Pedestrians Quebec requests a meeting with François Legault

The organization deplores the “hecatomb” in the streets of the province

Denouncing the “inertia” of the provincial government as the number of Quebecers killed or seriously injured during walking trips explodes in recent weeks, the Piétons Québec organization is asking to meet with Premier François Legault and the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, to discuss potential solutions.

“No less than 14 pedestrians have been hit and seriously or fatally injured in Quebec over the past two weeks,” said Sandrine Cabana-Degani, general manager of Piétons Québec, in a press briefing Monday morning outside the Montreal offices of the first Minister, Sherbrooke Street West. “The popular reaction of the past few days demonstrates that pedestrian deaths can no longer be treated as simply part of the rules of the game.”

The Director General was speaking six days after the tragic death of little Maria Legenkovska, a 7-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was fatally hit last Tuesday by a motorist in a school zone while on her way to Jean-Baptiste-Meilleur school, in the Center-South.

His death provoked a surge of solidarity with his mother, Galyna Legenkovska, who has two other children and who works in a hotel in the metropolis. A Gofundme page has raised more than $150,000 so far for the family, whose father, who had remained in Ukraine to help with the war effort, has just joined his family in Montreal.

Serious and fatal collisions involving the driver of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian have taken place in recent weeks in Laval, Sherbrooke, Montreal, Matagami, Saint-Basile-le-Grand and Joliette, in particular. “Among these people, 8 died, including 1 child and 4 elderly people,” notes Piétons Québec.

Pedestrians Quebec has calculated that 650 people on foot have been killed in Quebec over the past decade, while another 27,000 have been injured. “It’s a carnage,” said M.^me Cabana Degani. All Quebecers should have the same right to return home alive, regardless of their mode of transportation, regardless of where they live. »

Power in Quebec

The organization says it is calling on the Prime Minister because the safety of the most vulnerable citizens on the road network is first and foremost in the hands of provincial elected officials.

“It is in Quebec that the standards for the development of the municipal and national road network are determined, which currently do not take into account the needs of pedestrians; it is in Quebec that we could decide that the basic speed limit is 30 km/h in urban areas, instead of the current 50 km/h; it was in Quebec that it was decided that on numbered main streets, the fluidity of motorized traffic took precedence over the safety of the people who lived in the area; it is in Quebec that we plan major highway projects that have an impact on traffic in living environments,” noted Ms.^me Cabana Degani.

On this subject, new mayors in Quebec want to calm automobile traffic and make walking on their territory safer, but quickly realize that the standards of the Ministère des Transports do not take into account the needs of the most vulnerable road users. , including pedestrians, according to the organization, which is asking for their upgrade.

To put an end to collisions, several international organizations also recommend that elected officials adopt a comprehensive street policy (complete street in English), which consists of developing safe and pleasant streets for all users, whether young, old or with reduced mobility, regardless of the mode of transportation chosen.

Unlike the City of Montreal and the Sûreté du Québec, in particular, the Ministry of Transport has still not announced its plan to join Vision Zero, an international approach that aims to eliminate fatal collisions by attacking their causes. by 2040.

The SAAQ is evolving

The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) has been campaigning for years to make motorists aware of the presence of pedestrians on public roads. Long criticized for their tendency to blame the victim, these campaigns have recently evolved to show pedestrians in a “human” light, according to Sandrine Cabana-Degani, who notes that the elderly and children are overrepresented among the victims compared to their demographic weight in the population.

“What the SAAQ is doing is interesting, but we know that raising awareness has its limits. On the side of the MTQ, there is nothing structuring that is announced, we do not feel any urgency, ”she said.