I would like to discuss the significant traffic obstacles faced by the emergency vehicles within the town of Picton proper.

The recent relocation of Prince Edward Fire and Rescue’s Station 1 from the centre of town to McDonald Drive has substantially increased their response time, even for calls within the downtown area.

Added to this increased travel distance is the lack of correcting the line-of-sight obstacles exiting their new home.

We all suffer with the ever-growing congestion along Main Street and it’s increasing traffic volume, however I’m focusing on those whose services are in demand when “seconds can mean the difference between life and death.” This should not — and can not — be taken lightly.

Money, time, staffing and budgets are always roadblocks we run into when corrective action requires improving our infrastructure to keep pace with demands. My proposals, effectively and efficiently, address all these concerns while keeping expenses in the forefront.

In short, it should not incur a huge expense or take an inordinate amount of time or manpower to remove a stop sign, install a couple of warning signs and remove or realign some street surface line markings. Six “free” street parking spots on Bridge Street need to be removed. No-parking zones need to be extended in a number of locations on Main Street. In addition to this, some long-forgotten routine maintenance to grass, shrubs, and trees on common land needs to be performed. Re-assess the position and size of signs, placards and posters as they cause a real safety hazard to both the public and emergency vehicles.

This topic affects all of us in Picton and the surrounding area of Prince Edward County, unlike some topics that only concern a few. Hopefully, no one suffers the impact of not acting on this as soon as possible. Just one life lost will be one too many because of us not taking this seriously.

Ken Edick