Champlain Park Residents want new stop sign on McConnell

McConnell Road’s overhaul is wrapping up and for the most part the Champlain Park and Vicinity Residents Association is satisfied with the work, but one issue is unresolved.

“We are worried about the intersection at des Manoirs Street and McConnell Road,” Pierre Généreux, speaking for the residents’ association, told the Bulletin. “We had the mini-roundabout there, forcing drivers to slow down, but now there won’t be anything.”
   
Installed in November 2011, the mini-roundabout was heralded as a first in Quebec. Six years later, it was scrapped. The mini-roundabout was part of a pilot project aimed at assessing its effectiveness.

While there will no longer be a traffic circle, there will be a cross-walk installed at des Manoirs, but the association wants a stop sign there as well.

Instead, the city opted for stop signs at the McConnell Road and de Beaumarchais/ Jean-de-la-Fontaine intersection and at the Petite-Nation/McConnell Road intersection. With the stop sign now at Atholl-Doune, there will be three stops on McConnell between Allen and Vanier Roads.

“Unfortunately, the city objected from the beginning to the installation of a simple, inexpensive stop sign at des Manoirs intersection, arguing that stop signs should only be installed where there are four approaches; in the case of des Manoirs, there are only three (Manoirs to the north and McConnell to the east and west),” explained Richard Bégin, councillor for Deschênes, during his vacation.

“Three stop signs on McConnell do not satisfy residents or myself, since we had asked for another at des Manoirs. At least we got rid of the dangerous, ineffective, and costly mini-roundabout which taxpayers should never have paid for,” continued Bégin.

Even with three stop signs, Mr Généreux does not believe the speed limit will be respected on McConnell Road; it is increasingly busy as many commuters take McConnell to bypass Aylmer Road during the morning and afternoon commute.

“There’s a similar problem on Vanier Road between Aylmer Road and Lucerne Boulevard in the Terrasse Lakeview neighbourhood. That’s why for years residents there have been asking for a reduction of the speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 on that part of Vanier Road,” added Bégin.

Mr Généreux argued that McConnell Road, like Samuel Edey Street, should have four stop signs. Samuel Edey Street is 1.6 km between Aylmer and McConnell Roads while McConnell Road between Vanier and Allen Roads is 1.9 km.

The door does remain open to have a stop sign eventually at des Manoirs Street, as Mr Généreux explained. “The city said they would see once the street is fully reopened after the renovation project is complete. However, it’s harder to change something once it’s already in place,” he noted.

The roadwork on McConnell Road between Vanier and Allen Roads cost the city close to $3 million. The project also included the extension of the recreational pathway between Rivermead and Allen Roads.