Right turns on red lights will be up for debate again as Quebec’s transport ministry announced the first ever series of public consultations on how to make the province’s roads safer.
The consultations are part of Quebec’s review of the Highway Safety Code, which is due at the end of 2017. That review was inspired by the 2014 death of Mathilde Blais, a cyclist who was struck by a truck while riding on St-Denis St.
Several Montreal-area mayors have pushed the Quebec government to legalize right-on-red within the city. The turns were legalized in the rest of Quebec in 2003 after a pilot project.
Some changes aimed at protecting cyclists already came into effect during the summer, including increased fines for dooring. The review will cover a range of other issues, such as whether large trucks should be restricted to some select streets in the city.
Veronique Fournier, spokesperson for pedestrian rights group Pietons Quebec, said she hopes any legislative changes lead to a change in the province’s road culture.
“We hope that it will lead to some fundamental changes,” she said. “For instance, in Quebec, how many times do you walk in front of a crosswalk and no cars are stopping? It’s already in the road safety code, so how do we make sure that everybody feels road safety matters to them?”
The ministry has already launched an Internet portion of the consultations while Montreal will host its meetings on Feb. 27 and 28.
