CAMBRIDGE — It’s more than pedestrians and cyclists who are endangered at the Franklin Boulevard interchange with Highway 401, several people told a public meeting last night.

It’s time to rip out the dangerous on- and off- ramps so it’s a safer place for motorists, too, they said.

“The crux of the problem is the ramps,” said Ann Wallace of Cambridge. She lives south of the 401 and avoids taking the bridge to get to work in Hespeler, because of the chaotic mixing of traffic.

“Last Friday I saw two people pull U-turns, from both ramps. One was in front of me and the other was behind me . . . I can’t believe the nerve of some people.”

The meeting in the Centennial Public School gymnasium was called to present results of a $100,000 study looking for a safer way to get pedestrians and cyclists across the freeway. No decisions were made. Attendees were encouraged to record their comments and ideas so they could be included in recommendations expected to city and Waterloo Region politicians to consider in the new year.

People worried about the Franklin highway ramps were directed to attend a provincial highway information session Dec. 1, at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Speedsville Road. It’s open 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The province is looking at widening the 401 to 10 lanes from Hespeler Road to the Halton Region line. If approved, that means replacing old bridges — like Franklin — to span the new asphalt. If the bridge is replaced, it could have proper bike and pedestrian areas.

A pedestrian and a cyclist have died when hit by cars on and near the Franklin bridge since 2001. It’s narrow, doesn’t have a formal walkway and there’s no sidewalks alongside Franklin.

“I’d say it’s the worst (interchange) I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Lisa Harmey, a European trained architect from Waterloo who’s a pedestrian and cycling advocate.

“I can’t believe it exists.”

The Cambridge-regional safety study looked at building stand-alone pedestrian bridges between Franklin and Hespeler Road to the west. The team’s preferred solution was at Franklin: either widen the existing bridge or build a pedestrian bridge beside it.

That satisfied some of the 30 people at the meeting. One person wanted the pedestrian link to connect with Greyhound and GO bus stops. Others thought the Franklin bridge so dangerous that it would be better to divert pedestrians and cyclists to a new bridge to the west.

Traffic experts, however, said if bridge was too far away from natural traffic paths, few would use it. And, those who did use it, would be walking alone in dark, potentially dangerous commercial and industrial areas to reach main roads.

The study team said they’d look at making any stand-alone pedestrian bridge beside Franklin longer, to cross the 401 on-ramp.

Paul Stanbury was unconvinced about encouraging more cyclists like him to use Franklin, because the road has no sidewalks or room for bikes.

“That Franklin is a deathtrap. Once you get across (the bridge), where do you go?”

The region has a study underway looking at installing roundabouts, sidewalks and bikeways along Franklin, from Highway 401 in the north to Myers Road in the south.

kswayze@cambridgereporter.com