Dear Sir,
It was difficult reading about the negative impact of road closures to complete necessary construction. There are a couple of comments/questions that come to mind about this situation.
First, is the lack of and/or poor signage at both ends of the closure. At each end of the construction barricade, could large signs be placed so as to be highly visible and that can be easily seen and read by drivers and pedestrians. The message needs to convey the businesses that are open and would welcome your business. A sign at Fred Raper Park might also be helpful.
Menu boards, specials such as a free coffee with your meal, and pricing might also be incentives for people to make the effort to get to the establishments. I also notice that there is ONE small sign in the vicinity of the library indicating that businesses are open during construction. You can’t really see the construction from that point but advance notice closer to the site would possibly be more effective.
Can people park in the market square so they can be close enough to walk to the businesses – how would people know that? Would a professional looking banner or mobile sign be beneficial? What things are council/chamber of commerce doing or suggesting to help mitigate the impact? Can the sign at Meaford Hall be better utilized to promote the business community or community events beyond those at Meaford Hall.
How do non-Facebook users/non subscribers to the paper get information? Would holding the farmers market in the square bring more foot traffic to the area? Has there been any investigation into how other communities are or have coped with similar interruptions, what worked – what didn’t?
Regards,
Teressa Gibson, Meaford
