Looking for a solution: group for the blind asks P.A. council for help getting around city

Many communities use audible sounds at crosswalks and have different sounds for walking north/south and west/east. Horncastle also said that the federal government has grant money to help cities with those types of projects.

Another area of concern for the group is the city transit system.

Horncastle said bus drivers are “less than courteous” so he asked if the city could modify its agreement with the bus contractor to have drivers announce stops ahead of time.

A third area they would like to see improvement on is snow clearing of sidewalks in the winter.

Horncastle requested the city make snow shoveling mandatory for residents/property owners to keep people off the actual street.

“I’m sure the city doesn’t want us to stagger down the middle of the street,” he said.

His final point was to ask if the new city facilities such as the pool and hockey arenas incorporate the universal design principles that make access possible for people of all physical abilities.

Councillors commended Horncastle on his well-prepared presentation and that it included solutions to the problems he was raising and voted unanimously to have the issue forwarded to public works.

They also said they hoped to have something more tangible to include in the budget presentations, which start towards the end of the year.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Looking for a solution: group for the blind asks P.A. council for help getting around city

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