Starting this fall, some 450 new signs will be installed around Pierrefonds-Roxboro's 21 elementary and high schools, reinforcing messages related to the Highway Safety Code,
parking regulations and speed limits in school zones. A communication and awareness campaign will also be launched among the borough's residents to support
these important measures.
Work on this project will begin in the fall of 2022. A number of the existing signs will be removed or relocated to improve the consistency of the messages around the schools for both motorists and bus drivers.
Ultimately, safety will be greatly improved for children attending schools throughout the borough. An awareness campaign will bolster this major safety operation in the vicinity of schools with the following slogan: Respecting school zone signage is child's play. Thank you for your vigilance.
The West Island News attended the press conference that outlined these new safety measures:
To comply with the new regulations
In August 2019, when amendments applicable to school zones were made to the Highway Safety Code, the Administration of the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro immediately took the necessary steps to make the signs on its territory comply with the Code.
The firm SNC-Lavalin was hired by the borough's Administration to undertake an exhaustive analysis, not only of the signs but also of the on-street parking regulations and speed limits in school zones on the territory. The findings of the study were presented at the Borough Council meeting on August 1, 2022. The solutions proposed by the firm help improve motorists' understanding of the signs, standardize safety around the schools, and the functionality of on-street parking near educational institutions.
The first phase of this work project starts on September 12, 2022 and will take five weeks to complete. The Public Works Department will subsequently begin the estimated 5-week second phase of the project in the summer of 2023.The total cost allocated to the project amounts to $77,940.00.
"Road safety is a daily priority for the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), because sharing the road is an essential condition for a continued feeling of safety in our neighborhoods. Every year, the back-to-school period highlights the need to prevent collisions and ensure children's safety around the schools. So we commend the measures being implemented by the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro's Administration, and we will do our utmost to ensure compliance with this program to improve safety in school zones," stated Michael McDermott, commanding officer of the SPVM's neighborhood police station 3.
Ten schools are targeted as a priority as an operation to improve safety around Pierrefonds-Roxboro schools.
Harfang-des-Neiges, Pavillon Gouin 9506, boul. Gouin Ouest
Harfang-des-Neiges, Pavillon Pierre-Lauzon 4770, rue Pierre-Lauzon
Perce-Neige 4770, boul. Lalande
Lalande 50, 3e Avenue Sud
Charles-Perrault 106, rue Cartier
Du Grand-Chêne 5 080, place Savoie
Murielle-Dumont 5 005, rue Valois
Terry Fox (Académie Purcell) 13 350, rue Purcell
Kingsdale Academy (Greendale) 4381, King street
De l'Odyssée, (Thorndale) 4348, rue Alain
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Nine improvements to road safety in school zones
A number of safety-related aspects will be improved around the 21 local
schools run by the Centre de services scolaires Marguerite Bourgeoys and the Lester B. Pearson School Board as well as the four private schools in the area.
1. Improvements to traffic flow and parking around the educational institutions located in areas where the streets are particularly narrow
2. Reduction in the number of signs around the schools to improve people's understanding of the rules
3. Standardization of methods of establishing school zone boundaries throughout the borough
4. Standardization of materials, graphics, and lettering on the signs
5. Standardization of sign installation methods
6. Improvements to the signs so that people can quickly identify on-street parking zones
7. Reduction in traffic and congestion around the schools in the morning and afternoon
8. Standardization of the identification of drop-off zones for parents and bus drivers
9. Standardization of traffic calming measures to avoid the installation of customized signs by educational institutions and residents encouraging good habits in school zones
This major operation to improve safety around schools is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness among residents about the good habits to adopt in school zones. In the coming weeks, a digital campaign will be launched on the borough's social platforms to reinforce these good habits. Whether it's obeying the reduced speed limits, preventing aggressive behavior or even being mindful of the parking rules around the schools, the awareness campaign initiated by the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro's Administration aims to remind motorists that a school zone is first and foremost designed to protect school children.
"Our goal is to educate not only parents who drive their children to school and drop them off there, but also all motorists as a whole, to develop good driving habits around schools. I'm convinced that these measures will enable us to better protect school children on their way to class and back," said Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, Mayor of the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
SOURCE: Ville de Montréal
