Letter: Look outside the box to solve traffic issues

Re: Northern Life managing editor’s July 29 column “What does it mean to be a good neighbour?”

So Northern Life supports the widening of Second Avenue? What does this mean? Have the president, the publisher and all the reporters made up their collective mind about this?

What about the readers? This is, after all, a community newspaper.

From a community paper, I expect to find out about all sides of an important matter such as the quality of my environment.

Instead we get an op-ed polemic that labels as “vexatious complainers” people who have worked long and hard to improve our community.

Road infrastructure discussion in our city of lakes should not pit legitimate concerns about water pollution against commuter convenience (and the air pollution that comes from heavy traffic).

If the problem is rush hour, why don’t we deal with that problem? Rush hours only happen because everyone is starting and ending the work day at the same times. Why?

We have a powerful Chamber of Commerce, numerous networks of business and professional folk.

A truly resourceful community would find a solution to rush hour by co-operatively adjusting business and work hours. This would reduce traffic pollution and driver stress and be an example to mid-size cities everywhere.

Isn’t it time we started to think for ourselves and stop following the rush-hour herd?

Chris Nash
Sudbury