The Committee has been very concerned about poor lighting levels across the city. Tardy replacement of burnt out street lamps and lack of sufficient lampposts along sidewalks and intersections is a serious impediment to the safety and mobility of older adults.
We have received complaints from many residents that they feel unsafe walking at night because they cannot see the sidewalk in front of them and are afraid of tripping and falling. Others are worried that dark sidewalks and side streets may facilitate criminal activity (e.g., assaults, robberties).
If Vancouver aspires to become an “age-friendly city” as defined by the World Health Organization, it is imperative that we provide adequate street lighting. To help remedy this situation, the Committee unanimously passed a motion (page 4 in Minutes) to call on Council and City Staff to
1. Institute a more effective and expeditious process to identify and repair non-functioning street lights, and
2. Install new lighting, especially sidewalk-level lighting, in poorly-lit areas.
The Committee will continue working with other interested advisory committees (e.g,. Women’s and LGBTQ Advisory Committees) in making this a priority issue.
Update (Deceber 13, 2013): The Women’s and LGBTQ Advisory Committees have officially endorsed our motion (Women’s AC minutes; LGBTQ AC minutes), and our Council liaison, Tony Tang, has informed us that he will bring the motion forward to Council.
