Families in Old North neighborhood stage community rally as new poll shows significant traffic safety concerns in neighborhood and strong support for measures to improve safety on neighborhood roads for pedestrians,  bicyclists and motorists.

London, ON – Concerned with deteriorating neighborhood livability and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, neighbours in the Old North community have created a coalition named ACTION, Advocates for Calmer Traffic in Old North, to focus on improving safety on the neighborhood roads.

The coalition has launched its efforts by conducting a survey among local residents to assess the community’s concerns regarding traffic safety issues, as well as to determine the extent of support for initiatives designed to enhance the safety of children and adults on Old North’s roads, sidewalks, and bike paths.

            “I’m concerned because as an emergency physician and trauma specialist I see the product of vulnerable road user injuries on a weekly basis,” said Old North resident Colin Evans. ”Too many individuals are dying and countless others have their lives irreparably changed following these crashes. Despite London’s commitment to Vision Zero, we as a community have failed to make meaningful progress towards reducing vulnerable road user injuries and near-miss incidents. By advocating for neighborhood-wide strategies to change the way our streets are engineered, we can increase safety by passively reducing both the speed and volume of traffic.”

            With nearly 250 surveys collected (236), the responses from Old North neighbors confirm a significant concern with traffic safety in the neighborhood, a negative impact on the safety of children in Old North, a concern with lack of traffic enforcement and a willingness to have traffic safety solutions implemented in the region.

            The poll found that 95 percent of respondents believe traffic speed is a problem; 94 percent agree that traffic safety concerns reduce the safety and freedom of children in the neighborhood; 90 percent believe that enforcement of traffic laws is insufficient and 90 percent of respondents are open to engineering or infrastructure solutions to improve traffic safety in Old North.

            Respondents to the poll were also given an opportunity to identify significant Old North traffic safety concerns and the challenges most mentioned included speeding and aggressive driving, a failure to stop at intersection stop signs and high traffic volumes.

            “The danger of simply existing on our own streets and sidewalks in this neighborhood has become intolerable,” said Old North resident Teresa McLellan.  “Driver speed and collisions send cars off the road. A crossing guard—someone specifically tasked with helping our most vulnerable to safely cross roads—was seriously injured when a car left the road and hit them. At the Sconery, a hub for families and community, a speeding car left the road and narrowly missed a pedestrian. These events are recent and they will continue without dramatic change. Multiple families in this neighborhood have already lost children to being hit by cars, and we cannot afford to wait for another tragedy. The survey results show us that the community is well aware of the dangers: car speed, driver aggression and intention, cut-through traffic, and specific problem intersections that see crashes and near-misses again and again. It’s time to make a change.”

            The results of the poll were released today as part of a community rally organized by ACTION to call attention to Old North traffic safety concerns and demonstrate some of the potential solutions to improving regional safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

                        ACTION hopes to take the responses of the survey to support the group’s plan to work with city officials to proceed with short and long-term strategies to improve safety on Old North streets.

            “There is a clear consensus in our community: Traffic dangers are real, worsening, and intolerable,” said Old North resident Dan Cameron. “We know that city staff are dealing with many challenges as our city grows in population, traffic congestion, and infrastructure needs. But, the time to act is now. We have community-sourced ideas that we are reasonable, are likely to improve safety, and do not require massive investment. We want to be at the table with city staff as they do their work to ensure that residential neighborhoods like ours are safe for all.”

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