Citizen-led traffic control in Bury

In an effort to curb speeding, a citizen purchased and installed a speed bump on Hillbury Street in Bury on Sunday evening.

The speed bump, while well-intended, was removed by the municipality in a matter of hours.

“Everyone in town knows it’s awful,” said the speed bump layer (who asked not to be named), about speeding on the street in question.

“Most of the people on our street are elderly and liked the idea,” the speed bumper said, pointing out that Hillbury has no sidewalks.

“I bought it last year, but it was almost winter so there was no point to put it out,” the vigilante explained. “Free speed bump. I don’t see any down side to it,” they said, “especially from a town that cries that they have no money.”

The speed bump, purchased online, cost around $200.

Bury Town Manager Karen Blouin said the speed bump was a surprise to see.

“We don’t know who laid it. We noticed it, and we removed it,” Blouin said. “I’m surprised to hear speed is an issue there,” she said, explaining that Hillbury is a small cul-de-sac.

According to Blouin, there are no complaints on record with the town regarding speeding on Hillbury. The only complaint regarding the street is related to a four-wheeler; more of a noise issue, she said.

Blouin said there had been a concern about speed on Victoria Street, which is under the jurisdiction of the MTQ.

Two requests had been made to have the speed limit reduced, Blouin said. The first was refused. The second, submitted more recently, is still pending.

Blouin said if they town had known there was an issue on Hillbury they could have looked into the problem.

“What is there to do if there’s no complaint,” Blouin said, adding that the town was caught by surprise by the sixfoot-long rubber barrier.

The speed bump vigilante admitted that no official complaint had been made with the town, but said speeding in general within town limits was a known issue.

The speed bumper added that the Sûreté du Québec had been called on three occasions to report speeders, but they are too far away to catch anyone in the act.

The Record contacted the SQ for a list of speeding complaints on Hillbury, but did not receive a response by press time.

According to road safety code 500, placing an obstacle on a public road that affects the flow of traffic without the permission of the municipality is illegal and can involve a fine.