The article, 'Baffling' Langford crosswalk button puts pedestrian safety out of reach, reminded me of the many 'minor' issues I see around the city since Langford took on a fast-paced growth approach. Some are understandable, but many are not and have made life more difficult for Langford residents.
Examples I see include streetlight posts built in the middle of brand new sidewalks, bike lanes combined into sidewalks so that neither can pass without creating conflict with the other, road dividers put up to block turning after the effect of the new construction was realized, a concrete city feel as 'skinny' trees were planted along new roads and massive concrete retaining walls went up, roundabouts that have to be redesigned because they created traffic issues, and parks with few trees and benches placed out in the hot sun.
To me, this is the result of a lack of residents' input into city decisions, coupled with a 'build, build, build' mentality. We now have to manage those issues as best we can while going back and correcting things, as the city is now doing with this latest issue. These oversights cost time and money. It reminds me of what some residents said they felt the need to do before the last election, because the city wasn't doing enough of it: “We’re trying to make sure that developments across the board are looked at more closely and carefully worked through, instead of just rushed.”
With council's adoption of the new official community plan, including many opportunities for public engagement, changes implemented to bring more predictability, and coordination with agencies such as BC Transit and the Vancouver Island Health Authority, I trust we'll see less of these 'minor' issues as Langford grows into a city that is healthy, accessible, and livable for all its residents.
Desmond James
Langford
