The following article appeared in the December 10 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
A contentious downtown traffic signal is about to become slightly less frustrating.
City councillors this week voted to endorse changes to the signals at St. George’s Square, which will shorten the wait time for motorists trying to negotiate the intersections and allow red-light right turns at various periods throughout the day.
Currently right turns are banned on reds from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Concerns about the intersection were raised recently by the Downtown Guelph Business Association, and highlighted last month during a public meeting organized by association board member Lorenz Calcagno. Calcagno argued the best way to help downtown merchants is to increase traffic, which has dropped by more than 50 per cent in the last two decades.
Calcagno argued the four-cycle intersection at St. George’s Square was one of the key reasons for this.
Operations director Derek McCaughan said his staff reviewed the intersection’s functioning and have recommended minor changes “simply to affect change before the Christmas season is concluded,” and will look at other alternatives for the long term.
Calcagno told councillors he is in favour of the recommended changes for the time being, as long as there will be more study.
“Downtown businesses are not having an easy go this Christmas season,” he said. “Anything we can do will help.”
Charles Cares, owner of Ground Floor Music on Quebec Street, said while his sales were up five per cent in the first half of the year, over the same period last year, sales since then have been down 15 per cent.
Cares said this drop in revenue, which he blames mostly on ongoing construction throughout the core, “could be the difference between me closing my doors and not.”
“It’s pretty dire right now,” Cares said. “A change in that light could positively affect businesses downtown.”
Coun. Ian Findlay, who owns Thomas Entertainment on Baker Street, agreed.
“I can echo Charles’ comments about the effect the construction is having,” Findlay said.
In addition to approving the temporary changes to the intersection, council referred the issue back to the operations committee for further study.