- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor

If Owen Sound is going to be a healthy community for seniors, young families and people in between, we'll have to keep our eyes on more than potholes.

Sidewalks that lead to nowhere, trip hazards, two-block bike lanes and nowhere to lock said bike when you get to your destination.  No evening or Sunday transit.  And now, the suggestion of free all-day parking for people who work or visit downtown in a re-vamp of the Downtown Improvement Area (DIA).

These all announce that cars continue to rule the city.

All at a time when car traffic flows are about to be disrupted by the 10th Street bridge replacement, and consultants are recommending trying to divert 40% of the vehicular traffic using the bridge through the Springmount by-pass.

Will free parking for those who currently leave their cars at home or who now pay for the monthly passes that help pay for parking lot maintenance, reduce the downtown congestion during construction?

We can maintain our focus on cars, particularly in the downtown core of Owen Sound, for the next two to ten years. Or we can be looking for, and incentivizing, creative options for those who feel they currently have no viable choices.

We should be creating policy for the future, and future residents, we want.

To borrow and twist from a former prime minister "Cars if necessary, but not necessarily cars."

As always, your letters are welcome at the OwenSoundHub.