Projet Montréal vows to rectify dangerous intersections
Valérie Plante says Denis Coderre’s adoption of a Vision Zero strategy for Montreal is just a slogan, and her party will finally do something about traffic accidents.
Standing at the corner of St-Michel and Rosemont Blvds. on Monday morning, Plante, the leader of Projet Montréal, said that within its first year, her administration will target all major intersections where there have been serious injuries and make them safer.
“Vision Zero needs to be more than a slogan. It needs to mean zero accidents,” Plante said. “Why do we have to wait until there are serious accidents before we act?”
Plante said the city has refused numerous requests by the Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough to make the intersection where she held her news conference safer, despite a petition from parents of local students.
Among the requests were to make a priority pedestrian light longer because pedestrians now have about 10 seconds to cross four lanes of traffic before cars are permitted to turn.
“We know the intersections that are prone to accidents because we have statistics from the Montreal public health department, and we can work with citizens who alert us to problems that they encounter,” Plante said.
François Croteau, the incumbent Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough mayor, said his borough council also asked the central city to make a priority light for cyclists travelling straight on Rachel St., at the corner of Molson St., but was told his council would have to come back with a list of the number of serious accidents that occurred there before action could be taken.
“It’s not Vision Four, it’s Vision Zero,” he retorted.
On Monday afternoon, Coderre defended his administration, saying 67 dangerous intersections were corrected over four years, and he has a plan to do more in the next four years.
Speaking at the Maison de développement durable downtown during the unveiling of his party’s platform, Coderre said he intends to create an office for pedestrian and cyclist safety during his next mandate.
“We have a plan. We have the expertise, and we will put all the efforts in to make the difference,” he said. “It’s not just about changing a road, but changing culture, and we have to protect the most vulnerable.”
In other municipal election news Monday, Coalition Montreal’s mayoral candidate, Jean Fortier, promised a new extension to the métro’s Blue Line. In addition to the five kilometres planned to extend the métro to Anjou, Fortier proposes to extend the Blue Line from the Côte-des-Neiges station over the mountain and link to a station called Du Musée, between the Guy and Peel stations. The fourkilometre extension would end at the École de technologie supérieure in Griffintown and cost a third of Projet Montréal’s proposed Pink Line. The line would serve to alleviate congestion on the Orange Line, Fortier said.
Fortier’s party has asked the Board of Trade of Greater Montreal to review its decision not to invite him to the upcoming Oct. 19 mayoral debate, saying the rules during this debate would have disqualified the second-place Mélanie Joly in the 2013 elections.
Projet Montréal released its election platform on Sunday evening. It focuses on improving public transit, better roadwork planning, reforming taxation and services to citizens, making streets safer and improved housing projects.
Coderre’s party will focus on responsible management, upgrading infrastructure in every neighbourhood, improving social cohesion, staying committed to social and economic partnerships, continuing on a push for a smart and open city, championing the city as an international metropolis and support for citizen participation and social commitment.