Open Streets critic Coun. Borrelli now big fan of event

He once said city council was "throwing away money" when coughing up $55,000 forWindsor'sOpen Streets event, but Coun. Paul Borrellihas done a complete U-turn in his opinion.

On Sunday, the city held the second Open Streets event, an eight-kilometre block party that shut down traffic on a route that stretched from Sandwich in the west to Ford City in the east.

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Borrelli was the biggest critic on city council when the event was approved, saying he didn't want to waste taxpayer money. He has since changed his mind. He says he now realizes these types of events create a sense of community by engaging residents.

He wants to see more of the events, possibly several a year. He also wants to find a way to to include other neighbourhoods along Erie and Ottawa Streets.

"I think this event should be continued," he said. "It's a great idea for community involvement and community engagement."

There is already talk among politicians about expanding the event.

Coun. Rino Bortolin has always been a proponent of Open Streets. During his travels on Sunday, he said people regularly said the event should stretch further to include other neighbourhoods.

"Next year, I would love to see it done every month, instead of just twice a year," Bortolinsaid. "After that, who knows? Maybe we can look at doing it weekly."

People have also askedBortolin to have the event last longer than 1 p.m., which is when the city removed the barriers that blocked vehicle access to the route.