Parking changes coming soon to Sydenham

Wilma Kenny | May 18, 2016

Those of us who live here are well aware of some of Sydenham village’s traffic challenges: we have learned that most weekdays it’s advisable to avoid the corner of Wheatley and Rutledge for the fifteen minutes morning and afternoon when the school busses are arriving and leaving. But we do pretty well ignore the parking signs.

I know what some of us are thinking: “Sure, I may have pulled up two wheels on the sidewalk in front of the post office, but that was late in the evening, just for a minute, and who’s to see? Sure, sometimes Legion-goers turn Amelia into a one-lane street, and church-goers do the same for Mill Street. But not it’s not like both streets are clogged at the same time, eh? At least I’ve never parked like a Brinks truck half on the sidewalk in front of the bank, thus snarling up three directions of traffic at the most confusing corner in the village. (Or have I, but I was in a real hurry that day, and it was for only a minute…How could I know there was a line-up for the bank machine?)”

We all live busy, demanding lives and rarely seem to have time to spare. However, these parking habits can’t continue. They not only inconvenience our neighbours but present a real hazard to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

On the other hand, Sydenham is an eminently walkable village. It’s not strung out along a highway. Most stores and services are located close together. Sort of like a strip mall without the ugliness. If there’s not a parking spot right in front of where we’re going, chances are good that there’s one nearby.

On March 15th, Council passed an amendment to the Sydenham parking by-law that approves enforcement of a parking system for the village, with clearly marked parking and non-parking areas, as well as designated handicap accessible spots. Cross Street will become one-way east to west. (Details can be found on the township website under by-laws: look for by-law 2016-18.)

Sydenham streets have been swept, and crack-sealed. they will soon be micro surfaced, then lines and some parking stalls will be painted in the busier areas. Attractive, hard-to-miss (Omaha Orange) parking signs will go up throughout the village. Once the signs are up, by the beginning of June, the new parking regulations will be in effect.

In order to give us time to get used to the changes, it’s unlikely fines will be issued before the fall, and there will probably be a transition period when warnings are given out. The Roads Department acknowledges that Rutledge Road around and west of the high school will need further adjustments, and the north end of George has a narrow sidewalk beside a busy street, but overall, the new system should make the village safer for all of us and our children.