A city council candidate in Ward 5 is saying that Drouillard Road deserves better.
Richard St. Denis says the residents and business owners along Drouillard Road, between Wyandotte and Seminole have been advocating for traffic calming measures for over ten years.
He says safety improvements should never wait that long, especially since a traffic calming study was finally completed and adopted by council.
It went straight to budget because the funding was pre-allocated for traffic calming, but St. Denis says as part of the streetscaping aspect they asked for the full amount and got nothing.
"When you ask for the full amount, if you can't get the full amount, then you modify the plan. You go back with a Plan B, and a Plan C, and you keep trying to get something and not walk away with nothing. I think that was a mistake that was made when the report came before council," he said.
He says he spoke with the City Treasurer Joe Mancina and he indicated there was no funding source identified in the budget they were presenting to council for streetscape improvements.
St. Denis says this is a topic that comes up at the doors a lot when speaking to people, and it isn't like other traffic calming studies aren't moving forward.
"They also did two other traffic calming studies in the two adjoining wards, the one on Pillette Road which I participated in as well, and the one in Ward 4 along Kildare," he continued. "So there are traffic calming studies being approved and sent forward, and the one on Drouillard Road still hasn't moved."
St. Denis says perhaps the project could've been done in phases over the next few years, only requiring partial investment each year, and that every available option should have been on the table and explored completely.
He says people are frustrated by the lack of progress.
"People are telling me that Drouillard Road is basically a speed trap from that one long section from Wyandotte to Seminole. People are going way too fast, and it's dangerous for people in that area."
St. Denis says Ward 5 deserves a voice at the council table that will bring discussion and ideas, especially at budget time.
As someone who has been following council for 30 years, St. Denis believes now is the time for him to be that voice.
- with files from AM800's Rob Hindi