Downtown business owner Michael Gilbert chastised members of Courtenay council at its last meeting for including cantilevers in the repairs to the 5th Street Bridge.
Gilbert, co-owner of Michael鈥檚 Off Main restaurant on 4th Street, feels certain memebers of council are following a single-minded agenda that is not in the best interest of taxpayers.
鈥淵ou cannot afford to lose the trust of the citizens of Courtenay or that of the Comox Valley,鈥� Gilbert said in a presentation Aug. 19. 鈥淚 would really like to know who in their right mind would come up with an idea like cantilevers? Let me guess. It would be a lopsided, one-minded mayor and council that have their own agenda, and they鈥檙e going to make sure it happens, whether right or wrong, in the name of the environment and saving the planet.鈥�
Cantilevers will add $2 million to an estimated $6.3 million to recoat and renew the bridge deck, and increase the construction period from six to eight months. At committee of the whole June 24, Couns. Manno Theos and Doug Hillian opposed a motion from David Frisch to include cantilevers in the bridge rehabilitation project.
鈥淵ou are not addressing our traffic problem at all,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淔ifth Street Bridge is a natural bottleneck. After $8.5 million and eight months or longer, we will still have a traffic problem on lower 5th Street. Your cantilevers are a bad idea, and do not deserve one dollar of taxpayer money.鈥�
Gilbert said most Comox Valley residents do not ride bicycles.
鈥淲e have a large rural area with limited public transportation. Bikes and their riders are a small minority of our population, at least for now. So be a little more conservative and patient. First thing鈥檚 first.鈥�
He asked council to admit the time is wrong for cantilevers 鈥� which some have referred to as 鈥淧igs with lipstick鈥� 鈥� and to select the first repair option at $6.3 million.
Gilbert advocates adding a third lane to the bridge.
鈥淭hree lanes on one side, three lanes on the other side with only a two-lane bridge. What you have at the end will be a walkway, bike lane, viewing spots and no more traffic problems.鈥�
Frisch struggles to see where a third lane would be constructed. Gilbert said it would be separate from the bridge and run into Simms Park.
Coun. Melanie McCollum said the idea for a widened pathway was forwarded by City staff.
鈥淲hen we鈥檙e making improvements to our city, we鈥檙e looking at imperfect solutions, because we鈥檙e not starting with a clean slate,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a perception here that by providing wider access across the bridge for something other than vehicle traffic, that there鈥檚 this idea that we think everybody should be on a bike and travelling across the bridge in that manner, and that鈥檚 not the case. We鈥檙e wanting to provide better safety. The way it鈥檚 set up right now, when bikes are crossing the bridge they鈥檙e having to enter into the traffic lane鈥hat鈥檚 part of the issue, there is not enough width on these narrow little lanes for a vehicle and a bike to travel together across the bridge.鈥�
Coun. Wendy Morin, who is a walker, has received compliments about the cantilever idea from people with mobility issues and from parents with strollers.
鈥淲hile I understand that you may perceive the council to be just pro-cyclists, I think there are a lot of other people who would benefit from this idea,鈥� Morin said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen that when we postpone decisions, as well, we incur huge costs.鈥�
