The creation of a 10-year action plan to improve the A7 road is not a fanciful wishlist, insists the woman behind the consultation.
Majorie McCreadie, secretary of the A7 Action Group, is visiting Borders community councils along the 92-mile route in an effort to find out what the top priorities for improvements should be.
She hopes to gather opinions by the group’s next meeting in September in Hawick, but has told communities to take their time and consider what is most pressing.
Mrs McCreadie said: “We don’t want to rush this. We need to get this right.
“There is a lot at stake in terms of safety, business and tourism. It all needs to be considered.
“There is no point calling out for investment if we don’t have the figures to back it up on accidents. This is not a wishlist, this is a serious piece of work.”
She says she is not put off by Galashiels councillor Sandy Aitchison’s claim at the town’s community council meeting this month that pressing the Scottish Government to make improvements was “invariably pointless”.
Mr Aitchison also said the council’s tight budgets meant major work was unlikely on stretches it was responsible for, such as the detrunked section of the A7, north of Kingsknowes roundabout.
Mrs McCreadie told us: “It just means we have to go down a different avenue for getting the money needed.”
It is expected the 10-year plan will be launched in 2014.