Can't stop, gotta roll
Quebec seems to have a lot more stop signs in use in residential areas than other provinces like Alberta and Ontario. Perhaps it's the fact drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians outside of Quebec tend to respect the rules of the road more than we do. Imagine having a vehicle stop at a pedestrian crossing to allow someone go through without a stop sign or red light to prompt them? It happens elsewhere, believe or not.
Of course, speeding is an issue everywhere, not just here in this province. Many West Island municipalities often deal with residents who demand tighter measures to curb lead-footed motorists who pass through their neighbourhoods. While they have legitimate concerns about security and safety, city councils tend to cave in when faced with upset voters, and drivers now face an enormous amount of obstacles to normal driving, from in-your-face speed bumps to gradual humps and stop signs here, there and everywhere. In times when $1.37 a litre for gas at the pumps seems like a bargain, is it sound reasoning to have cars come to a complete stop every 40 feet or be forced to all but stop at bumps, and humps, very popular in towns like Kirkland? Is there a happy medium between safety and better mileage for our vehicles?
Well, there are other traffic-calming alternatives than adding more stop signs and those dreaded humps. Some might even be in place now, such as those giant potted plants used on St. Pierre St. heading into Ste. Anne de Bellevue Village. Some jurisdictions in North America have also tried adding flashing LED lights to stop signs to make them standout more to drivers. As well, cities can consider optical speed bars, that hardly cost that much, which may work on specific arteries where speed is a concern, but where other measures are not practical. These speed bars are painted on the road surface and create an optical illusion of speed as drivers feel they are accelerating as they watch the white lines pass underneath.
Stop signs should not be the sole means of traffic calming and should not be installed where they backup major flows of local traffic (unless a high number of accidents warrant them to be in use). Quebec should consider using more marked pedestrian crossings (with painted markings and flashing lights when in use) where cars only need to stop if someone is actually at the curb. These will help save on gas and cut back on pollution. To ensure they are duly respected, penalties for motorists at marked pedestrian crossing could be double those of stop signs. Now, there's also the question of jaywalking, but we'll leave that discussion for another day.
by Albert Kramberger 
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Richard Cléroux - National Columnist
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Virginia Bostock
Comment online since July 2nd 2008While I understand that stopping at the many stop signs on the west island is tedious, and potentially costly in gas, I feel the need to point out the boring fact that they are there for a reason...to stop the heavy footed driver from blasting through insersections in neighbourhoods where youngsters live and play. Children being children, they do not always remember not to run out on the street to catch that escaping ball, and having drivers stop at regular intervals is meant to slow them down so tragedy does not occur. The west island is a series of residential communities where there are many youngsters, and many opportunities for disaster.
As an observer, I watch drivers speed from one stop sign to the next, showing their lights, not even making an effort to stop, let alone slow down. I have watched children dart out and thankfully be missed by a car that is obviously going faster than it should.
I have also watched in amazement as drivers rocket from one traffic light to the next, only to have to stop at the next. If drivers are so concerned about gas consumption and gas prices, can I suggest going the speed limit from light to light, and there will be no need to stop at each as they are syncronized for the speed limit. Less gas would be consumed just rolling along at the correct speed and less wasted waiting for the light to change.
Yes, the stop signs are a "waste of time", but, just think about the amount of time drivers will be wasting when they have hit a youngster, police and an ambulance are involved, court proceedings for dangerous driving causing bodily harm, hopefully not death, a destroyed family...all that to save maybe a minute or two and a few cents of gas.
The question is...what if it were your child or grandchild...would you HONESTLY be able to say that you always stop at stop signs and follow the speed limit?
I thought not.