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Speeders near Savory school creating potentially dangerous situation: Langford resident

Gail Leswoski says vehicles frequently zoom through Atkins Avenue crosswalk
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Langford resident Gail Lesowski says traffic calming elements such as this one on Atkins Avenue near Selwyn Road haven’t solved the issue of speeding along Atkins. (Bailey Moreton/News Staff)

Speeding on Atkins Avenue in Langford has one resident concerned about safety for herself and school children in the area.

Gail Lesowski regularly uses the crosswalk on Atkins near Selwyn Road, when walking her granddaughter to nearby Savory Elementary School and said she has been nearly hit multiple times by drivers not stopping at the crosswalk.

The City of Langford recently did road narrowing work to try and force drivers to slow down. But Lesowski said that only forced cyclists to merge into vehicle traffic and hasn’t effectively slowed traffic.

“I think if they designed it properly to begin with, it wouldn’t be an enforcement issue, it wouldn’t be an issue,” she said. “I just want the traffic to slow down so that somebody does not get killed at that crosswalk.”

Lesowski is also worried the problem will only get worse with more development bringing more cars into the area. But Cpl. Mike Jacobson, who heads up West Shore RCMP’s municipal traffic division, said speeding incidents are reduced when roads are more congested, as traffic tends to move slower. But speeding does happen in quieter areas, like along Atkins Avenue, he noted.

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Jacobson said the traffic division has ramped up operations recently and has grown to four officers.

While speeding is one problem they deal with around the West Shore, increased congestion causes other issues, he said.

“A problem of particular concern right now is parents parking in no parking zones and designated bicycle lanes,” he said in an email. “It is always, ‘just for a minute,’ but we are encouraging students to walk or cycle to school, and when they get to the area of congestion near the school they are forced into the busy street by parents parking improperly.”

The City of Langford declined to comment on the Atkins Road situation.

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@moreton_bailey
bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com

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