---City implements speed reduction measures in rural areas

In an effort to reduce speeding in Gatineau’s rural areas and encourage residents to respect speed limits everywhere, Gatineau has adjusted its policy on traffic management. During municipal council’s plenary meeting on January 26, the city explained that the policy’s existing criteria doesn’t allow the implementation of speed reduction measures on roads outside of the urban perimeter. So, the city has decided to remove the term “urban perimeter” from the criteria of admissibility.

According to a press release issued by Gatineau on the same date, the modifications will allow the city to implement speed reduction measures on the following roads: chemin Queens Park, Grand Allée, chemin du Fer-à-Cheval, chemin St-Thomas (50 km per hour zone), and chemin de Bellechasse (50 km per hour zone). It added that the city’s campaign to encourage safe driving could see the addition of a component specific to rural areas.

This summer, the city aims to test the measures with transverse and paint marking on roads to reduce speeding in rural areas. The targetted areas should include four roads with satisfying pavement quality, two 60 km-per-hour roads, two 70 km-per-hour roads, a before-and-after audit of speeds and driver behaviours, and an evaluation of implementation costs (approximately $25,000) and the maintenance of the new measures.

It added that increased police surveillance should be in place in areas where speeding and safety has been indicated to be an issue and in more densely populated areas. Implementing new road safety modulations every year, the city’s objective is ultimately keeping people as safe as possible. Continuing its annual traffic control measures program, the city has allocated $45,000 from the municipal budget to the program for 2021.

Among its various measures, the city has installed more than 650 flexible beacons and more than 1,400 lateral bollards on municipal roads since 2014. With more than 70 speed radars installed in the city, it noted that an evaluation audit of those measures should be conducted this year.

The measures are all part of the city’s promotional campaign de la petite Prudence launched in September of 2018. The three-year campaign has a total budget of $80,000. The city noted that car accidents become twice more likely to happen every five km per hour over the allowed speed limit. It added that a 1 km per hour reduction to one’s average speed reduces three per cent of accidents.

The probability of survival for a pedestrian hit by a car going 70 km per hour in a 50 km per hour zone is just 30 per cent, while only saving four minutes per 10 kilometres. It added that the annual number of deaths on the road could be reduced by 15 per cent if everyone respected the speed limit. People are encouraged to call 3-1-1 to report issues relating to speeding on the road.

Calling roadway safety in all areas a top priority, Aylmer district councillor and President of the Commission sur les transports, les déplacements durables et la sécurité, Audrey Bureau, said the adjustments will allow the city to address a very important need for everyone. “During the last budget, the city reserved $450,000 to continue improving traffic control in this region, which will allow us to cover the rural zone,” Bureau said.  She also called on people to take responsibility for their actions on the road to ensure the highest level of safety for all users. “Caution behind the steering wheel helps to ensure security for the most vulnerable users, such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians,” she added.