Council is heading for a slippery slope with talk of attempting to close off access to Hwy. 11 via Lindgren Road and connecting the back end of the road to Bickley Country Drive. What’s next? Will it build an overpass at the at-grade highway crossing at South Mary Lake Road, too? That crossing poses a huge danger as well, and while we can fully appreciate concerns about safety, having the municipality take on the responsibility of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation with our municipal dollars seems downright asinine. Why would the town voluntarily shoulder the expense and responsibility of a provincial ministry such as the MTO?

Is it because by approving new development in the area it may have exacerbated an already-dangerous situation and now it feels the weight of that decision? Well, if that is the case, then perhaps council ought to develop better policies for approving new development along busy intersections, rather than having to back-peddle afterwards. There are simply too many road projects that fall under its jurisdiction and not enough money to get to them all.

Road rage is becoming apparent in Huntsville’s downtown, especially during hot and muggy summer days. Traffic congestion along Main and King William continues to be a problem, despite the Centre Street extension.

The town is growing and its main streets are bursting at the seams with traffic. Money spent on decongesting the Main Street by working with the District Municipality of Muskoka and maybe even the Township of Lake of Bays to create an alternate access to the downtown, similar to the Centre Street extension, would be money better spent.

In the meantime, the town should fire off weekly reminders to the MTO about Huntsville’s dangerous highway crossings and get Norm Miller, our provincial representative, on board.

Downloading a responsibility that lies squarely with the ministry is not the answer.

It is up to the MTO to get off its laurels and focus on Huntsville’s highway safety. The town already has its hands full.

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