When Jenna Dobbelsteyn moved to uptown Saint John a couple of months ago, she couldn’t find a safe way to walk to classes at the University of New Brunswick campus, in the Millidgeville area of the city.
So she wrote a letter to Saint John council to bring attention to a dangerous spot for pedestrians.
“I think it’s easy to forget that as a resident of the city, there are places to bring suggestions, like the city council. And I was certain that there were other folks, you know, who have noticed the same gap,” said Dobbelsteyn.
She said there are two main routes to get to campus — one that goes up Samuel Davis Drive and the other travels along Sandy Point Road.
Both routes have sidewalks up until the last 2½ kilometres, she said, but after that there is just a gravel shoulder.
On Sandy Point, Dobbelsteyn said the sidewalk is overgrown in the spring and is a snowbank in the winter. That, combined with the curving road, is not ideal.
On Samuel Davis, she said there is a little bit more room, but people are often going quite fast because there are fewer curves than on Sandy Point.
Dobbelsteyn said there has been a lot of good work done on University Avenue, where some students live, but for students that live anywhere else in the city, she said a car is needed to get to school safely.
On Tuesday night, Saint John council voted to refer her letter to the chief administrative officer for follow-up.
Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie’s ward encompasses the area Dobbelsteyn is concerned about.
MacKenzie said city staff are doing a review to help prioritize areas for new sidewalks. He said Sandy Point Road and Samuel Davis Drive have already been identified as two of several areas under review.
Sidewalks are expensive, he said, pointing to a project on Boars Head Road that is “less than the length of a football field,” but will cost about $620,000.
Dobbelsteyn hopes the routes leading to the university will be prioritized for sidewalks, but she said a great first step would be a closed-off walking path. She said walking to the school is good for students who want to stay active.
She thinks that creating better walking conditions for people to get from the north end or uptown to the university and the New Brunswick Community College would increase the desirability for people interested in studying at the campus.
“The campus and hospital areas are really a community hub. … But geographically, and in terms of infrastructure, it doesn’t always seem that way,” she said.
“I think it’s important to be aware that there are community members and students who don’t live in that area that would like some diversity in their safe-commuting options.”
With files from Information Morning Saint John
This story was originally published in CBC News on Sep. 7, 2023.
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