Parents concerned over traffic speed around Boyne Public School

By Laura Steiner

Traffic speed near schools is a big issue. Parents at Boyne Public School have found traffic along Louis St. Laurent to be a potentially dangerous problem at the intersection of Farmstead and Louis St. Laurent.

Parent Council Chair Uyen Brockway said most parents serving on the council have had a “close call” while trying to walk their children to school across the intersection.

One parent is Kiran Naveed, who has had a couple of close calls, including one where she had to tap on the car’s trunk in order to get them to come to a complete stop. “I can say that this is a hot topic, and we all just want to be able to get our kids safely to and from school,” Brockway said in an email to Milton Reporter.

The Town did a traffic study looking at a potential crossing guard last month (Nov. 29, 2018). The school was not consulted as part of the process so as not to influence the study. There have been submissions made through the “My Milton” app describing incidents at the intersection, or along the route. There have also been incidents where cars would stop along Louis St. Laurent to pick kids up through a gap in the fence.

The study found that crossing guards were not yet warranted at that intersection.

Mohsin Abbas, the Safety & Parking Committee chair at the Boyne Public School, said that the council is in process to work with the Town. “Few parents had been attempting to reach town hall representatives. Last week we saw volunteers from police service doing a survey,” he continued.

Abbas has been volunteering to take photos, videos for the area to make sure kids are safe. “It’s so dangerous jaywalking on Louis St. Laurent but many parents are doing it.”

He added it’s only possible if parents get involved. He has suggested the school council that “Walking School Bus Program” can help with traffic congestions around school. “Everything is possible but parents have to get involved.

“So, we are the only people who can come together to fix our problem. It’s not possible without parents help. It will avoid many problems and help avoid traffic congestion.”

Parents are invited by the school council to send their suggestions. They can also join the school’s facebook page for updates and volunteer.

Brockway suggested a Town representative to come to a meeting, and explain how they can make it safer for the children. “I would love for this to be a proactive resolution versus a reactive solution. Everyone deserves to feel safe when seeking an education,” she concluded.

Ward 4 councillor Sameera Ali took to social media to report that police were at the school noticing violations at Boyne, and neighbouring Anne J. MacArthur public school.