Dear Editor,
I am writing about the new interchange on 216th [Street] north opening Aug. 31.
After repeated requests for speed abatement the speed is still set at 50 km/h!
Why are some children in Langley provided with more protection than others?
Surely elementary schools that will very soon have heavy traffic 25 ft. from them need a 30 km/h zone.
READ MORE: 216th interchange will open by end of summer
We all know speed kills and that young children are small and often act without thinking. When my son was 10 he was hit by a car while riding his bike. Thankfully he only suffered a mild concussion and a broken leg.
My research tells me that a 30 km/h sign will usually produce drivers going 40 km/h.
50 km/h signage will produce drivers going 60 km/h plus.
Drivers exiting a freeway may have the perception that they are travelling slower than they actually are after going 100 km/h.
There are numerous studies validating that higher driving speeds reduce response time. Therefore the possibility of a child being hit or killed increases based on the vehicle speed. This is fact.
By not acting to protect vulnerable school children the elected officials are in my opinion negligent and therefore responsible should an accident occur where a vehicle is travelling at 50 km/h. A “wait & see” attitude is unacceptable.
I have all my correspondence should there be an accident/fatality. We have already had two accidents on 216 and the interchange is not open. Cases in point: a family dog hit and killed by a truck, a little girl almost struck by a car when she tried to cross 216th on her bike. (Fortunately she was not hurt, just shaken but there was a car accident as a result.)
One has to ask, does it take the death of a child to have a 30 km/h speed zone created?
Children before cars… keep our community safe. Protect the children before it is too late.
Linda Nash
Langley