A commentary by Irene Allen, a retired resident of Vic West with a desire to live in a city that is less auto-dependent.
Throughout this year I’ve been greatly enjoying the changes making Clover Point a safer and more attractive space for people, and I urge Victoria city hall to keep these improvements and incrementally build on them.
Back when all of the Clover Point loop was for cars, I never went there. I’m older, with intermittent balance issues, and was uncomfortable walking on the narrow and uneven grassy strip, or walking amongst the cars in the parking loop, and there was nowhere to sit and enjoy the view or interact with other people.
My young neighbours with children also felt it unsafe when the cars were everywhere. Now, I visit Clover Point at least once a week, and often see parents with young children there as well.
Last week it was three degrees, windy, and had rained all morning, so the benches were wet, but for the 40 minutes I spent outside being invigorated by wind and waves, there were always around 20 people walking, pushing strollers with adorably bundled up children, looking out over the water and sunset, taking photos, watching for marine life, and interacting with kids, dogs, and each other.
It was lovely! A good number of cars were parked in the loop and along Dallas Road, but at no time were the handicapped or regular parking spots completely full.
I always make a point of counting the number of people and cars at Clover Point when I’m there, because it constantly amazes me how the half that’s for people can look quite empty with 20 or more people in it, while the half that’s for cars starts looking full once it gets to eight cars.
I also usually notice that most of the people parking in the loop get out of their cars (some using walkers or canes, which is now safe to do on the car-free paved section), and this cold windy wet day was no exception.
Most people didn’t stay out as long as I did, but they were clearly enjoying the excitement of the wind and waves. Those who preferred to stay in their cars and enjoy the west-facing view simply backed in, parked in the west-facing spots near the washrooms, or parked on Dallas Road.
The current division of space at Clover Point is working well and it makes no sense to try and change it for the winter.
The parking is almost never actually full, and it’s possible to park in a way that lets you enjoy the view from your car if that’s your preference. Even on cold and windy days, a lot of people are getting out of their cars, or arriving on foot and bike.
It would be a great disservice to remove our ability to walk on the safe car-free paved area during winter, when the grassy area can be muddy.
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