Traffic Study at the Municipality of Les Cèdres

Use of signage: The importance of prior analysis

Intervia’s mandate consisted of conducting a detailed safety analysis to determine whether additional stop signs should be installed at certain intersections, as well as assessing the feasibility of the mitigation measures proposed by the municipality near École Marguerite-Bourgeoys.

The installation of stop signs at intersections is governed by the Normes – Ouvrages routiers, Chapter 2 — Prescription du Tome V of Québec’s ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD).

Our team’s analysis therefore focused on verifying whether each intersection met the required criteria for the installation of stop signs. To do so, our engineers reviewed vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian counts at the intersections, recorded vehicle speeds, and examined existing signage and layouts in the study area.

This study underscores that the use of signage to enhance road safety is highly regulated and must meet specific criteria. In some contexts, such measures may even prove counterproductive, hence the need for expert analysis before implementation.

Traffic studies and planning in the service of user safety

The municipality of Les Cèdres also wanted to improve pedestrian safety near Marguerite-Bourgeoys School. The location of parking spaces in front of the school and the convergence of multiple traffic flows at the pedestrian crossing connecting the parking area to the school created significant safety and traffic flow issues. Intervia’s team assessed the existing conditions and developed a safe redesign proposal that addressed the challenges observed on-site while aligning with the municipality’s available resources and objectives.