Petrolia has a pricey sidewalk problem.

A consultant’s report explained presented at a public meeting Monday suggested the town spend over $1.5 million to build and widen sidewalks throughout the town, soon.

But the total price tag of the proposed work is much higher – more than $4.25 million to fix aging sidewalks, widen those that are narrow, build sidewalks in several subdivisions where they were never planned and possibly provide up to six trail connections including linking Petrolia to the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation Area and with a trail north to Wyoming.

Jordan Fohkens of the engineering firm BM Ross and Associates laid out the issues his company has found and some of the concerns the public has brought forward as the town tries to make Petrolia a walkable community.

Fohkens says about 30 per cent of the town’s sidewalks are undersized including several along major roads where there isn’t a boulevard to buffer the traffic. He estimated there is about 1.6 kilometres of sidewalks in that category.

Jenna Simpson, the principal of a private elementary school, raised that concern at the public meeting. Simpson often brings the school children to Bridgeview Park.

“It does feel like we’re walking beside a highway with young children, I think because there’s not a buffer between the sidewalk and the road.”

Fohkens says the public brought up two main areas of concern during the public input sessions.

Tile Yard Road and First Street where students walk to LCCVI on a road without sidewalks and a narrow ledge on a bridge they must pass is one area of concern.

The study suggests there are ways to build up the sides of the roads and created a sidewalk or multi-use trail. That carried a price tag of between $180 and $313,000.

The streets around Queen Elizabeth II Public School, specifically Maple and Garfield Street are also of high concern. There isn’t a sidewalk along Maple which is the main access for the school.

The study shows First Ave., Tank Street, and Pearl Street were the highest priority to be widened. Sections of Dufferin Avenue, King Street, and Albany Street have highest priority to replace sections of the sidewalks.

The public can take a look at the reports findings at town hall for the next month. BM Ross will present its final report to council sometime after that.

It will be up to council to decide how to move forward although only $30,000 has been set side in the 2023 budget for sidewalk repairs.