When a young cyclist was struck and killed last summer at an intersection in Rosemont, community members rallied for improved safety precautions for other pedestrians and citizens in the area.
On Saturday, city officials introduced countdown traffic lights on all corners of the intersection of Rosemont Blvd. and d’Iberville. These lights are specially calibrated to correspond to the width of the roadway, and the time will now be extended by additional seven seconds on the stretch of Rosemont.
This is the time that workers determined it would be necessary to ensure that no pedestrians or cyclists are in the blind spots of vehicles that will be turning at the intersection.
Justine Charland St-Amour, 24, was fatally struck by a truck while pedaling through this intersection in August of last year.
She was on her bicycle next to a truck in a right turning lane. When the light turned green, both moved forward at the same time, and St-Amour was hit by the truck as it turned.
The driver of the truck, a 45-year-old man, was not injured.
At the time of the accident, police determined that no one was at fault. However, it was then that borough officials explored the option of introducing a delayed green light.
In September of last year, the city committed to a new strategy-- “Vision Zero” – based on a Swedish approach that equalizes speed limits, adds better signage, and the vested improvement of areas that are considered high risk.
Several citizens made requests to the city about the lights, including the owners of two nearby daycare centers who, in a statement, applauded the city for taking their concerns seriously.
