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Anyone familiar with the Hunt Club/Riverside intersection knows that it is frequently a haven for line-ups – not always during rush hours. Presumably it is also a harbour for impatience and carelessness: The city’s own statistics rate the intersection as one of the worst for collisions, sitting at “F” (Failure) for ability to move traffic. In defence of the project, a spokesperson for the developer stated that, according to their “study,” only three per cent more traffic would ensue upon the project’s completion. On what apocryphal basis we are to accept this remains in question. The city’s Traffic Impact Study focused on estimates for vehicles entering/leaving what will be a new traffic stop, but not on the impact on Riverside southbound traffic.

Anyone familiar with the Hunt Club/Riverside intersection knows that it is frequently a haven for line-ups – not always during rush hours.

What happens when you try to add to a container that’s already full?

That it was a very difficult winter for roads in the region was no more evident than on Hunt Club Road, particularly east of the intersection. I have never had to drive through such a gantlet of potholes on a major road before; more traffic will not make it better.

Why are most council members so willing to ignore the realities of the situation? Perhaps they should try driving the area more often; seeing would be believing.

To those, like the mayor, who suggest that the LRT will be a solution, many of us say, “Get real!” Not only is there almost no bus service now (the area comprises almost exclusively businesses), but even with the minor bump in proposed residential, there is little likelihood of any LRT solution for many years. What are the alternatives in the meantime? Moreover, the number of vehicles will continue to grow due to developments south of the city.