Surrey woman threatens to blockade her street if traffic can’t be reduced

Christina Eden is keeping count and taking names.

Like a number of people who live on a stretch of 71A Avenue in Surrey, she has become frustrated as drivers have started using her street as a freeway, according to her.

Eden has counted as many as 200 cars per hour travelling down her street when parents drop off and pick up their kids at a nearby school.

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Drivers are using this route so that they can avoid using a lightless left turn that’s located just one street over.

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It’s reached a point where Eden is ready to set up a blockade on her street.

“I might end up in jail,” she told Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I might end up in jail," she told Global News.

“But the alternative is I don’t want to be picking up some kid or running out to give First Aid to some kid who’s been hurt.”

The idea for a blockade comes after many efforts to raise the neighbourhood’s concerns with the City of Surrey.

Eden has sent petitions to the city for years, but nothing has changed.

READ MORE: B.C. drivers say driving in the province has gotten worse in 5 years

One petition went to the city in 2012, but Philip Bellefontaine, Surrey’s transportation manager, said that at the time “thresholds weren’t being met to warrant the introduction of traffic calming.”

Residents want measures like speed bumps, or even making the neighbourhood a school zone.

Traffic there has become a serious concern for parents.

“It’s kind of scary with the kids because some people are speeding a lot,” said mother Sonia Mattu.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's kind of scary with the kids because some people are speeding a lot," said mother Sonia Mattu.

“The cars are coming very fast from here,” said pedestrian Jaspreet Gill. “Sometimes it’s dangerous for us.”

Eden said that she and her neighbours want to go out with signs and ask drivers whether they live on their street, and whether they have a reason to use it.

“If you don’t and you’re circumventing the stop lights or going to school, then sorry, this is our street,” Eden said.

Meanwhile, the City of Surrey has pledged to assess the state of the street again and step up traffic enforcement, Bellefontaine said.