Parking, accessibility may be dimming Bright Lights
With thousands attending on a nightly basis, there’s no denying the public is enjoying Bright Lights Windsor — the city’s visually-captivating holiday light display at Jackson Park. But getting to the event is another matter.
“It was hectic. I didn’t know if I was going to make it or not,” said John Little, 56, who visited the free display last week.
“My daughter actually wanted to turn around and go back. I’ve had a heart attack and a stroke — she didn’t want me to have another one.”
A LaSalle resident who needs a walker to get around, Little said he
struggled to negotiate snow banks on his way to the display area.
Little concedes he attended during a night of snowfall, and the municipality can’t be expected to control the weather. But he still feels more could be done to accommodate those with accessibility needs.
“My walker has got wheels on it,” he said. “The sidewalks on Tecumseh Road, the parking lots at Kennedy (Collegiate) — you had to push through it. Once you got inside (the display area), it was fine. But you had to find a way to it.”
That’s just one of many gripes that have arisen among visitors to the $1.5-million LED extravaganza.
Others have complained about overcrowding, insufficient parking around the site and traffic delays due to throngs of pedestrians crossing the intersection of Tecumseh Road East and McDougall Street.
There’s even been wondering if Jackson Park is the right place to put such a large and popular event.
Mary Rodgers, corporate marketing and communications officer for the City of Windsor, said there are five designated lots for visitors to park their vehicles, totalling approximately 400 spots.
Each lot has paved walks leading to the display area, and each is within a few minutes’ walking distance. “We’ve actually walked and timed it (ourselves),” Rodgers said. “We’ve tried to make it as easy and safe as possible.”
The closest lot, at Kennedy Collegiate, has spots reserved for handicapped parking.
Regarding the intersection, the City of Windsor urges the public to obey traffic rules, whether motorist or pedestrian.
Rodgers pointed out that the intersection is fully lighted, with push-button crosswalks. “If you hit the button, it actually extends the amount of crossing time for pedestrians,” Rodgers said.
Mayor Drew Dilkens said the city has been monitoring the public’s response to Bright Lights Windsor. “This is the first year of the event,” he emphasized. “At the end, we’ll debrief and we’ll figure out if there are better ways to do things.”
As for the suitability of Jackson Park for Bright Lights Windsor, Dilkens noted his original concept for the project envisioned it eventually moving downtown — possibly to the riverfront, possibly to the grounds of the new city hall.
The new city hall building should be complete in May. Demolition of the old city hall is expected to begin later in the year. “Once that’s done, probably in 2019, we’ll be in a better position to consider a downtown location,” Dilkens said.
Asked if he takes any gratification in there being such demand for more Bright Lights Windsor, given the public outcry and resistance to the expenditure when it was being discussed by council over the summer, Dilkens said he’s delighted when people tell him how much they’ve enjoyed the display.
To Dilkens, the backlash in August was the direct result of the major flood event that occurred at the same time as council approval. “It wasn’t based on the merits of the event. I knew — and city council knew — that once we had a chance to execute and promote it, it would be a positive experience.”
“I remind folks that what they’re seeing is really half of what we had envisioned,” Dilkens added.
“Next year, we’ll continue to build on the strengths of what we’ve seen this year. We’ll improve the areas we need to improve, and we’ll look forward to an even more exciting Bright Lights Windsor.”
Back in LaSalle, John Little said that, all accessibility complaints aside, he thoroughly enjoyed the show, spending 45 minutes to an hour there with his family.
“The lights were beautiful. It was an absolutely fantastic display,” Little said.
“Do I think it’s worth it? I’ve been a big supporter of it since the day I first heard about it. I think it’s worth the money.”