Neighbourhood lacks “safe access” to Yonge Street

July 8, 2015 · 0 Comments

I want to reiterate my previously noted concerns over the lack of access from the St. Andrew’s-on-the-Hill neighborhood to Yonge Street.
This year St. Andrew’s College enacted their plan to lock their perimeter gates (a plan well within their rights as private property owners and justified given their safety concerns).
As a result, our neighborhood has no safe access to Yonge Street. On Canada Day, I rode with my wife, three kids, and one of their friends to watch the Canada Day parade.
I often see kids biking, runners, walkers, parents with strollers, and even elderly gentlemen in motorized chairs navigating this hill. Our family rides nearly every weekend to visit the local Starbucks. We are currently forced to ride from Willow Farm Lane to Yonge Street on St. John’s Sideroad.
This stretch of road is incredibly unsafe! The shoulder is narrow, the road is steep, and the cars often speed. It is only a matter of time before a fatality occurs.
Just north on Yonge Street the town of Newmarket is extending the sidewalk on the east side to connect Savage Road and the Tom Taylor Trail. This stretch of road has a much wider shoulder but unfortunately still experienced a fatality several years ago.
Once connected, their citizens will enjoy a much safer access to the park and trail system. Their town is definitely doing the right thing.
In 2011, the Town erected a sign saying the trail system would be continued to connect to Yonge Street. There has been absolutely no progress on completing this connection. If it was completed and connected to Yonge Street, it would provide safe access to the town and the trail systems.
Either build a sidewalk or connect the trail. The Town can’t continue to ignore this situation.

Colum McKinley
Aurora

(Editor’s Note: Construction of a trail link in this area is due to get underway as early as this fall.)