Route 8 Crossing: College Hill-Skyline Active Transportation Connection
At David Coon’s Community Gatherings in Skyline Acres, the Route 8 crossing between Skyline Acres and UNB has been consistently identified as one of the priority issues for residents. For years, residents have asked the city and province to make the crossing safer by installing a pedestrian bridge. A committee was formed from one of David’s community gatherings that distributed a survey to all households. It was completed by 50 households. The survey response showed overwhelming support from the community for a pedestrian bridge.
But then the committee started thinking bigger: could a pedestrian crossing be part of a larger concept that could address more than just getting from one side to the other safely? The vision: an Active Transportation Hub that included park’n’ride, express buses to and from downtown, rental bikes, trail connections, and more!
This was an idea that city and provincial staff had not heard before. This was bigger, more inclusive. It would of course safely connect Skyline Acres residents to UNB, but it would also connect disparate parts of the city. It could be used by commuters outside of Fredericton who work downtown or on College Hill.
Moreover, it hit the priorities and goals identified by the city’s vision for a more integrated and comprehensive active transportation infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gases and encouraging a more healthy population.
The concept was initially shared at a public meeting in Skyline Acres on June 25 of this year. The response was enthusiastic. The group launched the College Hill – Skyline Active Transportation Connection at the latest Community Gathering in Skyline Acres on September 30.
The group is now making presentations to stakeholders, including the universities and colleges, the hospital and high school, and other potential beneficiaries in the area. You can read their full proposal here.
If this idea gets you excited, let the Mayor and Councillors know by contacting them at councillorsandmayor@fredericton.ca. They need to know that the community supports this before they can make it happen.
Check it out on Facebook at College Hill-Skyline Active Transportation Connection