Fewer cars, fewer floods in Park Street's future

The City of Charlottetown is closing down a shortcut used by thousands of cars everyday to access Riverside Drive.

Park Street, which runs from Kensington Road to Riverside Drive, beside the Eastlink Centre, is going to be turned into a crescent.

More than 3,500 cars use the shortcut every day, according to city officials.

"The prediction is that traffic will reduce by 90 per cent," said Coun. Julie McCabe, chair of Charlottetown's public works committee.

"Park Street is a residential street. It's not a street designed for throughway traffic."

The city's public works committee hosted an open house Monday evening at the Eastlink Centre, with blueprints of the city's plans on display.

The project will turn Park Street into a crescent, by joining it to Beach Street, a cul-de-sac that runs parallel to Park Street. The resulting U-shaped crescent will begin and end on Kensington Road, with no access to Riverside Drive.

Some residents are delighted.

"It's like the 401 here," said Jackie Molyneaux, comparing her local street to a multi-lane highway in Ontario.

"It's very dangerous now to try and get in and out of your driveway ... so I think it's a fantastic idea."

To join Park and Beach Streets, city crews will build 165 metres of new roadway through a parking lot. The parking lot is used during Old Home Week and Islanders hockey games and other events. Horse barns on the grounds of Charlottetown Driving Park will still be accessible off Riverside Drive.

It's all part of the city's Eastern Gateway master plan, according to city officials.

"We'll see around 3,000 vehicles need to find an alternate direction," said Scott Adams, manager of public works.

"You can take Exhibition ... Grafton Street ... there are still a number of options for traffic to get to where they're trying to go."