A sample SWOT+ Analysis of a current CKL Issue
Local residents and business owners in the town of Fenelon Falls and those cottages/residents adjacent to the rail trail running north from town are talking…
Sample SWOT+ Analysis for a proposal to widen and repair Short Street.
My letter to the Doug Dickerson and Pat Dunn
This article in the Peterborough Examiner discusses a recent City Council meeting concerning access to the rail trail for ATV riders near and inside Fenelon Falls via the rail trail. To summarize the issue, “ATVers may be making a detour when passing through Fenelon Falls next summer after council voted Tuesday to ban motorized vehicles on a small section of Victoria Rail Trail going through the village.
During a discussion about a near-complete draft of an updated Trails Master Plan, both mayor Andy Letham and Ward 3 councillor Doug Elmslie proposed a motion to make the necessary bylaw adjustments to exclude motorized vehicles on the trail between Garnet Graham Park and Northline Road from May to November.”
This article was posted on Facebook and has set the locals talking.
THE ISSUE.
Citizens have been complaining about the noise, dust and safety of ATVs riding the trail between the Garnet Graham Park and Northline Road which intersects will the trail about 5 KMs north of the Park (near Poulson Rd) and make the attractive lakeside path accessible to riders.
Recent changes to bylaws now enable ATV traffic to travel on county roads thereby enabling an alternative rout for riders to reach Fenelon Falls.
PROPOSAL.
Northline Road meets County Road 121 about 4 KMs south of the trial/Northline intersection. From the Northline/121 intersection, SHORT Street (still 121) provides access to town and is about 800 meters long.
SHORT Street passes in front of the Ultramar gas station. That stretch of road is in poor condition.
Please see the map link below and find SHORT Street at the north end of town.
SHORT Street, which passes in front of the Ultramar gas station, is in poor condition and is likely already on the list for repair by the roads crew.
What if SHORT Street was also widened by 6 feet on both sides when the repair is done? This could achieve several goals as outlined in the following short SWOT+ Analysis :
STRENGTHS:
1. Safer riding for ATV and cyclist traffic along SHORT Street by creating lanes to accommodate this traffic.
2. During periods of heavy traffic, it can also serve as a safer on/off ramp for Ultramar customers while facilitating a steady flow of traffic.
SHORT Street appears as an overlooked portion of the road system after one considers the great road improvements made in town. Updating SHORT Street will leave a more favourable impression to visitors (tourists).
Fewer ATV riders will complain about diverting ATV traffic from the trail system to Northline Road and Short street if this route is made safer and more convenient.
Cyclists, dog walkers, and all ages of trail pedestrians will find the trail to be a more enjoyable venue without the dust, noise and risk of ATVs passing so close to them.
WEAKNESS:
There are several unknowns such as:
Can funds be made available from alternative sources, such as the Province, to help defray the costs of an upgrade to SHORT Street? (in a timely manner?)
What City financing and human resources are available to plan and complete the upgrade?
Will the new City Council rank this project sufficiently high to do this upgrade compared to other investment priorities?
OPPORTUNITY:
Fenelon businesses owners will be pleased by any reasonable investment the city makes in order to make the town more inviting for tourists and attract more customers.
A compromise may be reached whereby ATV riders can use the FF trail before May 15 and after September 15 when cottage season is not at peak.
Road planners may see an opportunity to make the North Line/ SHORT street intersection note functional for the future given the expected population growth anticipated in the Kawarthas in the next decade.
THREATS
Some ATV riders will oppose the idea that they may no longer travel the potion of the trail that skirts scenic Cameron Lake.
WHO pays ?
This will be the responsibility of the new City Council to determine sources of funding.
ATV riders may pay in terms of losing the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and pleasant breeze coming off the water on hot days. This is a tradeoffs that may be acceptable to many of them when the consider the merits of this plan and how they may personally benefit.
All Mayoral candidates recognize “roads” as a top priority in this election which reflects what people are saying they want. Given that this Short Street upgrade proposal is both a roads investment and a potential solution to a local concern regarding the use of rail trails, it may rise up in priority at Council.
WHO benefits?
There are too many of potential beneficiaries to number in this short, prelimsnry analysis but you could expect City business owners, residents who take pride in their community, cyclists who use SHORT street to reach their country road rides, and visitors who travel in and out of Fenelon.
This SWOT+ Analysis is brief attempt on my part to give my readers an example of how SWOT+ analyses could focus discussions and negotiations to consider proposals that will address issues.
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Reply to Pat Dunn’s response
“Just to give an example of cost, 2nd crossing for Fenelon Falls 30 million (today’s prices), crossing at Colborne St W 12 million. You easily figure a million per km to upgrade Northline Road and more than that for 121.” Pat.
Hi Pat. Thanks for your response. My SWOT+ analysis was a “back of the envelope” effort and was intended to generate discussion. Your feedback and cost estimates are a valuable starting point to further that discussion and cover the topic in sufficient detail to satisfy the curiosity of an electorate that wants to know how decisions have been reached and whose interests these decisions were made.
I hope that you see that the SWOT+ analysis can be a useful framework for use in certain cases. I would be happy to participate in some SWOT+ discussions (those in which I believe that I can contrite value) as a citizen representative.
Gene
