MONTREAL -- The mayor of Montreal's largest borough is calling on the city to fix an intersection where an elderly woman was killed in a hit-and-run earlier this week.

The corner of Decarie and de Maisonneuve Blvds. has long been criticized for confusing signage and residents said they often see cars speeding through, especially at night. On Thursday, an 84-year-old woman was struck by a car, with the driver fleeing the scene. The woman died in hospital from her injuries.

Last fall, an 89-year-old man was also struck and killed at the same intersection.

“If the city has this Vision Zero policy, what does this mean?” said Cote-des-Neiges-NDG Mayor Sue Montgomery. “This is one of the most dangerous intersections in our city.”

Montgomery said she blames the city for dragging its heels on action, saying money to overhaul the intersection was in the 2019 budget but then removed.

“From 2012 to 2019, there were studies done. The studies have been done and done and done. Can we have some action now?” she said.

Eric Alan Caldwell from Montreal's executive committee said when a fatal collision takes place, a team is sent to the scene to assess and to suggest improvements "in the short term." 

He said the Turcot site "causes significant constraints for safety developments and generates a much greater flow of traffic in the area." 

The opening of the Saint-Jacques St. exit this fall will likely reduce traffic at the Decarie and de Maisonneuve intersection, Caldwell said. 

"The end of the Turcot's work will be an opportunity for the city to implement permanent solutions, particularly at pedestrian crossings," he said. "Road developments alone cannot prevent all fatal collisions, which is why the Vision Zero approach aims to act on all components of the road network, including the behaviour of all road users."