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New sidewalks, lights and parking lines sought for downtown Mission

Mission council has asked staff to prepare a cost report on the project, and plan to ask the provincial government to pay for half.
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The district will be painting parallel parking lines along one block of First Avenue as part of a pilot project.

There could be new sidewalks and lighting on First Avenue in the near future, if the price is right.

Mission council has asked staff to prepare a cost report on  the project, and plan to ask the provincial government to pay for half of the renovations.

The move is part of the continuing discussions on improving the look of Mission’s downtown core.

Staff are to examine the cost of replacing the lights and sidewalks only, without consideration for other aesthetic additions such as benches, trees or decorative striping.

Mission Mayor Randy Hawes said those aspects could complicate the request for funding.

“We have asked our MLA to work with us to do some cost-sharing downtown.”

Hawes wants to get a firm commitment of funding before looking at additional improvements.

He believes any decorative designs would be “relatively minor in cost” compared to the sidewalk replacement itself.

While the cost study has not been performed, it is believed the replacement project would cost between  $2 million and $3 million.

One suggested change – to increase the sidewalk’s width by half a metre on each side – was met with criticism.

“I personally think narrowing the street by one metre makes it a little more dangerous,” said Hawes.

 

Parking lines:

Drivers in the downtown core will notice new lines being painted along one block of First Avenue.

Council has agreed to have parallel parking lines painted on both sides of the main thoroughfare from  Welton Street to James Street.

The four-month project will be used to assess whether more cars can park on First Avenue when offered designated spaces.

At present, there are no parking lines and drivers find spots wherever space is available. This often leads to large gaps between vehicles.



Kevin Mills

About the Author: Kevin Mills

I have been a member of the media for the past 34 years and became editor of the Mission Record in February of 2015.
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