Montreal to reconfigure Sainte-Marie one-way streets to enhance safety after fatal hit-and-run
The City of Montreal says it will reconfigure the direction of certain streets in the Sainte-Marie neighbourhood to make them safer for pedestrians following last month's hit-and-run that killed a young girl.
Mayor Valerie Plante announced Friday that several traffic-calming measures will be implemented after the current school season to increase safety around schools and daycares in the area.
A stretch of Fullum Street will be turned into a one-way street under the new plan.
Earlier this month, residents and citizens' groups protested in Sainte-Marie, just east of the downtown core, calling for safer streets after last December's traffic death of seven-year-old Mariia Legenkovska, a Ukrainian refugee who came to Canada last fall after her family fled the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
A driver struck her while she was walking to school with her sister and then fled the scene.
Part of Plante's plan also includes changing the direction of two existing one-way streets — Parthenais Street and de Rouen Street — in an attempt to discourage drivers from using them "as shortcuts."
Here's what is changing:
- Fullum Street: will be a one-way street northbound between Ontario and Sherbrooke streets;
- Parthenais Street: will be a one-way street northbound between de Rouen and Sherbrooke streets;
- de Rouen Street: will be a one-way street eastbound between Fullum and D' Iberville streets.
The City of Montreal is making three roads into one-way streets in order to make them safer for pedestrians following a fatal hit-and-run last December. (Source: City of Montreal)
Some residents have complained about an increase in traffic on local streets since repairs on Lafontaine tunnel have rerouted traffic to the nearby Jacques Cartier bridge.
"I don't feel safe walking here. I have to be very vigilant about every step I take," said Marilou Diamond Doucet, who lives in the neighbourhood.
The mayor says the problem is clear. "There are too many cars that are too big and go too fast," Plante said.
Other new safety measures include adding speed bumps and widening certain sidewalks on some streets, which will come later this year. More details will be announced in the coming months, Plante said at a Friday morning news conference near Parc des Royaux.
Chris McCrey, a community activist, said the new road safety measures announced Friday are a good start.
"We have been saying for a while the Centre-Sud is under a lot of pressure with traffic increasing in the area," he said.
The new measures come after the city announced previously it would add larger stop signs, make part of Parthenais Street narrower, and heighten police presence in the area.
Mayor Valerie Plante announces new traffic-calming measures in Sainte-Marie, including turning streets into one-ways and adding speed bumps, during a press conference on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. (Angela Mackenzie/CTV News)
Protesters took to the streets earlier this month, calling for the city and the province to make pedestrian safety, particularly in school zones, more seriously.
A 2022 report from Quebec's automobile insurance board showed that as of September, 39 pedestrians had lost their lives in collisions, which is an increase of 14.7 per cent compared to the entire year of 2021.
The city said the new measures will be monitored in order to assess their impact on making streets safer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.