Deterring us from going downtown

The NCC is proposing to cut two lanes of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in the west end. The City of Ottawa tried to reduce snowplowing, and there are strong objections over the widening of the Queensway/ Hwy. 417 west of Carling Avenue. It is already a nightmare trying to drive downtown to the ByWard Market or the National Gallery on weekends, while parking in Little Italy and the Glebe is either one hour or a minimum $4 an hour to park — if you can find it. Not everyone finds OC Transpo practical or wants to cycle. While I find it all very “challenging” as a city resident, I can only imagine what tourists driving into Ottawa think.

If I were a business owner in the core, I would be distressed by these proposals. Didn’t the sinkhole on Rideau Street seriously hurt many merchants and restaurateurs? What more can governments and politicians do to deter us from enjoying our beautiful downtown? Cynthia Sutcliffe, Ottawa