The Cochrane Eagle is asking candidates an issue-based question each week leading up to the election that they will answer in their own words. If a candidate does not answer a question, we will include a bio box with a disclaimer saying the candidate did not respond. All candidates were given a limit of 185 words and questions will be edited to fit that length. Our third question is:
How do you plan to address the town’s growing traffic congestion?
Traffic congestion is not something we are going to solve with a single idea or a magic wand. We need to work together to create innovative solutions today and plan for our future.
In the short term, we can begin to implement low-cost changes that allow traffic to flow smoother and decrease frustration at bottlenecks allowing us to improve congestion and lower stress. Keeping the cost or changes to infrastructure low ensures we can adapt to changes that don’t have a positive effect on congestion.
The need to continue pursuing larger capital projects is vital to supporting the continual growth of our community. Building a new bridge and working with the province to upgrade provincial highways and intersections, are large steps to eliminating congestion. But it can’t come at the cost of unmanageable debt.
We can’t afford to be in this position again. While on council, I will not approve development projects that continue to add to congestion. I will be diligent to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget.
