As most of the city is aware we, as a collective community, recently lost an Oswego staple, Josh Barbour to a tragic motor vehicle accident when his car unintentionally went into the Oswego River. An accident that if we are being honest, could have been prevented if we had more tangible safety measures along our riversides.

What is sadder is this wasn’t the only fatal car accident in the last eight months and it will NOT be the last if we don’t advocate for a change.  

Amongst all this I hope to also talk about bridge safety as this community has already lost too many young members who saw the bridge as a way out in a moment when they needed help instead. 

My hope with this petition is to gather enough support and get enough collective communication going that we can get proper safety measures installed along our waterways (I.e new railings, boulders/decor that serve as a barrier, life rafts available every hundred feet or so, rope or ladder systems available to those in water and responders).

I intend to communicate with council members, attend city meetings, truly anything I can do to give this very serious topic some momentum. I hope you share and keep this conversation going. 
Our river and lake are not going anywhere and it is time that we are ensuring all members of our community get to enjoy its beauty without their lives needlessly at risk.