Nearly 900 people living in the Shea Heights area of St. John's have signed a petition over construction they say is making a busy road more dangerous.

According to residents, the City of St. John's has narrowed Linegar Avenue, in a traffic calming initiative for the area.

"Two vehicles can pass, but the drivers are so nervous that they're stopping and having to wonder about hitting their mirrors, and it's an impossibility for a pedestrian or a cyclist in the areas," Jess Wilkins, chair of the road committee for Shea Heights told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

The committee formed after Wilkins was bombarded with calls and messages from members of the community, trying to figure out what they could do to fix the road problem.

As a former RCMP officer, Wilkins had the insights into who to call, and ended up with the traffic records from Linegar Avenue's recent past.

Wilkins said those records showed that in the last three years there have been no public complaints about speeding in the area and there have been zero traffic accidents on the street.

He also said it's city policy to get a 60 per cent vote from residents of the area to go ahead with traffic-calming efforts, and that the city did a poor job in promoting a public consultation.

Some of the community members who signed the petition gathered near the road on Sunday evening.

Resident Paul Druken told CBC News it was a way to raise some awareness, and to show people and the city exactly what their concerns are.

"We're an older community, sure. We pay our taxes like everyone else, and if they're going to do something we want it done right," Druken said.

"Everyone says the same thing, that it's a little too narrow and there is room there. They can move back."

Druken added there are concerns for residents with impaired mobility and are unable to make it to the convenience store on the street some days.

"The sidewalks aren't cleared in the winter. We had one girl, she busted the wheel on her tire and she had a scary experience in that area," he said.

A statement from the City of St. John's transportation engineering department said the council was aware of the concerns in Shea Heights.

"Council is considering options for the area and will communicate its response with residents once a decision is reached," the statement said.

It added that all decisions so far have been in consultation with the public, and with the aim to increase people's safety and reduce speeds in the area.