Petition to Mayor Eric Woodward and the Township of Langley Council

We, the undersigned residents and supporters of the Township of Langley, respectfully call on Mayor Eric Woodward and Township Council to immediately address longstanding safety concerns at the historic Five Corners intersection in Murrayville.

For months, residents have raised reasonable, evidence-based concerns regarding traffic safety at Five Corners. These concerns have been communicated through emails, service requests, photographs, engineering questions, site observations, and direct correspondence with Township staff and elected officials.

Despite these repeated efforts, residents continue to feel their concerns have not been meaningfully addressed, nor have they received clear, evidence-based explanations for decisions that affect the safety of everyone who uses this intersection.

This petition is not about politics.

It is about protecting children, pedestrians, cyclists, seniors, motorists, emergency responders, and every resident who travels through Five Corners each day.

Five Corners Is One of Langley’s Most Unique Intersections

Five Corners is unlike a standard roundabout or four-way intersection.

It is a complex multi-approach intersection that serves:

local residents
school children and families
pedestrians
cyclists
seniors
buses
commercial vehicles
emergency services
visitors to historic Murrayville
It is also the gateway to Historic Old Yale Road, an officially recognized heritage corridor that forms an important part of Langley’s history.

Historic preservation is something residents value.

However, preserving history should never come at the expense of public safety.

Both objectives can and should be achieved together.

Residents Have Raised Numerous Safety Concerns

Residents have consistently identified concerns including:

• vehicles entering and travelling through the intersection at excessive speeds;
• downhill approaches that naturally increase vehicle speed and stopping distance;
• limited visibility for drivers approaching pedestrian crossings;
• inadequate advance warning for approaching drivers;
• crosswalk locations that deserve further safety review;
• challenges faced by children, seniors, cyclists and people with mobility limitations;
• heavy trucks and large vehicles navigating a compact intersection;
• visibility during darkness and poor weather;
• insufficient reflective guidance, pavement markings and directional signage;
  opportunities for additional traffic-calming measures without compromising the area’s historic character.
• These concerns are based on everyday experience by residents who use this intersection daily.

They deserve to be taken seriously.

Residents Have Asked Reasonable Engineering Questions

Throughout this process, residents have asked the Township to explain the evidence supporting its decisions.

Questions have included:

• What engineering studies support the current traffic design?
• What speed studies have been completed?
• What collision and near-miss data has been reviewed?
• Was an independent road safety audit conducted?
• Were pedestrian sightlines evaluated from the perspective of both drivers and pedestrians?
• How were downhill vehicle speeds considered?
• What analysis was completed for buses, trucks and emergency vehicles?
• What post-construction monitoring has been performed?
• What engineering standards were applied?
• What evidence demonstrates that no additional safety measures are warranted?
  
  These are reasonable questions.

Residents should not have to repeatedly request the evidence behind decisions that directly affect public safety.

Public Safety Should Be Evidence-Based

Good public policy is built on transparency.

When residents repeatedly identify potential safety issues, local government should respond with evidence—not assumptions.

If the Township believes the current design is the safest available option, then the engineering analysis supporting that conclusion should be made available to the public.

If additional studies are needed, they should be undertaken before dismissing residents’ concerns.

Listening to residents is not an inconvenience.

It is one of the fundamental responsibilities of local government.

Prevention Is Better Than Regret

Road safety should never depend on waiting for a serious collision before improvements are considered.

Every successful traffic safety program is built on identifying risks before tragedy occurs.

If relatively simple measures can reduce the likelihood of future collisions, injuries or fatalities, those measures deserve careful consideration.

Protecting human life should always come before defending previous decisions.

We Call Upon Mayor Eric Woodward and Township Council to:

1. Commission an independent road safety review of the Five Corners intersection by a qualified traffic engineering professional who was not responsible for the existing design.
2. Conduct updated engineering studies, including vehicle speeds, pedestrian activity, visibility assessments, turning movements, heavy-vehicle analysis and safety observations.
3. Publicly release the engineering reports, studies, speed data, collision information and technical analysis supporting previous decisions, subject only to legitimate privacy restrictions.
4. Implement reasonable interim safety improvements where appropriate, including improved signage, reflective guidance, pavement markings, visibility enhancements and other low-cost safety measures recommended by qualified professionals.
5. Reassess whether the current advisory speed and traffic controls remain appropriate for today’s traffic volumes and intersection conditions.
6. Meet with residents to discuss the findings of the safety review in a transparent public forum.
7. Establish a continuing monitoring program to ensure Five Corners remains safe as traffic volumes continue to grow.

Why This Matters

Five Corners belongs to the community.

Every day, parents drive their children through this intersection.

Children walk nearby.

Cyclists ride through it.

Seniors cross it.

Emergency responders depend upon it.

Residents should not have to wonder whether repeated requests for safety improvements will only be taken seriously after someone is seriously injured.

We believe better collaboration between residents, engineers, Township staff and Council can produce solutions that both preserve the historic character of Five Corners and improve public safety.

This petition is an invitation to work together—not against one another.

We respectfully ask Mayor Eric Woodward and every member of Township Council to demonstrate leadership by listening to residents, reviewing the available evidence, commissioning an independent safety assessment and taking action where improvements are warranted.

Our community deserves transparent decision-making.

Our families deserve safe streets.

Our children deserve to come home safely.

Please sign this petition to support an independent, evidence-based review of safety at Historic Five Corners.