Dear Editor:
I read the article last week about the residents next to the new walking trail asking for a sound barrier to be put in place by the Town of Ponoka. I have walked this new trail and wonder why a sound barrier is needed. Highway 2A hasn’t been moved closer to the homes; the only change is the trail itself.
My wife and I have walked our trails for several years and we have never seen anyone being noisy or disruptive on any trail. People socialize and/or walk with their children on the trail and other than the children laughing and having fun as they go down the trail, there isn’t any noise. Our trails are quiet and calming areas to walk. People respect our trails and seldom litter on them. (Garbage cans are provided.)
If privacy is an issue from having people walk by and admire houses and gardens, then I would suggest residents near the trail do what any other homeowner in town would do: put up a fence or trees at your own expense. The Town of Ponoka shouldn’t have to be responsible for the cost. I just don’t see how having a walking trail in that area increases noise to the point of needing a “sound barrier.”
Richard Welch