City has plan for safer school zones
Tuesday morning, the city announced a plan for better road safety in school zones. No way to know whether this is just PR smoke and mirrors, or whether measurable results will follow.
Update: Some students will carry radar speed detectors in their backpacks, a technology used elsewhere but being tried for the first time here in town.
jeather 10:47 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Fewer cars dropping the kids off/picking the kids up would measurably help, but that’s never happening.
mare 11:00 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
According to the person who announced this last week during Critical Mass, this is going to be *province wide*, at every school. He is part of a pressure group of concerned parents, and they worked hard to get this on the agenda. I forgot the exact details of the implementation and the time line, this obviously didn’t happen overnight before the Rentrée.
Uatu 11:01 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Using temporary bollards to calm down traffic? There has to be something physical in the way because everyone drives SUVs now and those things are basically designed to plow into kids
Joey 11:18 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
The examples cited aren’t that impressive:
Two weekly enforcement operations in accident-prone and school zones;
An analysis of school corridors and reporting of situations that could compromise the safety of schoolchildren;
Online video clips and prevention tips shared on social networks and with neighbourhood posts;
Distribution of awareness tools around schools;
Awareness-raising posters at school drop-off points and at the main entrances to schools and their day-care centres.
walkerp 11:35 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
According to the brigadière, the cops were out in the first week giving drivers a lot of tickets around school zones, so that’s something.
dhomas 11:42 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
The city of Laval made a cool video to try to get people to slow down:
https://youtu.be/phbeF8elLXQ?si=NAokhTF-g93pnO_M
PSAs are nice, but generally ineffective. There needs to be physical, traffic calming measures in place to slow people down.
carswell 11:48 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Isn’t this a problem that a few strategically placed traffic cameras around each school would instantly solve? Affordably, too, as the fines would likely cover the cost and then some.
steph 13:10 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
@dhomas, call the OQLF – “Slow d’āne”
thomas 14:18 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Completely, agree with carswell. I wonder why the city doesn’t make more extensive use of traffic cameras.
dhomas 14:20 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
@steph the “faucon pèlerin” strikes again!
Nicholas 17:00 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
I thought I remember reading that the province limits the number of photo radar and traffic light cameras, though I can’t find a source. There are only 12 on the island, which is basically a rounding error. Given that 94% of Quebeckers support photo radar in school zones and the penchant of the mayor and her party for traffic calming and non-car travel, I’m pretty sure there would be more than 12 cameras if the city had the authority to.
Joey 17:56 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Geneviève Guilbault has already announced plans to increased the number of cameras.
Ephraim 20:54 on 2023-09-05 Permalink
Were they not supposed to put cameras on school buses? Ah yes, in 2018…. so where is it now? https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-launching-pilot-project-to-install-cameras-on-school-buses