In an effort to address safety concerns over Jumping Pound residents crossing George Fox Trail from the pathway stemming from the subdivision to the soccer field parking lot across the busy road, the town has put up a six-foot high fence along the south side, where the subdivision meets the road.
“The Town of Cochrane felt the location in question to be really unsafe and we thought to take action before somebody gets hurt,” explained roads manager Wally Hume, adding that the town has determined that building a pedestrian crosswalk with flashing lights is not well-suited for the area or safe at that location, where the road grade is eight per cent.
But some Jumping Pound residents — including David and Mary Tomlinson, Laura Allan and Erica Fikkert — are less than pleased about the decision and the absence of public consultation on the part of the town with area residents.
“They’ve looked at safety but they’ve created an even bigger safety issue,” said David.
The Tomlinsons took the Eagle to where the section of fence was put up nearly two weeks ago — indicating that people are creating their own path at the base of the fence to continue crossing George Fox Trail.
They explained that the notion of now having to detour through the subdivision is a considerable inconvenience, especially for seniors, persons with limited mobility or mothers pushing strollers with young children in tow — all of whom would be forced to take the approximately 1-km detour to reach the top of the hill to arrive at the designated pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Bow Ridge Road and George Fox Trail.
The couple, who have been area residents for three years, explained that the path that the town is encouraging residents to use winds through the soccer field, where portions are covered in water; they also said the path is never cleared in the winter months, rendering it unsafe or unusable.
“Kids are now riding their bikes down the hill to get to the bottom,” said Mary, adding that pedestrians are now travelling down the hill, as well. “People tend to take the shortest path.”
Allen is a three-year Jumping Pound resident who frequently used the pathway shortcut with her two-year-old son and husband. Now pregnant with her second child, Allen is frustrated that she is being directed to detour so far every time she wants to use the soccer fields or head toward the park at the bottom of the hill.
Jumping Pound residents do not currently have a park in their subdivision.
“It doesn’t make sense – it’s more of a safety concern now than it was before,” said Allen, who was on her way to take her son to a park in her vehicle.
“It poses a problem with the fence there – I’d have to walk all the way up there and walk down the busy road without a sidewalk.”
The Tomlinsons are wondering why the town didn’t look at more suitable solutions — such as a fence switchback or a crosswalk with lights.
David stressed that it doesn’t seem reasonable that a pedestrian crosswalk was installed at the bottom of the hill by Lofts on the Bow, but that the town wouldn’t consider installing one for residents to use at the point in question, when there are 515 residents in Jumping Pound Ridge made up mostly of families who utilize the green spaces at the bottom of the hill.
“My biggest concern is the elderly,” said six-year Jumping Pound resident Fikkert, who continued down the path to deter around the fence with her children. Residents are encouraged to contact Hume at 403-851-2593 with their question and concerns.
