Council plans to remove almost 1.5 km of sidewalks in urban Meaford as soon as possible, because it’s in poor condition and presents a safety hazard.
Mayor Barb Clumpus told the media on Monday, that council learned about the condition of the sidewalks last month and voted to adopt the recommendation they be removed.
Clumpus said council voted to remove 1,400 m of sidewalk after hearing a planners report on the condition of these sidewalks and the problems they pose.
“First, the sidewalks don’t connect with other sidewalks in the area. Next, most of the sidewalks in question are in poor repair and present a tripping hazard for pedestrians, especially older people," she said. "Finally, municipal staff report they don’t conform to the Accessibility for Ontarians Act. And many of them are too narrow to accommodate snow removal in winter.”
The cost to remove and replace the 1.4 km of sidewalk would cost more than $175,000. The cost of removing the same length of sidewalk without replacing it would be $13,200.
Council voted to remove the sidewalks without replacing them. Municipal staff will begin work within a few weeks and complete it in the fall.