There’s a new idea to bring more people into downtown Barrie, and it could mean changes to how we drive along the city’s main street.
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman says he thinks the city should look at a few different options downtown. One idea is to widen the sidewalks and make Dunlop Street at one-way street. It’s all in an effort to get more pedestrians downtown.
Some residents like Lorne Brasseur aren’t in favour of turning it into a one-way street, while others like Sandra Barrett think it would be better for the downtown and its businesses.
“I think it would bring more people downtown,” Brasseur says.
Lehman says the time has come to make a change.
“One of the best things we can do for downtown is to make it a bit more of a people place,” Lehman says.
He says the sidewalks are old and starting to crack. And they aren’t wide enough for heavy pedestrian traffic. He says a change could allow the city’s temporary patios to become permanent.
