed bumps when you need them?