A proposed multi-use pathway connecting Thornhill with the City of Terrace isn’t feasible because its route through the Hwy 16/37 roundabout presents too much of a danger to pedestrians and others, says a representative of the Thornhill Community Association.
“There’s just too much congestion. It’s dangerous. It’s not well thought out,” said Bob Erb. “I don’t know what the people were drinking with their morning coffee, but it wasn’t cream.”
Erb made the comment at a May 17 meeting in Thornhill to discuss the regional district’s concept for a pathway that would have a connection to the Old Skeena Bridge into Terrace and also one crossing over the Thornhill/Terrace boundary to the bridges spanning the Skeena River on the eastern end of Terrace.
It’s that latter route into Terrace through the roundabout that has Erb worried.
“People driving through there know their focus all of the time is the things that they’ve gotten used to in two years — the entrance and exits of cars coming into the roundabout and exiting it — but now, if you put in seven crosswalks there with pedestrians, children, pets, bicyclists crossing 11 lanes of traffic, it’s an accident catastrophe waiting to happen,” Erb said.
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Instead, Erb favours the development of a park across Hwy 16 from the multi-million dollar weigh scale now under construction between Novotny St. and Kirkaldy St., on the Thornhill Frontage Rd.
It would be called the Thornhill Memorial Riverfront Park and feature a walking trail at the Costa Lessa Motel to the Copper River bar and potentially further.
Clark St. to Crescent Dr. should also have part of the access road marked as a walking trail, Erb said.
Crescent Dr. at Highway 16 should also be built to connect the new Thornhill walking trail network, although the new weigh scales across the road wouldn’t be used for walking because of truck traffic.
“The only place people that would benefit from the regional district’s proposed project would be the walkers coming from Terrace over to Ferry Island, rounding the corner to the Old Skeena Bridge bridge,” Erb said.
The regional district’s pathway concept to connect Thornhill with Terrace was developed last year and into this year using a provincial grant.
As a part of the public consultation process, the regional district encouraged those who live, work, or visit the Thornhill area to share their views on the proposed project.
An online community survey was open until May 20 to gather information about transportation habits, interest in the new pathway and desired amenities for its final design.
At the end of the May 17 open house, Thornhill regional district director Ted Ramsey presented Erb with a $10,000 cheque for the newly-formed Thornhill Community Association.