Petition regarding Lost Lake Road - October 2019

This is a petition from concerned community members to the City of Nanaimo regarding the condition, care and use of Lost Lake Road. We would like to develop more of a sense of community along Lost Lake Road and the adjoining areas. To do this we need residents to have the option to be able to walk safely to each other's homes. We would also like to access parks and trail systems around our homes as pedestrians without the use of our vehicles. At present, it is not safe to walk down Lost Lake Road to get to neighbouring homes, trails, parks, and businesses. Several of our children are coming to the age where they could independently bike and walk to neighbourhood friends, schools and parks. Despite our teaching them safe pedestrian and cycling behaviour it is simply unsafe for them (or anyone) to travel by foot or bicycle on this road.

Specific concerns:

• The road has become very busy with traffic not only to homes on Lost Lake Road but to homes in the Laguna area. The area continues to be developed and will only become increasingly busier.
• Traffic related to residential construction is notably very high with dump truck, cement trucks, lowbed trucks hauling equipment and contractor trucks traveling through often at high speeds.
• The driving behaviour of many drivers is dangerous due to high speeds of driving and passing. Lost Lake Road is also being used a race course for some drivers with speeds estimated at 100 km/hour.
• The road is windy, with blind hills, and corners resulting in poor visibility generally but particularly for persons trying to pull out of driveways/side streets.
• Some residents regularly park their vehicles on the road side forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. The parked vehicles also limit visibility when trying to turn onto Lost Lake Road.
• Overhang of trees and vegetation impacts visibility and forces pedestrians to walk on the road.
• There is no shoulder and no sidewalk for most of Lost Lake Road. There are many pedestrians as well as motorised scooters and persons with strollers who use this route and they do so at great peril.
• Lost Lake Road has a strong community of young families who gather together regularly and want our children to feel safe and go from home to home without concern.
• The development of the City of Nanaimo parks accessed from Tanya Drive and Burma Drive will bring more traffic and considerations for safe access for all users needs to be considered.
• Have the City of Nanaimo Engineering Department review the route to determine what signage and other traffic calming measures could be implemented. We are open to strategically placed speed bumps such as those on Oliver Road.
• Put in sidewalks. Liaise with the community regarding where the sidewalk makes most sense and most impact from a community and safety perspective.
• Request the RCMP Traffic Division to address driver behaviour regularly. The driving behaviour is poor at all times of day but notably poor at the beginning and end of the traditional work day when contractors are going to/from worksites.

Requests:

We are committed to model safe driving behaviour, teach our children safe practices and work together as a community to support each other and make this a great place to live. We kindly request that you consider our concerns so we can continue to foster this sense of community.