*I'm posting a very serious update on our petition.
As we started this petition over a month ago due to concern of reckless drivers, too fast of speed limits and absolutely no care or even proper signage that these roads are not only our neighborhoods where our children, pets and selves should comfortably play, walk home safely from down the road at dusk, or anything similar.
The irony of what has now happened doesn't amuse me in the least bit.
Last night 10/17 just a bit after sundown around 7:30pm our older neighbor boy was making all the right safe decisions to get our 6yr old son home from playing down the dirt road at their home. Our black lab was trailing behind to make it home as well. Tragically from behind the boys heard our fur baby Chief get hit by a vehicle. Even worse, it was a hit and run and we're left some some ginormous medical bills, and long road ahead of us of healing. We will proudly have an amazing three legged dog now. But we're not happy about it. We're hurt. Because our family member was very hurt and mangled and I, his Mother sat on the side of a dark road holding my bleeding dog, and thank goodness for ER vets or we wouldn't have him still. He bled in my arms the long drive there until we could pass him on to be treated.
THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO HAPPEN, and the irony of the fact that it happened to the family that started the petition is NOT sitting well with me.
Truly hoping no one else has to get hurt and we come together and recognize the changes we need to make. The communities we've been missing, and support each other.
I'm not one to ever ask for help, though this is a huge hit to our family. I truly hope our communities can learn how to rise up together again.*

In 2011 in the city of Esko Minnesota, The Esko Active Community Coalition established a new walking system using existing routes an added new informational kiosks and signs. The system consists of 2.5 mile and 3.5 mile loops that follow pedestrian and bicycle routes. Signs along the roads mark the loops. Since then there has not been much consideration for these trails. I live on E Harney Rd in Esko MN, directly out of my driveway one of these signs are posted. Attached are pictures of the sign leading out of my driveway. You'll see how small and unnoticeable this sign is. On the stretch of this part of the walking trail system along E Harney Rd the current speed limit is 45mph.

 

"Roughly 10% of people struck by vehicles traveling at 23 miles per hour(mph) die, but that figure jumps to 50% at 42 mph. Once a vehicle's speed reaches 58 mph, the pedestrian has a 90% chance of dying during the crash. Therefore, crashes on rural roads are highly likely to be fatal because of higher speed limits and the likelihood of motorists EXCEEDING those limits. Even in urban areas with lower speed limits, drivers can still cause injuries that put people in the hospital." -ref., Lewardslaw.com

The above statement alone should be concern enough to significantly reduce speed limits in rural areas. Add in the fact that it is a designated walking and biking trail for our Esko community and it should be a no brainer the absolute necessity to reduce speed limits, as well as an addition of slow down signs clear to see for a motorist, bringing attention to the fact these are Esko Walking Trails.

Just throughout my five closest neighbors households and mine on the mid section of E Harney Rd there are 12 children, and many pets. We all utilize our road as the walking trail, our children ride their bikes and our pets run out to greet their buddies sometimes when they are taking a walk. If any one of our children or pets ran out of our driveways (which are lined with trees blocking most view of the driveways until the near end) and a vehicle was going even 30mph the Stopping Distance is 153 ft, and that's best case scenario.

To bring this point home I'll share this with you to explain:

"Imagine that you are driving your car on a regular street. Suddenly, you notice a child dart out across the street ahead of you. What happens during the next few stressful seconds?
First of all, some time will pass between the event happening and you perceiving it. This period is called the perception time. During this time, the car continues to move with the same speed as before, approaching the child on the road.
You might think that, as soon as you perceive the event, you hit the brake immediately, but there is always a small delay between the moment you notice the danger ahead and the instant in which you actually start to decelerate. This delay is called the reaction time. The car is still moving with the same speed.
After you start braking, the car will move slower and slower towards the child until it comes to a stop. The distance traveled from the moment you first hit the brake until you come to a complete stop is called the braking distance. The stopping distance, on the other hand, is the total distance traveled since the event began - the sum of distance travelled during perception, reaction, and braking time." -ref, Omnicalulator.com

With that said we are proposing the city of Esko take immediate action to reduce speed limits along our walking trails as well as prominent signs for said walking trails. There is interest in extending reduced limits beyond the designated trails leading to the attached roads. As families walk and bike and feel the limits are too high. 

Esko is a prominently family based community with increasing new families as well as new additions to our families. It's time to take action and make the safety of our children and families a priority.

We have a beautiful community as well as great areas for walking/recreation that deserve our attention and upkeep.

I sincerely hope you see the importance of this concern and will sign our petition to take action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Make sure to check out updates below. *