Private Road Safety Petition -The Woods Townhome Complex - 15588 32 Ave, Surrey, BC

We the owners and residents of The Woods are petitioning to the City of Surrey for a solution to our ongoing safety issues with the Right of Way for the roadway in our townhouse complex. Currently it is being deemed a public through road for any and all traffic to cut through our townhouse complex. We would like the Right of Way removed from our private road, and the ability to close our private gate again.

The Woods is a complex consisting of 96 units with at least 50 kids who are elementary school aged and below.
The speed limit is 10KM per hour through the complex, however we see many cars, delivery vans, delivery trucks, and even postal service speeding through our complex every day of the week, endangering all of us — but especially our children.

The morning rush sees kids from our neighbouring complexes (Nuvo , Nuvo 2, and the two Headwaters apartment buildings located on 31st
Ave) as well as our own walking or riding scooters and bikes through to get to school at Morgan Elementary. Because there is no proper safe sidewalk, all the foot traffic has to use the road. The road itself is not wide enough to accommodate a side walk and single lanes of traffic in both directions. (See photos.) There are multiple blind corners throughout the complex which heighten the danger 10X. (See photos). Near misses are heart stopping to be frank. The same is seen throughout the day and again at the evening rush hour.

After several close calls involving children in the complex, we voted to have a gate installed on our 31st Ave entrance as a safety measure. The City of Surrey told us that the gate had to remain open due to the easement in place allowing access for vehicles and foot traffic. However it was found that 31st Ave has another easement in place that is NOT for all traffic, it is limited to service vehicles only — so in effect there is no straight through way anyway.

In addition, the construction on 32nd Ave. Snd on Croydon Dr. has escalated the amount of traffic cutting through in anger, speeding impatiently through what appears as a through road in Google.maps

We feel it is only a matter of time before something absolutely terrible happens to one of our children or a neighbouring child, and we want the City of Surrey to consider all voices here asking for CHANGE to make our neighbourhood safe again.

We see the possible solutions as:
1) The City designates our street private once again with no easement in place for vehicle traffic. We repair and can close our gate again to vehicles; foot and bicycle traffic will still have access through at the side of the gate. We would be willing to allow our neighbours in Headwaters who have the other Right of Way on 31st Ave the opportunity to buy their own fobs for access through the gate.
OR

2) If the roadway easement is to stay in place, then the City of Surrey installs speed control bumps in places to be determined in coordination with the Strata Council, to be paid for by the city, with the liability, snow removal, and road maintenance now being the 100% the City of Surrey’s responsibility. The Woods will remove the gate.

Christianne Zurowski (the Woods resident)    Contact the author of the petition