If you live in Ward 4 and are concerned about traffic safety, you might want to make your way to Willistead Manor on Wednesday night.
Ward 4 City Councillor Chris Holt is hosting a public meeting to discuss resident concerns after two children were struck by vehicles in the same week in Walkerville.
The first incident was on June 5. A vehicle struck a child on Riverside Drive East at Langlois Avenue. Three days later, a six-year-old boy was hit on Gladstone Avenue. Windsor Police investigated both incidents.
When WindsorNewsToday.ca spoke with Holt soon after, he admitted receiving numerous phone calls from residents concerned about speeding vehicles in residential neighbourhoods.
Wednesday's meeting, which will start at 6 p.m., will discuss drivers who speed, pedestrian comfort crossing major streets, the safety of children walking to school, and driver behaviour at school pick-up and drop-off times.
Representatives from the city's transportation planning, traffic operations, and parking enforcement departments will join Holt. Officials from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, area schools, and the Windsor Police Service will also attend the meeting.
Holt hopes to brainstorm ideas and gather feedback after officials make a brief presentation.
He has warned residents there are no easy answers.
On June 10, he said what is needed is a "cultural change" and called on drivers to slow down, especially on residential streets.
He also emphasized the issue is not unique to his ward.
"The suburbs in South Windsor and East Windsor have it much worse because their roads are much wider, much longer, much straighter," he said. "What we can do about it is incredibly difficult. The vast majority of people are either guilty of it themselves or they're guilty of letting their loved ones of having this attitude. Unfortunately, cultural change is very, very difficult."
