Montreal to give pedestrians more time to cross street at key intersections

In Montreal, an average of 14 pedestrians are killed every year by motor vehicles, andof those, nearly 60 per cent are over the age of 65.

That high death toll has prompted city officials to introduce new safety measures for pedestrians, including giving people more time to get across the street at several as-yet-unnamed intersections.

Among other measures, the city will introducenew sounds to signal when pedestrians are free to cross, and it willimprove the road paint to make it more evident to drivers that they aren't allowed to park within five metres of a street corner.

Coun. ric Alan Caldwell, the executive committee member in charge of urban planning and mobility, said all road users drivers and pedestrians alike must be vigilant when navigating the city.

"We share the route. We share the responsibility," Caldwell said.

The awareness campaign is being launched nowbecause November, with its shorter days, is the month with the highest number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians.

The campaign is part of an action plan dubbed Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate deaths and serious injuries in the Montreal road network.