Traffic safety impacts three groups: motorists, cyclists and pedestrians – all of whom have to co-exist on the road network in Long Branch.
In addition to residents, we get visitors to our neighbourhood who come to use public facilities like Marie Curtis Park.
We are concerned about motorists exceeding the speed limits on our streets and failing to respect stop signs. Often these actions put cyclists and pedestrians at risk – especially in areas that do not have bike lanes or sidewalks. How, when and where motorists can and cannot park is a related issue and important enough to us to be worthy of special interest.
So, we advocate for better speed limits and enforcement as well as ways to change driving behaviour to encourage safer speeds and respect for others using the streets.
Cycling is a great form of exercise for all members of the family and cycling doesn’t generate pollution. Most cyclists are responsible people who just want to enjoy their ride and the scenery in safety. However, some cyclists spoil it for the rest by failing to respect the rules of the road – not stopping at stop signs, riding on the sidewalks and not alerting pedestrians to their approach. These cyclists seem to feel the rules of the road do not apply to them.
We advocate for bike lanes to help separate cyclists from motorists and to encourage residents to consider cycling to and from work as an alternative to using cars. We also advocate for stronger enforcement.
Long Branch is a very walkable neighbourhood with lots of dog owners, joggers and walkers using the streets and trails. Most streets are quiet, but Lakeshore Boulevard is a major thoroughfare.
To encourage walking, we advocate for more sidewalks to separate pedestrians from street traffic and for better sidewalks to make them safer for seniors and children. We feel there are enough traffic lights in the neighbourhood, but we could use more pedestrian crossings to make it easier and safer for people to cross Lakeshore Boulevard.
We always want to hear from you, so please let us know what YOUR concerns are about traffic safety by contacting us at community.safety@lbna.ca