As residents of the Red Oak Neighborhood we have experienced an ongoing and rising concern related to the safety within our neighborhood. Our home is located on the corner lot near the Woods of Saga Hill Park. We have witnessed too many near misses of children, people and cars getting hit. The risk presented here is real and immediate, and extends far beyond our immediate family.

Red Oak is a busy neighborhood accessible via two entrances and home to many families with young children who regularly bike and walk. Yet, it faces the lack of a critical safety measure - there are no sidewalks. The installation of a speed bump by the Woods of Sage Hill Park and the walkway between Grandview Ave. and Minneapolis Avenue, could drastically reduce the chance of accidents. 

Further, there are two speed limits in the Red Oak Neighborhood. The main North entrance, Red Oak Lane, has a 30 mph speed limit that was posted after the neighborhood was developed. The secondary south entrance, Grandview Ave, has a 20 mph speed limit. The Grandview Ave. road was pre-exisiting to the development of the Red Oak Neighborhood. By implementing a consistent, reduced speed limit of 20mph throughout the neighborhood, we can decrease the incidence of high-speed collisions. Minneapolis Ave., one block away and connected by a walking trail from Grandview Ave. has a 20mph speed limit as well. According to a report by the World Health Organization, a car traveling at 20mph gives a pedestrian struck by it a 90% survival rate, compared to a 60% survival rate when the vehicle is moving at 30mph (World Health Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, 2004).

We strongly believe that these measures are crucial safety improvements for our neighborhood, providing protection not only to our own young children but also to all our neighbors’ families. We are deeply concerned by the number of speeding cars in our neighborhood and the amount of kids and families out on the street. At this point it is a matter of time before serious injury is incurred. By signing this petition, we collectively ask the city council for the implementation of a 20mph speed limit throughout the entire Red Oak Neighborhood and the installation of a speed bump within the Red Oak Neighborhood, to make it a safer community for all.