Watch out for those crazy "speed bump people"!

Discussing a number of traffic-calming initiatives in NDG, Suburban contributor and former NDG councillor, Jeremy Searle stated that: "Montreal needs much more traffic. Imagine the economic disaster if the speed bump people were to get their way and impose their additional unwarranted slowdowns throughout the city." Indeed; imagine the horror!

These so-called "speed bump people", made to sound like a roving pack of deranged and unreasonable slow-moving slugs intent on Montreal's financial ruin, are NDG residents who have a valid fear of excessive speed in residential neighborhoods and a good justification to want to curtail such speed in areas where people are most vulnerable.

These "speed bump people" are most likely the parents of young children and the children of aging parents, or simply people who don't have a death wish every time they attempt to go for a stroll, walk their dog, pick up their dry-cleaning. These are people who have obviously seen one too many fool careen down their street without a care in the world for their safety and not a thought for who they might hit. That such comments are being made by a former councillor of a borough that, between 1999 and 2003, was classed fourth on the island of Montreal for the number of pedestrians injured, is just outrageous! No threat of a potential "economic disaster" can possibly justify needlessly endangering someone's life and it's disappointing to see it expressed this way by people who should know better. It is crystal clear from the number of local traffic commissions created and the meetings on traffic calming that this issue is a top priority with West End residents.

Peter McQueen, president of the NDG riding for the Green Party of Quebec, claims that the Suburban is mocking NDG's traffic-calming initiatives with Liberal party support. I don't intend to engage in party politics and it's up to McQueen to convince local residents of the merits of voting Green when the time comes, but his arguments are unquestionably worthy of merit.

During that same issue, the Suburban's editor stated: "Of course there will be less accidents if we reduce the speed limit to say 30 km/hr, but society will cease to function." What kind of hogwash is that? No one's advocating we reduce highway speed to 30/km. We're talking about residential neighborhoods where people live and children play. Install speed bumps, I say! Go crazy! If common sense won't prevail and regard for others is not a popular sentiment these days, then maybe good ol' fashioned greed and materialism will kick in. You don't want to damage your shiny new sports car on a speed bump? Don't speed! You can all rest assured that society will continue to function…