Exasperated by the excessive speed of the trucks that use the road in front of his home, a citizen of Val-d’Or decided to affix reflective strips to the road signs along the road to make them more visible. He took it badly because the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) had just sent him an invoice for $587.18 for “vandalism”.
In front of the home of Cédric Paris, on the Route des Campagnards, vehicles must drive at 50 km/h. This is Route 397 located in the Val-Senneville sector where trucks, carrying loads of wood in particular, transit in large numbers. But according to Cédric Paris and his neighbors, few heavy vehicles respect the speed limit.
According to the checks of To have to, there is a traffic sign that asks truckers to “brake quietly”, but it is planted in the ditch, not very visible from the road. Two speed limit signs line the lane, but they don’t seem to convince truckers to slow down, says Paris. “They are visible, but no one pays attention to them. If an accident happens, it will be too late,” he laments.
Worried about his son who has to board a school bus every day, Mr. Paris says he made three reports by telephone to 511 two years ago asking that the signage be improved. Having heard nothing, he repeatedly contacted the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) in Val-d’Or who, he said, promised to increase patrols. “But no one has ever come to see me to see the problem. The Valdorien then contacted the municipal councilor for the area, Jean St-Jules, with whom he had a few exchanges by email.
A brief respite
Unable to see any improvement, Cédric Paris finally took the initiative, last September, to put reflective strips on road signs in order to attract the attention of truck drivers. “The first week was amazing how quiet it was,” he said. When, two weeks later, he saw an MTQ truck stop on the side of the road, he went to see the employees to whom he admitted to being the one who had put on the reflective strips. “But it turned against me because I received an invoice for $587.18 for so-called vandalism,” protests Cédric Paris. “It’s not vandalism. I didn’t hide to do that. I think it’s abuse of power. »
Spokesperson for the MTQ, Nicolas Vigneault maintains that the only request received from Mr. Paris in the last two years dates back to October 26. According to him, the department had no choice but to replace the road signs because the reflective strips affixed by the citizen damaged the reflective film that the signs already included. “Verification made, all the panels met the standards for distance and visibility,” he says. “Handcrafted reflective tapes [posées par M. Paris] did not meet posting standards. If everyone starts putting different materials on billboards on the network, that can be a pretty big security issue. »
According to him, the invoice of $587.18, which includes labor costs, is faithful to the costs assumed by the MTQ for the replacement of two panels. It is not unusual for the ministry to issue a bill to citizens or businesses that damage road signs, he points out.
Speedometer requested
The neighbors of Mr. Paris with whom The duty interviewed, confirm that vehicles regularly exceed the speed limit. “It is certain that next to a road, it is normal that there is noise”, recognizes Didier Lepage. “But they are not driving at 50 km/h in the 50 zone,” he assures.
According to him, high-speed heavy goods vehicles are not only dangerous, but they cause houses to shake. “Every time I come home in the evening, the frames are all crooked,” says Mr. Lepage.
For his part, Viateur Auclair deplores that the MTQ sent a hefty bill to his neighbor. “It’s a very good idea, what Cédric did. […] There is no reason to give him a bill of nearly $600. Improving and vandalizing are not the same thing. »
Several area residents suggest that a speedometer be installed along the road to indicate to motorists and truckers their speed and encourage them to slow down. Others want more police surveillance. “There is no shortage of police personnel, they are just not in the right place,” says one of the residents, Kevin Laganière.
For its part, the MTQ points out that any request for the installation of a speedometer must be based on a resolution of the municipal council. And to date, the department has received no request from the City of Val-d’Or.
Elected a year ago, Jean St-Jules judges the bill received by Mr. Paris to be a little “surrealistic”. He also contacted the SQ to inform them of the problem and two reports were reported recently in this sector. “It’s the lot of all the villages in Quebec. I have the impression that monitoring is difficult. He also believes that a speedometer could be effective in slowing down traffic in the area.
Director of Piétons Québec, Sandrine Cabana-Degani is of the opinion that a speedometer would have a very limited effect. According to her, safe pedestrian features, such as sidewalks and curb extensions near the school, would be more effective in the long term. “We know that if the layout does not favor slow speeds, the panel is not enough. It’s well documented in the road safety literature,” she explains. A reflection should also be made on the remuneration of truckers, because this encourages speed, she says.
The case of Cédric Paris is not without reminding him of the gesture of brilliance posed by the ex-mayor of Lanoraie. In 2021, Gérard Jean had himself installed stop signs and painted a pedestrian crosswalk at a dangerous intersection after the MTQ refused the City’s request. The MTQ had finally removed the panels and the City had to clear the pedestrian crossing.
Cédric Paris does not intend to stop there and plans to call on a lawyer to contest his invoice.