Baie-D’Urfé resident calls on politicians to be more transparent about plans for sound barrier

If you drive by Coventry street in Baie-D’Urfé you will run into a unique electoral campaign sign.

It wasn’t put up by a candidate but by a citizen who wants politicians to be more transparent about the sound barrier on the 20.

“Our city is presently prepared to do half a job,” John Hachey says.

Hachey put the sign up on his lawn and his car encouraging people to “vote for candidates that support an ecological sound barrier wall, west and east of Morgan boulevard.”

“We are voting for candidates that act transparently,” the sign says.

Hachey says the town hasn’t made enough efforts to inform the public that it plans to build the sound barrier along Morgan boulevard only on the east side of the town, from Lakeview to Gray Street.

“Many of them are not making it clear that they’re only going to do half of the city when it comes to doing certain things and I don’t agree with that at all,” Hachey told Global News.

READ MORE: Baie-D’Urfé sounding the alarm to cut noise

For years, Baie-D’Urfé residents have been complaining about noise coming from Highway 20, with cars, trucks and trains passing.

Baie-D’Urfé asked the province for a subsidy to build a sound barrier and even paid for a study to look into the matter.

The study found that the town is not eligible for the subsidy because Highway 20 traffic noise is not loud enough and not enough homes are affected.

Those homes are mostly on the west side.

READ MORE: Baie d’Urfé won’t get sound barrier: Transports Quebec

“We should do the entire town,” town councillor and mayoral candidate Peter Fletcher said.

Fletcher agrees with Hachey, he wants the barrier to protect all residents.

“The traffic noise, the increase of speed of the cars and the trucks, it’s a quality of life issue.”

Mayoral candidate Alex Habrich says the consultation process was well done but that there wasn’t enough participation from the public.

“If the sample size is too small, the data is irrelevant,” Habrich said.

Baie d’Urfe Mayor Maria Tutino told Global News that the city’s decision to build a first phase only on the east side of Morgan Boulevard was based on the MTQ report and feedback from citizens over the course of several public council meetings.

Tutino added that if the public has any questions, she will be answering them during the town’s “meet the candidates” event on October 19.