More than a month after the death of a seven-year-old girl at the corner of Parthenais and de Rouen streets, the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, announced on Friday the establishment of one-way streets in this sector in order to discourage through traffic. These measures will be put in place before the start of the school year next fall.
Thus, rue Parthenais will become a one-way north, between rue de Rouen and rue Sherbrooke. Fullum Street, which borders the Jean-Baptiste-Meilleur school attended by the young Mariia Legenkovska, fatally hit by a motorist on December 13, will be transformed into a one-way north, between Ontario and Sherbrooke streets. Finally, rue de Rouen will be a one-way street to the east, between rue Fullum and rue D’Iberville.
“One-way streets really make it possible to limit neighborhoods as shortcuts,” explained Mayor Plante during a press briefing at Parc des Royals, located one street corner from the intersection of Parthenais and Rouen streets. “There are too many cars, they are too big and they drive too fast. »
These measures, developed with the management of the Jean-Baptiste-Meilleur school, will be implemented after the end of classes and will be in effect in time for the start of the school year next fall. “You have to know that it’s not that obvious. [d’implanter des sens uniques]. This requires work, among other things, with the Société de transport de Montréal to review the bus lines. We must ensure that the emergency services can also circulate, ”said Sophie Mauzerolle, city councilor in Sainte-Marie and responsible for transport and mobility on the executive committee of the City.
However, the mayor’s press briefing was interrupted for several minutes by a citizen who accused her of announcing measures that were too timid. “We are in a climate emergency and you are talking about one-way streets after the death of a seven-year-old child,” he said, calling for an outright ban on cars in the city center.
The mayor said she understood the anger expressed by the citizen. She however rejected the option of a ban on car traffic in the city center. “It’s a cry from the heart. He is a man who was touched by the death of Mariia. But for me, the solution is not to eliminate cars, but to prevent, as much as possible, cars from taking residential areas for shortcuts. We must limit this to local traffic and make a better sharing of the public road, ”she argued.
In the days following the death of Mariia Legenkovska, the City had installed bollards at the intersection of Parthenais and Rouen in order to limit the flow and speed of vehicles. Oversized stop signs have also been installed on Parthenais Street and the City has promised an increased police presence. The City intends to make permanent arrangements to secure this intersection, but Sophie Mauzerolle was unable to give a timetable for this work.
Chris McCray, of the Collectif appeasement pour Sainte-Marie, said he was satisfied with the measures announced by the City. “We have been saying it for a long time: the Centre-Sud is increasingly under pressure, especially with the work on the bridge-tunnel [Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine]. These changes were necessary. We really want to keep transit on the arteries to protect the students of the many schools and daycare centers in the neighborhood. It’s a good start. »