Doane Road is a beautiful route connecting our communities, but many residents avoid it due to the dangerous and frustrating intersection at Leslie Street. When raising this issue with the Town, the response is often that it is a "regional road." However, if our municipal council cannot advocate for its residents—especially when 49% of our taxes go to York Region—they are failing to deliver a crucial message on behalf of the community.

A Heartbreaking Turning Point

On April 26, our community suffered a devastating loss when a fatal collision at Leslie and Doane claimed the life of 17-year-old Samir Osman and seriously injured four other teenagers.

This heartbreaking incident was an "enough is enough" moment for East Gwillimbury. For years, local families have been forced to navigate an outdated, rural-style intersection that simply cannot handle modern traffic volumes. With explosive growth across Queensville and Sharon, the opening of the Health and Active Living Plaza, the planned Southlake Health hospital site, and the future Bradford Bypass, ignoring this intersection was no longer an option.

While traffic lights alone cannot eliminate reckless driving, we must advocate for every layer of engineering and roadway safety possible to protect our families and prevent future tragedies.

Community Action and Advocacy

York Region completed an Environmental Assessment for this corridor in 2013 and originally scheduled construction for 2017, but the project was repeatedly deferred. Rather than waiting for another decade of study, I stepped up to lead community-wide advocacy.

I launched a petition that quickly mobilized incredible local support, securing over 400 signatures from neighbours across Sharon, Queensville, and East Gwillimbury. Applying an engineer’s precision to our advocacy, I engaged directly with York Region officials and Public Works staff to demand accountability, immediate interim safety measures, and an expedited timeline for the Doane Road project.

Read more about our demands for safety upgrades at the Leslie Street and Doane Road intersection in The East Gwillimbury Express: [Queensville resident demands action where teen was killed in car crash]

🔗 www.yorkregion.com/news/queensville-resident-demands-action-at-fatal-car-crash-site/article_34996556-fec4-5288-bd36-2af026185078.html

Delivering Tangible Results

Our united community voice proved that data-driven, persistent advocacy works. Through this collaborative effort, we secured major regional commitments:

• 2027 Traffic Signals Confirmed: York Region officially committed in writing to installing traffic lights at the Leslie Street and Doane Road intersection by 2027.

• Intersection Improvement Design Expedited: The Region agreed to advance the detailed engineering design for the long-delayed Doane Road corridor reconstruction, starting with the Leslie Street intersection.

• Stopping the Delays: Together, we ended a decade-long delay on a critical regional project and put the safety of all road users first.

Please read about this major community achievement in NewmarketToday: 📰 ["York Region to add lights at East Gwillimbury intersection after tragic collision"]  🔗 www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/york-region-to-add-lights-at-east-gwillimbury-intersection-after-tragic-collision-12709821

Next Steps: The 2027 Capital Budget

Securing a staff commitment is a major milestone, but our work is not done yet. The next essential hurdle is ensuring the Doane Road improvements are formally funded and approved by Regional Council in York Region's upcoming 2027 Capital Budget.

As we head into the municipal election this October, our incoming Mayor will represent our town at Regional Council. I will present this petition directly to whoever is elected and ask for their absolute commitment to fighting for our community's safety and locking in this funding. Furthermore, I will ask our Mayor to work with all levels of government to explore every available option to secure capital funding, ensuring that construction can be initiated immediately after the design phase is completed.

In the meantime, it is incredibly important to continue sharing our petition with neighbours across East Gwillimbury to demonstrate our ongoing community support.

To sign the petition, read more detailed background information, and view previous updates, please visit our petition page: https://www.change.org/Doane_Road

Shahab Aryan, P.Eng.

Community Advocate & Candidate for Ward 2 Councillor