After a number of close calls crossing the street with children, a mother is calling for improved traffic measures at a Vaudreuil-Dorion intersection.
Nancy Côté and her two boys claim to have nearly been struck by vehicles while using the crossing between the corners of Cité-des-Jeunes Boulevard and Jean-Béliveau Street.
“The cars are going so fast that they had to screech to a stop. Drivers are honking at the kids and they nearly just got hit,” Côté said.
Côté said it’s gotten so dangerous that she physically blocks oncoming traffic with her vehicles so her two sons can bike across safely.
“It’s extremely busy in the morning and afternoon to allow the kids to cross — not to mention all the pedestrians during the day,” Cote said.
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The popular boulevard is a main thoroughfare for the off-island city and is also an offshoot for traffic from Highway 30.
According to a week-long traffic study conducted by the city on average, 4,770 vehicles cross the intersection on a daily basis.
The majority of drivers, 85 per cent, are driving 11 km/h over the 50 km/h speed limit.
With that data, the city has implemented a full gamut of traffic calming measures in the area.
Caution lights flash when pedestrians cross the bright yellow painted lines. Signs warning drivers of possible infractions are placed at the intersection.
Florescent orange flags for pedestrians to carry while walking are also made available.
“We invest time, we invest money,” Vaudreuil Mayor Guy Pilon said.
Pilon admits seeing it with his own eyes: the area is an issue as drivers tend to not respect the road signs.
“I don’t know why but people don’t recognize the lines and the signs,” Pilon said.
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Côté said that despite all the traffic calming measures, the boulevard is still a danger and needs to be made safer.
She said she believes a stop sign is needed at the corner as the surrounding residential area continues to flourish with new homes sprouting up.
Pilon said the city is looking into the matter but stressed that a stop sign may be an issue on traffic and school bus routes.
“At around rush hour, it will block all the way to Émile-Bouchard Street so it will make another problem — a bigger problem,” Pilon said.
“We’re just asking people to respect the sign.”
Pilon said a traffic light may be placed on the corner once the scheduled road work expanding Cité-des Jeunes is complete by some time in 2024.
Until then, the Sûreté du Québec will be studying the intersection’s traffic flow during peak morning and afternoon hours.
The city said it will use that data to find a possible solution for early September.
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