City nixes safety ideas for Vieux-Verger school

Since the beginning of the school year, the city has received proposals from Aylmer residents to improve pedestrian safety around l’École du Vieux-Verger. While the city is considering safety corridors on the busy Wilfrid-Lavigne Blvd., it does not appear interested in additional recommendations.

One asked for a crosswalk at the corner of du Vallon and du Grand-Calumet avenues, which the city refused. The city believes there’s insufficient traffic to justify a crosswalk there.

Another asked for better snow clearing and improved de-icing on du Vallon Avenue but, since this street is not in the school corridor zone, it is not a priority. Officials recommend calling 3-1-1 if there’s a snow problem. Another asked for traffic-calming measures, also on du Vallon, and officials say they will check if a speed survey has been conducted on this street.

Speeding in the neighbourhood worries residents, and one suggestion was to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h for all of du Caveau, which is unlikely. City documents note that the current limit of 40, with 30 km/h near the park, meets city standards.

Another requested more road signs indicating a school, but the city said the signs are already there. A bike lane on the same street was a request the city is considering.

Another request was to prohibit vehicles from turning right on a red light from Wilfrid-Lavigne to go east on Allumettières Boulevard, and to add a light there for cyclists. The city says this is a problem at various intersections on Allumettières.

“The problem is that a continuous green arrow, permitting vehicles to turn right, at the same time as the pedestrian signal is on, creates confusion. Drivers believe they have the right-of-way and tend to ignore cyclists,” said the city official. The problem was also reported to Transport Québec, which manages Allumettières Boulevard.

A final request was for a fence at Vieux-Verger park, something the city and the school deem unnecessary.