Most, if not all of us in the Bridlepath and Sawmill Valley neighbourhoods have been concerned for some time about the ever increasing level of speeding and racing of cars and motorcycles between Sawmill Valley Drive and The Credit Woodlands. The tragic accident that took two lives this past weekend (May 8th) on Burnhamthorpe Road at the west end of the Credit River bridge beyond emphasizes that actions need to be taken immediately to reduce the speed of vehicles and make the area safer. This car in the accident could have easily taken out pedestrians on the sidewalk, or, if not for the concrete light pole the car hit, could have ended up in the playground at Richard FC Mortenson Park.

Dubbed by many as the "Burnhamthorpe Speedway", the noise of the racing cars and motorcycles along Burnhamthorpe Rd can be heard in our homes even through closed windows. This is frustrating enough but now walking or biking along the Burnhamthorpe path is no longer a enjoyable exercise but more one of discomfort and fear with the frequency of speeding vehicles. Also, the number of vehicles that speed up to try and beat the red lights at Promontory, Mississauga, and Sawmill Valley intersections make crossing Burnhamthorpe often feel like a life or death decision. This seems to happen throughout the day and night now putting pedestrians more at risk including kids that have no choice but to walk or bike along Burnhamthorpe to get to school. There are always kids playing in the several cul-de-sacs that are adjacent to Burnhamthorpe that are at risk as well as there is very little barrier-wise to protect them if a speeding vehicle leaves Burnhamthorpe Rd unexpectedly.

It is only a matter of time before something even more tragic happens along that stretch, something that could involve our families - our children. As a community we need to insist the following be done to help prevent another tragic accident along this stretch.

1) Make this stretch a designated COMMUNITY SAFETY ZONE with a REDUCED SPEED LIMIT given A) the sheer amount of pedestrian traffic; B) the pedestrian pathway encouraging more pedestrian use; and C) the schools and parks that Burnhamthorpe serves as a primary pedestrian commuting path.

2) Install smart illuminated SPEED WARNING SIGNS indicating when vehicles approach and exceed the posted speed limit.

3) Install SPEED RADAR CAMERAS along this stretch in both directions. This will ticket and discourage reckless drivers and hopefully reduce the speeding that happens. It is impossible for police to constantly patrol that stretch as the speeding happens 24 hours a day.

4) Install GUARDRAILS on the north side of Burnhamthorpe extending from the bridge as well as along the bends of Burnhamthorpe in this stretch adjacent to cul-de-sacs and yards. Currently all other sides of the bridge have guardrails extending from the bridge and some bends in Burnhamthorpe have some guardrail protection - albeit limited. Ironically, the accident that occurred over the past weekend may not have ended up on the sidewalk if there had been a guardrail in place there. There is a bend in the road (where the accident occurred).

5) Insert GROOVES in the ASPHALT road before going across the bridge on sides (East/West) to encourage drivers to slowdown.

The more voices of our community behind this, the better chance we have of the city listening and finally taking action. Please have your voice be one of them.