Where is the Chandler-Gonzales Pathway?
The Chandler-Gonzales pathway cuts mid-way through the block bounded by Foul Bay Road, Chandler Ave, Richmond Ave, Richardson St and Gonzales Ave.
Why Re-Open the Pathway?
1) The school's safer school travel plan has identified this corridor, which the City of Victoria has retained ownership over, as a route which children would use to walk to school with greater safety.
2) The City of Victoria's Greenways Plan identified this corridor as important link in the chain of public walkways in the Fairfield area. Providing the opportunity for more people to pursue walking for fitness and pleasure. Imagine a more pleasant stroll to Gonzales Beach.
3) Neighbours on Chandler Avenue have complained about the number of vehicles dropping off and picking up children on school days. Providing safer, and shorter, pedestrian routes means that fewer children will be driven to school.
4) Developing this greenway will provide children at Margaret Jenkins direct, safe access to the public green spaces of Pemberton Park. Children will be able to use this park and playground when their school fields are in poor condition.
What Does the Pathway Currently Look Like?
The ends of the path have been well hidden by the fences, ivy and undergrowth.
The most effective way to increase the priority of re-opening the Chandler-Gonzales pathway is to write a letter to the City of Victoria council or mayor. Below are four sample letter templates you may wish to use:
Your letter of support can be dropped off or mailed to either of the following two addresses, preferably by May 31, 2011 (we'll take them anytime after as well!).
Our plan is to gather these letters of support and present them directly to the Mayor of Victoria in June, 2011.
Links
Pathways Work!
Children walking to Monterey School through a very narrow (4ft) public pathway.
Children walking to Margaret Jenkins through a path in south Oak Bay.
Paths over much of Oak Bay make it a great destination for walkers.
More Background
In the mid 1970s a pedestrian pathway which joined Pemberton Park (at Gonzales) with Margaret Jenkins Elementary (at Chandler) was closed due to complaints from neighbours adjoining the pathway.
This public right-of-way which the City of Victoria has retained ownership over, was identified by the 2006/07 EMJS Safer School Travel committee as an important opportunity to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the school.
The Safer School Travel program identified that Chandler Avenue is overly congested with vehicular traffic in the morning and poses a hazard to children. The survey of neighbours also determined that this amount of traffic was also an inconvenience and dangerous. Residents on Chandler suggested that one way to reduce vehicular traffic was to encourage children to walk to school.
While the SST committee have been encouraging children to walk or ride their bikes, and parents to leave their cars at home or car pool through newsletters, special events and contests - one of the greatest obstacles to reducing vehicular traffic is the availability of safe travel routes. We believe that the Chandler Gonzales pedestrian corridor presents an opportunity to continue to reduce the traffic present on Chandler and increase the safety of children traveling to school.
The closure of the pedestrian corridor means that children who travel from the upper Gonzales neighbourhood north of EMJS must either travel to east over to Richmond and back again west to the school or further east over to Foul Bay and back again east to the school - or be driven by their parents. Anyone who has walked either of these pedestrian routes will know of the high volume of traffic on these roads, and of the dangers posed by the crossing of Chandler at Richmond and Gonzales at Foul Bay.
We are also aware that this corridor which has been identified as a key component in the City of Victoria's Greenways plan would afford safer and more convenient access to the play fields and playground equipment at Pemberton Park.
The Safer School Travel Committee of EMJS conducted a survey of parents in the fall of 2008 and confirmed that more than 2/3 of families attending the school for which this greenway is enroute would use it.
