When our children play outside on Park North Lane, we are constantly on edge. The absence of sidewalks in our neighborhood means that families, children, and pets have no designated safe space, increasing the risk of accidents. Currently, the speed limit is set at 30 mph, which many drivers seem to treat as a suggestion rather than a law. The speeding is relentless, and we worry for the safety of everyone on our street. We are located next to the largest park in the city that brings in many families daily and next to the pedestrian cross walk for the park. 

This is not just a minor complaint. This is an urgent safety hazard that affects the entire neighborhood. An adult or child should not have to be injured or killed before the city finally steps in. We believe you fail to recall the recent catastrophic accident that left a young girl who was struck on Bear Creek Parkway leaving her with life altering injuries due to excessive speeding. A 30 mph speed limit guarantees a deadly ending for a child or adult. It’s unsafe. 

Across the United States, communities with residential streets designed without sidewalks face similar challenges. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), pedestrian fatalities in urban areas increased by 62% from 2009 to 2018. Much of this grim statistic is preventable with better road safety measures, such as lower speed limits in residential areas.

Numerous studies, including those conducted in Europe under the Vision Zero initiative, have demonstrated that reducing speed limits can drastically decrease the number of traffic accidents. For instance, reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 20 mph can lower the risk of pedestrian fatalities by more than 40%. This is supported by the UK's "20's Plenty for Us" campaign, which highlights the success of lowered speed limits in improving community safety.

Williamsburg Estates located in Keller also has a speed limit of 20mph. Park North Lane should be a 20 mph given our location resides next to the park, NO sidewalks on the road, and the pedestrian crosswalk is at the end of the road. Residential speed limit needs to be lowered to 20 mph due to it being a safety hazard. 

By signing this petition, we urge our local traffic authorities to recognize the safety risks posed by higher speed limits in residential areas without sidewalks. We call on them to take swift action in reducing the speed limit on Park North Lane to 20 mph and approving speed humps to safeguard our children and community. 

Please sign and help us make Park North Lane a safer place for everyone.