Reduced traffic for Cornwall, P.E.I., could be double-edged sword

A new highway around the town of Cornwall, P.E.I., would reduce traffic, but that could be a double-edged sword for the community.

• Cornwall highway bypass could happen this year

The Trans-Canada Highway through Cornwall is busy, especially in thetourist season, and a bypass is something many have been asking for for years but businesses that rely on passing traffic are concerned.

'Brings the customers in'

"As a business, the traffic is really important to us, it really brings the customers in," said Colin McDonald at Decker's Dairy Bar, right on the highway.

"I definitely think it [the bypass] would hurt us, hurt us a lot," MacDonald added.

At Sam's Restaurant, as many as half the cars in the parking lot can be tourists, according to owner Fadi Rashed.

"As a business owner in the area, it's not my first choice," said Rashed, adding people from out-of-province "always stop for a bite to eat on the way in and the way out."

'Bumper-to-bumper'

A 2003 plebiscite showed 80 percent of residents were in favour of a perimeter highway.

"In the mornings or the afternoons when [there's]heavy traffic, it's bumper-to-bumper pretty well here to North River," said George Lowther, who calls the idea of a bypass "wonderful."

"We have so many cars that come out of our subdivision sometimes they're lined up for a little while," added Barbara Lowther.

Some who drive through oftennoteheavy traffic is the norm, making commutes slow not exactly a draw for tourists.

"I think for people travelling off-Island and coming and going from Charlottetown and Summerside or wherever, it's going to be able to travel faster and safer for the people in Cornwall," said Charlottetown resident Barb McInnis.

Cornwall mayor Minerva McCourt said she's excited about the town developing a main street instead a highway, with more opportunities for access roads and entrances than before.

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