Amid strong opposition and a loud chorus of safety concerns from the public, the City of Orillia has hit the brakes on plans for 17 on-street parking spots along Colborne Street to carry out a safety review.
Originally approved by city council in May, installation of the new parking spaces began this week, including a number of spaces near the Colborne and West Street intersection – the site of two fatal collisions since January.
On Thursday, OrilliaMatters published a story sharing a resident’s safety concerns about parking near the busy intersection, with a number of residents echoing concerns in the comments, and a reader poll showing 93.3 per cent opposition to the plan after nearly 400 votes.
“We all know that stretch has been particularly dangerous and perilous,” said the resident, Susan Lewis, in an interview with OrilliaMatters. “What more do we need to show that that stretch is dangerous? To add parking along that stretch just does not seem to be a very good idea.”
As a result, the city has paused installation of the parking spaces, with plans to remove the newly painted spaces along Colborne to pave the way for an evaluation of the impacts on traffic flow and safety in the area, said a city press release.
“We are committed to prioritizing the safety of all road users,” said Mayor Don McIsaac in the press release. “As part of this process, we want to take additional time to review traffic conditions and ensure that any changes we implement are in the best interest of the community.”
Beyond the Colborne and West intersection, Lewis also shared concerns about spaces planned near the Colborne Street Tim Hortons – an area she said is similarly “busy all the time.”
The 17 planned spaces along Colborne Street were part of 22 total new spaces approved for downtown Orillia by city council. The remaining five spaces – at Matchedash Street, Peter Street North, Andrew Street South, and Municipal Parking Lot #2 – will be installed as planned.
