Sue Sauve, the city’s former transportation demand management planner, said Peterborough needs an “evidence-based transportation safety plan.” (Photo: Brett Throop) You’re reading the March 11, 2025, edition of the Peterborough Currents email newsletter. To receive our email newsletters straight to your inbox, sign up here. Good afternoon, and welcome to the Peterborough Currents newsletter. A new campaign aimed at street safety in Peterborough suggests that pedestrians should avoid walking after dark among other recommendations. Advocates for pedestrian rights believe this message is unhelpful and overlooks what truly needs to be done to enhance walking safety in Peterborough. Also in this newsletter: Many residents from Peterborough gathered at a north-end clinic on Tuesday, March 11 for a chance to connect with a family doctor. I had conversations with several individuals while they waited in line. Let’s dive into it!
Criticism of Night Walking Advice in New Safety Campaign
Advocates say a new pedestrian safety campaign in Peterborough puts too much emphasis on pedestrian behaviour, and not enough on drivers and street design. (File photo by Will Pearson)
A recent pedestrian safety initiative launched by the city, county, police department, and Peterborough Public Health has drawn criticism. One advocate described it as “victim blaming.”
Last Wednesday, these organizations released a joint statement featuring various safety tips for pedestrians on both city streets and rural roads. One notable tip advises against walking at night.
“If possible, avoid walking after dark, especially on rural roads as visibility is low, and drivers may not expect pedestrians. If walking is unavoidable, ensure you have sufficient lighting and reflective gear,” according to the release.
Advising people not to walk at night is “ridiculous,” stated Sue Sauve, the city’s former transportation demand management planner. “People walk home from work in the winter time – it’s dark at 4:30 [p. m.],” she noted.
Sauve emphasized that the #walksafe campaign focuses too heavily on how pedestrians behave while neglecting driver behaviour and road design which should be prioritized for safety measures.
The statement includes nine tips for pedestrians-like wearing reflective clothing and opting for well-lit routes with minimal traffic-but only three tips aimed at drivers to help prevent accidents involving pedestrians such as obeying speed limits and checking twice before turning.
“This campaign is reminiscent of education efforts from the 1950s that have been shown repeatedly to fail in reducing pedestrian injuries,” Sauve remarked.
What could make streets safer? According to Sauve, one effective measure would be installing advanced pedestrian signals that allow people crossing intersections more visibility when they begin crossing. She also suggested adding curb extensions at intersections for added protection when crossing streets.
“We want changes like these rather than this kind of victim-blaming educational effort,” she urged. She called upon the city to develop an “evidence-based transportation safety plan” ensuring all streets are safe for everyone involved.
Pamela Fuselli, CEO of injury prevention charity Parachute Canada commented that campaigns like this are “one of the less effective” means of improving road safety.
“There are still pedestrians that are… doing all the right things; they’re following all road rules yet still getting hit,” she pointed out.
She asserted that modifications to road design are essential for controlling vehicle speeds and ensuring pedestrian protection.
“Placing blame solely on pedestrians isn’t appropriate,” she added. Streets should be designed so that if a pedestrian makes an error they aren’t fatally harmed due to it.”
In recent years Peterborough has implemented traffic calming strategies meant to reduce vehicle speeds across several residential areas; however city council has opted against further implementation over the last two years instead directing staff members look into potentially lowering speed limits throughout the entire city down to 40 kilometers per hour.According....2024
