SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The addition of angled parking spaces across from the brewpub and a detour that would see 49A Avenue become a two-way street had several community members voice concern at a public information session on the city's planned paving project for Franklin Avenue.

The two-phase plan would see construction begin in August but during today's municipal services committee meeting, council - most of whom were at the public information session last week - will decide whether tweaks are necessary before the plan goes ahead.

Along with challenges to the what is proposed, questions arose about the lack of public consultation before the plan was drawn up. Chris Greencorn, director of public works, said in general, paving projects are not brought to the public before moving forward - in fact, this is the first time a public session has been held for this type of project.

Greencorn hosted the meeting, offering three important points that may alleviate some concerns: the road will not be made narrower, no blasting will take place as part of the project, and council and administration are still open to recommendations.

"We are totally fine with eliminating the angled parking," Greencorn said. "We were just trying to anticipate the needs of the neighbours."

Phase one: fixing the big dip

The earlier phase of the plan, with a projected start of Aug. 1, will see the rough stretch of Franklin from 41A Street repaved and leveled, including the big dip that flooded and froze over during the winter months at the edge of Fritz Theil Park.

Crews will work six days a week, 12 hours a day - down to 10 hours on Saturdays - with a projected completion date of Sept. 15.

"If the contractor can start earlier or finish earlier, they will definitely attempt to do so," Greencorn stated in an e-mail to Yellowknifer.

In the meantime, Greencorn outlined how traffic will be rerouted to keep vehicles flowing between Old Town and downtown.

One lane of the hill will be kept open for traffic heading down into Old Town. Vehicles headed up the hill will be detoured up School Draw Avenue and onto 44 Street into downtown.

What brought out a number of residents from the area is the proposed solution for vehicle access to the Yellowknife Racquet Club while 41 Street is closed off. The proposed detour will bring traffic down 42 Street and onto 49A Avenue - seeing a stretch of the roadway that is normally a one-way, open to traffic in both directions.

This had residents in the area concerned about the increased traffic and potentially increased speed of traffic in the area. The group came forward with several recommendations, including dropping the detour down to the smaller laneway of 41A Street, rather than 42 Street - meaning the additional traffic would only affect the lower portion of 49A. Speed bumps were also proposed as an option, as well as a city municipal enforcement officer posted in the area during peak hours, which senior administrative officer Dennis Kefalas confirmed would happen.

Other, perhaps more extreme suggestions to avoid the detour, included closing the Racquet Club during the construction period, limiting tournaments and use of the baseball diamond and having Racquet Club members park at the School Draw-Franklin corner lot.

Phase two: the parking problem

The second phase of the plan seeks to alleviate the congestion caused by vehicles parked along Franklin Avenue, particularly between Hamilton and Bretzlaff drives, across from the Woodyard Brewhouse and Eatery.

Several residents from the area and neighbouring business owners came out to speak to the issue, raising concerns that the current overcrowding of both Hamilton and Bretzlaff poses a potential safety risk if emergency vehicles are not able navigate the tightly packed roadways behind the brewpub.

But out on Franklin, the phase two proposal to construct 13 angled parking slots and develop the remaining stretch of the shoulder into a multi-use path also had people questioning roadway safety, with those vehicles backing out onto a busy street.

Some questioned the need for a multi-use path or sidewalk along Franklin, with well-trod dirt currently lining the road.

The city's plan actually proposes a 67 per cent reduction in use of that shoulder stretch for parking, said Greencorn - adding more vehicle-free walking or biking space - but several speakers at the meeting highlighted the risk, to cyclists in particular, trying to pass behind vehicles reversing out of angled spots.

Although the multi-use path would be open to bikes, the majority of opinions expressed at the meeting suggested cyclists would prefer use of the roadway, like any mode of transportation that moves at a faster pace than walking.

A popular option, which Greencorn said the city is working on, is encouraging use of the vacant lot at the corner of Franklin and School Draw Avenue for Old Town parking, as well as for boat trailers and larger recreational vehicles that often use that road shoulder during the summer months.

Ideally, this would get vehicles off of Franklin, as well as the smaller streets behind the brewpub and other Old Town businesses.

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