A Fort Frances town councillor is expressing disappointment with council’s dismissal of a proposed truck bypass.
A split vote by council this past week led to a decision not to take any further action.
The cost, a lack of government grants and its impact on government funding provided for other streets all impacted on council members who voted not to do anything more.
Doug Judson calls it another disappointing “status quo” outcome.
“I don’t know that we’ve considered all the options available to us because we do have good representation in both levels of government right now. We haven’t considered whether there is tolling that could be made available for through traffic to subsidize something like this,” says Judson.
The issue of a bypass has come up many times.
Judson notes it was residents who this time asked council to look at removing truck traffic from Front and Scott Streets, the two designated routes for truck traffic currently.
“I think it’s incumbent on us to listen to our constituents and to integrate something like this into the long-term plans for the community.”
Judson also questions how sending trucks through the downtown core interacts with the investments to be made in its Gateway and Shevlin Woodyard projects.
“You know, it’s really hard to develop, for example, a patio culture on Scott St. when pulp trucks are blowing past you.”
