A plan to fast-track new lights for an east Windsor road has fizzled at city council.
On Monday, councillors narrowly rejected a motion by Ward 7 Councillor Irek Kusmierczyk to bring forward $70,000 for the purpose of installing lights on the section of Banwell Rd. between EC Row and Tecumseh Rd. E.
The vote was a 5-5 tie. Mayor Drew Dilkens voted in favour of it, but with the absence of Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, the measure failed. Council did approve a motion to go ahead with the project in 2019, which was when it was originally scheduled to be completed.
Kusmierczyk is comforted by that, but it doesn't change the fact that Banwell Rd. needs to be upgraded sooner rather than later.
"The good news is we know we're going to be getting lights on Banwell Rd," says Kusmierczyk. "Obviously we wanted to accelerate that to 2018. We didn't want to wait, we felt that residents had waited long enough."
Council heard from Tanya Adams, the executive director of the Banwell Gardens Care Centre, who believes residents are putting themselves at risk by travelling along a high-traffic road with no sidewalk, no street lights, and a gravel shoulder. She told councillors that residents, some in wheelchairs, have to cut across parking lots on private property to bypass Banwell and run errands.
Windsor police Chief Al Frederick, however, pointed out to council that the small number of collisions reported on Banwell Rd. would not alone support the demand for streetlights. The chief did say Banwell Rd. certainly needed a makeover.
Kusmierczyk still thinks that having safe roads for people to travel on is a no-brainer.
"Things like sidewalks and things like lighting should not be luxuries. These are basics. These are fundamentals," says Kusmierczyk. "We're going to keep advocating for those, whether it's Banwell Rd or roads with less traffic. This is basic infrastructure."
