The residents of Chase River/Cinnabar Valley, many of whom are children and seniors, are put at risk by our neighbourhood streets. Steadily rising volumes of vehicle and transport truck traffic, excessive driving speeds with little traffic-law enforcement (particularly on Extension Road, Richardson Road & Cinnabar Drive), precarious roadway design and missing sidewalks all contribute to unsafe roads and unsafe pedestrian areas. There is also great concern about the lack of an emergency egress road adequate for the volume of traffic that is now in our community.

Vehicular accidents, and the severity of them, seem to be on the rise in this area. These events often prevent residents from either entering or exiting theIr neighbourhood for long periods of time due to lack of alternate road access. They also result in power outages, property damage, and personal injury. The potential for a greater tragedy is imminent.

Chase River/Cinnabar Valley residents are extremely concerned that the current state of our roadways and the continuous amount of unchecked speeding puts everyone at great risk. Our elders and the children who use busy streets to attend the two schools and childcare facilities in our community are particularly vulnerable while using our streets. We therefore call upon the City of Nanaimo to prioritize the action required to provide the people of this community the personal safety we deserve. Curtailing speeding with law enforcement, and traffic-calming measures such as the installation of four way stops or speed bumps to slow traffic on feeder roads is desperately needed.  An increase in sidewalks and pedestrian crossing lights are required to protect lives.  The construction of an additional community access road to divert transport trucks off of residential streets and to provide an additional egress route for residents in the event of an emergency is a necessity for the safety and well-being of the people of our community.  We have been waiting for far too long - action is desperately needed before we suffer a tragedy.