As a result, access to local developments can be difficult, pedestrian and cyclist safety is at issue, and the future quality of life in our downtown is being questioned. Road conflicts with traffic using local shops and services. Large downtown blocks inconvenience both vehicles and pedestrians. Parking lots accessed from main roads compound traffic congestion. Too few alternative routes exist.
Parking is inadequate in popular retail areas.
Parking management typically forces shoppers to move their cars repeatedly. Transit does not meet commuter and local user needs. Unfriendly streets discourage pedestrians and cyclists. Much of downtown was first built for drivers with strip malls and large open parking lots, but as the City Centre grows and attracts more people, driving is becoming more difficult and hazardous. People still want the freedom to drive downtown, but increasingly they also want flexible, convenient, and environmentally friendly alternatives from which to choose.