"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Tuesday 19 July 2016

WHERE ONE LIVES IS A FREE CHOICE

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "NOTHING NEW IN THE MUNICIPAL UNIVERSE": 

I don't give a hoot about speed bumps, there's a lot of speeding across some of these roads in Town, but those chicanes that redirect traffic should have never been installed. I remember when council voted to have those things removed, whatever happened to that? Righting a wrong has never been Aurora's strong suit. In fact...they're absolute cowards. 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 18 July 2016 at 13:15

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The town did remove the chicanes . At a cost of $59 thousand. They left dead-ended streets in place and added speed bumps for the same purpose. 

There were residents seriously inconvenienced by the configuration who have to drive around the block to get into their driveways. Their rights were not addressed. 

I remember smug satisfaction expressed by the spokesman for the obstruction course . He spoke after of enjoying  quiet on his porch while his wife was on the road teaching his seven year old how to ride a bike. I heard  later he sold his house and moved out of town soon after. 

It was always his right, of course.

Like it was his choice to buy a house in an area of town where traffic is certainly heavy, going to and from other places. 

Like say, Murray Drive, Aurora Heights, Orchard Heights and a dozen others.  

I had a call, once from a resident on Aurora Heights Drive. He bought his house seven months 
previously without understanding it was a major collector of  heavy traffic off Yonge Street. 

He didn't ask for chicanes, for streets to be dead-ended to prevent through access, or for speed bumps. 

He simply asked for the regular speed limit to be reduced because he had young children. From his perspective that was reasonable.

I had to explain to him the broader function of Aurora Heights Drive. 

About provincially  regulated speed limits. 

That York Region Police, a public agency at arm's length from politics, is responsible for enforcing speed limits. 

Municipal politicians can fool around with speed limits,  if it makes no sense, the police will not issue tickets to people for driving at regulated speed limits. 

I never heard from the resident again. 

Maybe he sold his house  on Aurora Heights Drive  and bought one on a back street where his children would be safer. 

He always had that choice. 




11 comments:

Anonymous said...

They missed Spruce and Catherine.

Anonymous said...

How can the original poster say that council has never "righted wrongs"? The first half of the first Dawe administration was spent reversing a number of previous council initiatives. That was all they did !

Anonymous said...

7:32
No. They did more, pulling a fast one during the first part of their term. But, you are right in one respect. There was a complete rejection of any action on the land around the Old Library that continues to this day.

Anonymous said...

7:32 - Like what? They took out some chicanes, but apparently left one.
They were to pull the plug on the SCC, but we all know what happened there.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting reading the justifications of Mrs Trumph's modelling/soft porn career used upon where she was born. Like it is an excuse because you grew up in a poor neighbourhood. What garbage ! And tonight they present Paul Ryan pretending that everyone is getting along at their convention.

Anonymous said...

Knock the guy all day long. But leave his family out.

Anonymous said...

14:45
Removed traffic calming
Renamed a previously renamed street

to name two

Look up the rest

Anonymous said...

A lovely morning in our town
And it seems Mrs T lied about her education - lovely there too.

Anonymous said...

18:59
Nonsense. Republicans called Chelsea ugly when she was just 13. Trump's wife gets discussed as soon as she goes on the stage.

Anonymous said...

It dosen't matter what political stripe you wear. Whether there on the stage or not, family bashing should be off the table.

Anonymous said...

Loved Eric Trump'sspeech
Especially the comment about his father being the one who always signs the front of the cheque.
Here in Canada we embrace a pm who has spent his life signing the back of cheques
Btw not a Trump or Clinton fan