The residents argued that Central Park Drive, the single access road to the neighbourhood off Merivale Road, could delay emergency vehicles approaching from the west and access from Clyde is needed to save lives. The five-day hearing ended Saturday. Ottawa-Carleton police Chief Brian Ford has told the board a second entrance is needed to reduce the time it would take police cruisers to reach the western part of the community. Testifying for the Carlington Community Association, which objected to the single entrance on Merivale Road, Chief Ford said a second access road is needed near Maitland and Clyde avenues. Chief Ford said it will take police officers longer to reach the western part of the community when 1,400 new homes are built there by 2004.
Quick response can save lives.
One of the factors that would impede emergency response is how far you have to travel to get around. If you had to travel along Baseline and Merivale to reach the western part of the community, it would mean longer response times. A second access road at Maitland and Clyde would be a positive benefit for emergency response and would provide a higher level of safety in medical and police emergencies. It could save lives. A second access road could encourage drivers to cut through the community, but it would discourage crime by making it easier for police officers to respond to calls quickly.