“We should not make it easier or more convenient for people to come outside unless for grocery trips pharmacy essential work and humanitarian reasons,” Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson wrote on social media over the weekend.
The disagreement has come to a head in Ottawa, where city staff denied a petition by several local councillors to close a busy downtown pedestrian route to traffic. The City of London, Ont., also brought in several new measures to make sure pedestrians are given the room they need to pass each other when out and about, including closing roads.īut some other cities worry giving pedestrians more room may draw more people out and have instead urged residents to stay inside or use less popular routes. The city has also warned drivers to look out for pedestrians who may step onto the road.
Some cities have closed traffic lanes to give pedestrians more room to manoeuvre.Ĭalgary blocked lanes off with pylons more than a week ago so people can use the space to spread out. It’s particularly challenging given most cities have closed parks and other outdoor spaces and encouraged people to stay in their own neighbourhoods. Slim sidewalks, especially in urban centres, make it difficult for pedestrians to keep out of the so-called sneeze radius. The Public Health Agency of Canada says on its website that taking a walk outside is a low-risk activity for healthy people - no more dangerous than online shopping or cooking at home.īut that’s only the case as long as people who venture out keep a two-metre distance from one another, which is not always possible.
OTTAWA-Battles are brewing in some cities over use of increasingly limited public space, as local governments struggle with whether to give more room for pedestrians to spread out.
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