Lucerne Boulevard, a known public danger for pedestrians

 

Details of the recent death of Aylmer jogger Mark Laviolette remain unclear, but what is clear is that one Aylmer resident had warned the city and Aylmer councillor Josée Lacasse months ago about the dangers pedestrians face along Lucerne Blvd.

“Last April, I wrote (Councillor) Josée Lacasse about this dangerous area for pedestrians, and asked about getting a crosswalk there, to provide a safe link between Wychwood and Glenwood,” said one Wychwood resident.

“Eventually I got notice from Gatineau that my request was in the ‘requests and complaints’ system and would be forwarded to the appropriate municipal service in May 2015. In May, I was told they were studying if a crosswalk was necessary there. I have followed up since then in July, October and November, and the last I heard, in November, the study has not been completed.”

This resident’s daughter, who crosses Lucerne Boulevard daily, was not the only person worried about the safety of
pedestrians along the busy boulevard. Between 2014 and 2015, the city’s 3-1-1 service reported 30 calls concerning pedestrian safety along Lucerne.

Their fears were realized in early January when a vehicle fatally struck Mr. Laviolette near the corner of Pine Street.
A year earlier, a young girl escaped a collision with a truck with only minor injuries. She was hit as she walked toward the crosswalk near the Riesling intersection. The resident’s request noted that some drivers do not yield at crosswalks. Data on this bad habit may be collected during the analysis of the situation this winter.

A study was not practical in the summer since traffic is unrepresentative of reality, with schools closed and families on vacation.

“The length of the process (to gain a new crosswalk) varies depending on several factors, including the need to collect data on the volume of pedestrians and vehicular traffic, the period of the counting (counts do not take place during summer), the volume of demands, etc.,” a city spokesperson told the Bulletin.

If the conclusion of the analysis is positive, the changes must be then approved by the Executive Committee. Afterwards, signs and road markings are added, but signage cannot be installed during winter.