A Saint Lazare resident asked council to consider installing speed bumps to get motorists to slow down and respect the stop signs at the intersection of Rue Chaline and Rue Charbonneau in Chaline Valley.

"It's becoming quite serious," said Richard Meades. He made the request during question period at the monthly council meeting on August 8.

"People are speeding and go through the stop signs in our area. Some drivers slow down to about 20 km/h. There's one guy who goes through it and turns onto Charbonneau. He must be on two wheels. I'm always nervous when my wife walks our little dog in the morning," he said. 

Meades said speeding is especially bad along the stretch of Rue Chaline heading towards Rue du Calypso. "It's like a racetrack and I've never seen the police there," he added.

"A solution would be to put a speed bump right at the stop sign, not a gentle one where they can go over it at 20 or 25 km/h, but a severe one where they almost have to stop," he said.

Mayor Geneviève Lachance told Meades he could submit a request for a speed bump but it wouldn't be a severe one. She said norms have to be followed when speed bumps are installed and that speeding is, "...a problem everywhere and not just in Chaline Valley".

City-wide issue

District 7 councillor Donald Andrews told Meades the problem is just as bad in the Saddlebrooke district.

"I'm retired now and outside all the time. All day long I'm screaming at people and they live my district. No one stops. Out of 90 cars, 81 went through the stop sign and I'm standing there saying there's a stop sign. No one cares," said Andrews.

District 3 Councillor Marc Émond told Meades to speak to his neighbours about the situation and individually report it the police.

"I think the effectiveness of one of us from the city security committee calling the police versus five or six neighbours living in the same neighbourhood is more effective. Then they'll know there's obviously a problem," said Émond.

He said the security committee will be notified to determine if a speed assessment has been done.