You have to walk at a brisk pace crossing the street at the intersection of Terrebonne and Royal Avenue in NDG. Afterall, the road paint that’s supposed to mark a crosswalk has almost completely faded away.
It’s like that at most intersections in the Côte-des-Neiges/NDG borough. A study obtained by Global News reveals that less than 20 per cent of all pedestrian crossings and stop lines have been properly painted.
More than 80 per cent are barely visible.
“I’m telling you, people come to the borough council to complain about this,” Montreal city Coun. Marvin Rotrand told Global News.
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The councillor who represents the Snowdon district is planning to introduce a motion on Monday at the borough council meeting calling for an overhaul on how lines are painted.
He wants a higher grade of paint used that will last more than one season.
The city councillor also wants his borough to have complete control over line-painting.
And Rotrand insists line-painting should be done in the spring — not mid-way through the summer.
“I’m disappointed in that I’ve raised it repeatedly. The problem never gets resolved and this year seems to be the worst,” he said.
Montreal Police Sgt. Jean-Bruno Latour says 521 pedestrians were hit by cars in the first six months of this year on the Island of Montreal.
That’s down slightly from 2017.
He insists there is a shared responsibility for pedestrians and drivers when it comes to crossing the road.
Latour says police officers can contact city officials if line-painting is insufficient.
“The road safety officer from the police station and chief of police have a way to contact the city and communicate with them if they see any abnormality or anything that need their involvement,” Latour said.
Rotrand insists that painting bright, visible lines should be common sense.
“It’s a fundamental mission of a municipality. It’s not rocket science. It’s basic and we’re all paying taxes for services like this,” he said.
In a text message to Global News, a Montreal spokesperson said the city manager has mandated a study to determine the best options on how line-painting should be done.
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