A resident of the Southern Shore is speaking out against a decision by the Town of Witless Bay to approve a temporary road across a section of the old railbed.

Trevor Croft says the road will be used as an access route to a new subdivision consisting of 30 one-acre lots. He says it will cut off access routes for ATVs, hikers, and others.

Croft says they have a huge issue with ATVs in the town and he’s concerned that they will be using the road instead of the trail.

The road goes straight across the railbed but there’s a blind turn to the right creating what he calls a safety hazard.

He and others have given the town an alternative, at the end of the railbed where it crosses another road is less than 300 feet from where the current access is planned. By shifting each route slightly, they can create a situation where nobody has to cross each other and there is ample sightline.