Cumberland candidate Stephen Blais is calling on Ottawa-Orléans MP Royal Galipeau to scrap federal funding for the roundabout planned for the intersection at St. Joseph and Jeanne d’Arc boulevards.

The request comes after numerous residents raised concerns along the campaign trail about the traffic feature, Blais indicated.

“I have knocked on thousands of doors and not a single resident wants this roundabout,” he said. “This $2.5 million can be invested in community projects that will improve our quality of life rather than waste taxpayers money with dangerous consequences.”

On Feb. 10, 2010 city council approved the roundabout. The two councillors whose wards are literally divided by the intersection were split when it came to whether or not the city should build the traffic feature.

Orléans Coun. Bob Monette dissented on the motion while Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess voted in favour of the proposal, which had the backing of the Heart of Orléans BIA.

The purpose of the roundabout is to act as a gateway to the community and also improve traffic flow. According to the city, the current intersection rates a D but is a failure during peak periods. With the roundabout the rating will jump to an A.

Despite studies pointing to improvement to both traffic flow and safety, Blais said residents had indicated they think the roundabout is dangerous, a waste of money and not an infrastructure priority.

“The east-end is in desperate need of major infrastructure investments, but this roundabout is nothing but a safety hazard,” he continued.

And while he’s running in Cumberland Ward, which won’t house the roundabout, Blais explained residents don’t adhere to imaginary dotted lines that separate city wards. He added many travel down St. Joseph to shop or commute to work.

Instead of the roundabout, Blais said he’d rather see the money spent on widening Trim Road, burying some of the wires along St. Joseph, extending the sidewalk on Gardenway, expanding the Blackburn Bypass, adding lighting to area sports fields, or general resurfacing and repairing of east-end roads.

Funding being allocated for the project, estimated to cost between $1.5 million to $1.8 million, will come from the $2.5 million federal infrastructure money earmarked for streetscaping in Orléans. Work under the program has to be completed by March 2011 because any money spent after that date will no longer be split between the province and federal governments.

Blais suggested the roundabout project jumped the queue, noting no one had heard about it until sometime around Christmas. As for being shovel-ready, the design of the roundabout isn’t even complete, Blais indicated.

“It’s been rushed through to meet the timeline of the infrastructure program,” he said. “If that project can be rushed, why can't others?”

As for calling on the feds to step in and affect a decision already made by a duly elected municipal government, Blais indicated the federal government already set a precedent for that, referring to the decision to force a second LRT vote. However, in this case, a contract has yet to be awarded, he said.