Richmond - The Editor, I went for a walk the other day to check out the extension of the Railway Avenue Greenway path from Moncton Street through to the Heritage Village on the Steveston waterfront.
Richmond - The Editor, I went for a walk the other day to check out the extension of the Railway Avenue Greenway path from Moncton Street through to the Heritage Village on the Steveston waterfront.This is supposed to be a user-friendly path (according to the city website) for cyclists, roller-bladers, skateboarders, etc.I imagine it would also include, though not mentioned, handicapped people in wheelchairs, toddlers on trikes, kids on two-wheeled trainers, mothers pushing baby carriages, elderly folks who use walkers or canes and people who have to use crutches, etc.The surface of the paths, one of which goes passed the taxpayer-owned community gardens and the other, which goes through the Homma schoolyard is large aggregate gravel. Actually, it's more like rocks, some of which are as big as golf balls, only with jagged edges and completely user-UNFRIENDLY to everyone except pedestrians wearing sturdy footwear.There aren't even any access ramps cut in the sidewalk to accommodate anything on wheels. I spoke with one woman on a mobility scooter who told me she's had two tire punctures while riding on the path and was chastised by a city employee for riding her scooter on the grass - something she fully intends to keep on doing.I measured the width of the path that goes through the Homma schoolyard - it's approximately 10 feet wide. The usable area for the path that goes passed the community gardens is 20 feet wide from the raised beds to the ditch on the other side - more than enough room to accommodate a smaller blacktop path which could be laid far enough away from the vegetable beds to address the contamination concerns of the community gardeners.Why is a 10-foot wide path deemed adequate for one path and not for the other? I would urge the city's powers-that-be, especially Coun. Harold Steves, to check out the paths. Use some common sense and correct something that obviously discriminates against a large section of potential users.There should be a blacktop pathway along the entire length of the Greenway from River Road to Steveston for the enjoyment of everyone.Graham CorriganRichmond
