2 Friday, August 11, 2023brooklintowncrier.com You could call Brooklin's charming lower east side a gated community, minus the gates. That's because the only two ways in or out, via Anderson or St. Thomas, are part of the enclave's charm. But they're also the problem. New stop signs on Duggan which slices through the area have made accessing the lone playground safer. People are even stopping at them. Those signs and bollards in front of MichaelKelly's Restaurant also put the kibosh on drivers who used its parking lot as a short-cut to avoid Win- chester bumper-to-bumper traffic in order to get to Anderson quickly. They would weave through the lot, bolt down St. Thomas, head to Duggan, and boot it east. No longer. There remains, however, the regionally-run ca- tastrophe called Winchester Road. The community's burghers froth at the mouth over the inaction to address this issue: You cannot enter or exit the lower east side with what the average citizen would deem a normal right or left turn. Mind you, this also applies to any north-south side street that spills onto Winchester. Now with Longo's and the surrounding development, westward traffic on Winchester has increased. You want to go west? Head back to Anderson first. Why residents should have to go east to go west is bizarre. Or, as many do, try nosing into Winchester traffic going east, hoping a courteous driver will wait the extra two seconds. Then wait for a hole in the traffic - or another friendly driver - and turn onto Duke, make a U-turn somewhere, then attempt the same nosing forward going right from Duke. You can also head to Cassels and use that as a new east-west thoroughfare, which it has now become. The entire exercise is frustrating and usually dangerous. There's also the not-so-insignificant matter of the St. Thomas daycare and its 140 kids, plus the before and after school programs, with parents trying to get there or leave, mostly during rush hour. When the mid-block arterial opens - who knows when? - there should be some reduction of Winchester traffic. And, if you're into fantasizing, it'd be even better if the 407 were free from Lakeridge to Simcoe. As to the pedestrian-operated signal in front of the Fairgrounds gate, by definition it's useless for traffic. In the meantime, just about any temporary measures to mitigate the obvious dangers are in order. Apparently the road will get a makeover of some sort next year. For now though, perhaps the engineers would consider standing, say, in front of the church at rush hour to witness the schmozzle, though they'd be wise to remain well away from the road. The Region's insurance probably doesn't cover risky behaviour. The "sidewalk" remains death-defying and entering or exiting the lower east side is a study in futility. Last fall, over 400 people signed a petition begging for action to be taken. Yet, apart from the bollards in front of the restaurant, there's indeed nothing to see. Less than half the picture by Richard Bercuson Nothing to see here, folks! Monday - Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm Friday 9:00am-5:30pm Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday Closed Fun Truck Time 2023 Colorado 1201 Dundas St. East, Whitby SALES 905-668-5846 SERVICE 905-668-8871 PARTS 905-668-8853 Top Dollar for your Trade 4WD Crew Cab Short Box ZR2 ORDER YOUR PRE-OWNED CAR WITH US! SALES (905) 721-6599 SERVICE (905) 721-6588 PARTS (905) 721-6577 445 Winchester Road East, Brooklin Hyundai - Official Partner of the NHL Swing by to take a practice shot on our Net in the showroom! Check out our Pre-Owned Inventory on our website! Made for Those Who Drive Hockey!Made for Those Who Drive Hockey! Monday - Thursday 9:00am-7:00pm Friday 9:00am-5:30pm Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday Closed Fun Truck Time 2023 Colorado 1201 Dundas St. East, Whitby SALES 905-668-5846 SERVICE 905-668-8871 PARTS 905-668-8853 Top Dollar for your Trade 4WD Crew Cab Short Box ZR2 ORDER YOUR PRE-OWNED CAR WITH US! SALES (905) 721-6599 SERVICE (905) 721-6588 PARTS (905) 721-6577 445 Winchester Road East, Brooklin Hyundai - Official Partner of the NHL Swing by to take a practice shot on our Net in the showroom! Check out our Pre-Owned Inventory on our website! Made for Those Who Drive Hockey!Made for Those Who Drive Hockey!