School zone time expansion

To the Mayor and Council regarding school zone time expansion:
 
I would firstly like to thank each and all of your for your work and service for the City of Kelowna. I applaud your efforts.
 
In a position that you hold as Mayor and Council, you will never please everyone but I feel the city is moving to a positive direction. Now to the reason for my correspondence.
 
The recent passing of the bylaw to expand the school zones to 7:30 am concerns me. In theory, no one should disagree that the safety of children is paramount. I could only imagine the pain from injury a child with a vehicle. That being said, I don't believe that this change is for the better. It may create more harm than good by enacting this law for the following reasons:
 
1) At most schools, children are not supervised or officially welcomed until 8 am (I know there are exceptions) so why do we want to add this change?
 
2) Coming from the Upper Mission area, it becomes mission critical for working parents to do whatever is possible to get through the zones such as Anne Mclymont and OKM before 8 am or your time in traffic is greatly extended. This rule change will worsen this situation.
 
3) I believe this change will result in the following:
 
-more idling as traffic is snarled up the hill and thus more pollution
-a greater push to the use of side streets which could result in more accidents and safety issues
-greater frustration and the resulting effects
 
In fact, with school being finished at 2:30 pm, I believe that the times should in fact be shortened to 4 pm since that gives 90 minutes for everyone to leave the school zone. I am aware of after school activities such as soccer but those times can be 5 pm, 6 pm or 7 pm and have no relevance.
 
In sum, please consider repealing this change so that we can continue to use common sense by slowing down around children but instead of unnecessarily creating frustration to drivers.

I generally cycle to work but am afraid that these changes will make the roads less safe instead of safer for all of us.

Chuck Droppo