Some residents of a west end neighbourhood in Peterborough say traffic and speeding in a school zone are growing safety issues.
For many parents and grandparents, walking young ones to Westmount Public School is part of the daily routine. However, they say getting to the school can sometimes be difficult along Briar Hill Road — a dead end street that empties into the school on Sherwood Crescent.
“It’s a real safety issue, especially in winter during storms,” said Sue Fulton-Hill, whose grandson attends the school.
Briar Hill Road is a sloping street with no sidewalks, so walking on the roadway is the only option, Fulton-Hill says. At times the mix of people and vehicles can pose problems.
“One nearly hit me the other day, and I’m 5-foot-1,” Fulton-Hill said. “It didn’t see me. But I thought, ‘What if that’d been my grandson who’s three feet tall?'”
Patricia Spink also walks her grandkids to school and has seen several near collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles.
“I’ve seen people who are driving a little too fast, considering that there are pedestrians. Most people are somewhat mindful, but there are many distractions.,” she said. “You never know when you’re going to have an incident.”
Another entrance to Westmount is on Sherwood Crescent. It is a dead end so all vehicles must turn around after dropping off their cargo.
“Parents come in and out of here really fast,” said Rob Brown, a father of two. “They fly down the road here, drop their kids off and absolutely fly out.”
To date, there have been no serious incidents at either entrance.
Principal Sarah Rogers and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board are aware of what’s going on and are reviewing the concerns.
The city has posted signage on both streets but has said “no” to installing a sidewalk on Briar Hill Road because there are no curbs.
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