Brad Smallwood is worried that the construction on Bronson Avenue will hinder wheelchair access to his apartment building.
When Bronson Avenue resident Brad Smallwood found out that his street was going to be repaired, he was concerned his wheelchair wouldn’t be able to navigate a road that would be a construction zone for the next two years.
Smallwood has lived in the apartment building at 520 Bronson Ave. since 2007. The building is home to about 14 people with physical disabilities, most of whom are worried about getting around, especially when construction is fully underway.
“It’s practically beginning at my front door,” said Smallwood, an articling student at the Canadian Human Rights Commission. “It’ll affect my day quite a bit, on a day-to-day basis, just being able to get access to services that I normally do to live my life.”
The Bronson Avenue reconstruction project began March 27 in an effort to revamp the roads and sidewalks and replace the underground pipe system. While many residents will find the road closures inconvenient, Smallwood said he’s worried he won’t even be able to leave his front steps.
For example, Smallwood said he typically does his grocery shopping at Hartman’s Independent Grocer at the corner of Bank and Somerset, but he faced a whole host of problems in getting there when the city worked on Bank Street last year.
“Because they tore up all the sidewalks, you’d have to go over makeshift ramps made of wood, or steep inclines,” he said. “I had tremendous difficulty . . .I always had to remember to bring somebody with me that would be there to help if I had to get over things.”
“I’m concerned that it’s going to be a similar experience for Bronson.”
Meg McCallum, spokesperson for the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corp., agreed that accessibility is an issue. The CCOC, a private, non-profit housing provider, owns about 50 properties in Ottawa, including 520 Bronson Ave.
“It’s going to be noisy and dusty for everyone, it’s going to be inconvenient for everyone, but if you’re in a wheelchair or have a walker or have to push a stroller, those things that are inconvenient for able-bodied people become insurmountable,” she said, adding she is disappointed the city didn’t consult area residents earlier.
In an email, city officials said local traffic, including Para Transpo, would still have access to Bronson. Construction workers will also lay down temporary hard surfaces like sidewalks and makeshift ramps for pedestrians.
The city has also guaranteed access to garbage removal, McCallum said.
Smallwood said so far, he’s been satisfied with how the city has handled his case.
A meeting on March 28 with city officials and representatives from both the construction company and the CCOC convinced him that his concerns were being heard.
During the meeting, city officials told the residents of 520 Bronson Ave. that they will always be able to enter their building from Flora Street.
As well, if some parts of the street become dangerous during construction, they can contact a city engineer or construction foreman right away and ask them to fix the problem area.
Smallwood said while only time will tell whether the city will actually follow through on its promises, he’s glad the city is listening.
“There are obviously going to be situations and scenarios when either the ball gets dropped, or it’s not going to work out the way that they planned,” he said.
“(But) if problems can be dealt with in a quick fashion, then that’s all you can ask for.”