Road study could yield changes to 344

At the request of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK), Quebec’s transport ministry (MTMD) is studying whether traffic calming measures like a reduced speed limit should be implemented on Route 344, the only road in Kanesatake under the department’s jurisdiction.

“The ministry is sensitive to the concerns of the Kanesatake community and collaborates with the band council, respectfully and transparently, to ensure road safety on Route 344,” said Maxime Coursol, spokesperson for the MTMD.

In addition to shedding light on whether a speed limit change could prove advisable, surveys by the department could also result in recommendations for other safety measures and interventions.

“These recommendations will then be presented and discussed collaboratively with the band council,” Coursol said.

An assessment will be done on the safety of that section of Route 344, including its geometry and how it’s used.

“This approach will determine a speed consistent with the road environment and observed traffic conditions,” he said.

Speeding and dangerous driving on Route 344, which is 50 KM/H near the schools and 80 KM/H elsewhere, is a constant worry for community members on the road, which contains many cannabis stores and often attracts influxes of revellers.

According to Kanesatake Perimeter Security (KPS) coordinator Kane Montour, his team has had to deal with hundreds of accidents, almost all of which involve speeding.

“There’s no respect for the kids, no respect for the school zone, people are passing on the double lines, passing on hills. When you’re speeding, hurrying up trying to get to go somewhere, you make dumb mistakes, and it’s silly driving, and it causes an accident.”

Oftentimes it happens when people make a last-second decision to turn into a store and maneuvre without looking, he said.

“I think we’ve got a real problem with it. It’s getting sickening because we’ve got to respond to it. We’re the ones that have to respond and see the gory accidents or the blood, do traffic control. It’s definitely an increasing problem.”

Community member Rick Carbonnell believes part of the problem is the speed limit going back and forth on the route.

“Some people never seem to speed up in the 80 KM/H zones but just stay at 50. Since the 344 is a narrow, two-lane road, it causes some to pass unsafely when there are no passing zones.”

He frequently observes people drive well over 100 KM/H, he said, even though there are many driveways on curves.

He doesn’t believe physical changes like speed bumps will be implemented, but suggested traffic lights could be installed at certain intersections.

“These, in conjunction with a reduced speed limit, would probably be the best way to slow everyone down.”

However, he believes ultimately the problem is a lack of enforcement: “There is none!”

While he wouldn’t be opposed to police enforcement, he feels that having the Surete du Quebec (SQ) intervening could cause issues, since some Kanehsata’kehró:non would feel that locals are being targeted.

Ultimately, he’d like to see a local police force that has the power to deal with these kinds of violations, although he doesn’t see this happening anytime soon given the political challenges in the community currently.

MCK caretaker council member Brant Etienne also believes enforcement is a big part of the problem.

“If we had a police force or security force that could ticket and had constant watch on the 344 instead of the very sparse SQ patrolling we have on the 344, ticketing might actually be effective,” he said.

In the meantime, he hopes to see physical changes to the road, which could force people to slow down, rather than just decreasing the speed limit.

“People who follow the rules will follow the speed limit as they already do. People who don’t, won’t,” he said.

He said there has been regional pressure on the MTMD to do something about road safety and agrees with community members who are frustrated by the prevalence of dangerous driving.

“I think people are irritated by it, yes. I think a lot of people are just starting to shrug and get the feeling things will never change. Unfortunately, I think that’s a common refrain that we’re trying to fight against.”

While the MTMD was conducting speed checks in late May, its analyses will continue throughout the year, so no changes are expected soon.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter