There’s no two ways about it when it comes to making changes on Sidney’s Beacon Avenue.
A proposed change that would have seen town’s main drag returned to a two-way street has been dismissed. Instead, the existing alignment — one-way traffic on three blocks — will remain.
The prevailing opinion from recent consultations was to leave things as they are, said Sidney Mayor Larry Cross. “It was pretty clear in terms of the public response to our process.”
As for business owners, some wanted the change and some didn’t, he said.
“It wasn’t a slam dunk that everybody in the business community in the town wanted to have it back to two-way.”
Cross said the public process that was followed worked out well.
“I think it was really helpful,” he said. “It kind of resolved the issue. We can move forward and look at other ways to deal with traffic on the road, rather than changing the direction.”
One of the proponents of reconfiguring Beacon was businessman Steve Duck, who runs the Island’s Destination and Event Service, known as TIDES. He, too, praised the consultation process.
His contention was that a full two-way Beacon Avenue would be more conducive to people taking time to stop and look around on their way through the centre of town.
Duck said he can see the issue coming up again within a few years and a full two-way layout ultimately being approved.
Still in the works for Beacon is a beautification effort that would see new benches, planters and recycling and waste containers added to the streetscape. Public input is being sought at the town hall and on the Sidney website at sidney.ca.
Another municipal effort is aimed at “way-finding” — improving signage and directions for people coming into town.
“We want to simplify it and ‘theme’ it and generally improve the ability of people to find where they want to go once they get to Sidney,” Cross said.
