Traffic is backed up on Talbot Boulevard

It should be remembered that the addition of this pedestrian light in June was accompanied by the ban on turning right on red light for motorists. It is the first of its kind in the territory of Saguenay, but certainly not the last, the municipal authorities argue.

Although all other lights are synchronized with the artery, this addition changes the habits of motorists, which leads to some frustrations. Pier-Luc Dufour invites us to think more globally. He explained that to improve the flow of traffic, the best solution is to remove cars from the road.

“The real solution to reducing traffic is to compete with solo cars,” said the city planner. And to change, we need to put roadblocks in the way of motorists. In the sense that if he waits and sees that the pedestrian has an advantage because he can easily cross and continue his journey on the safe sidewalk, calm, changes will occur and he will be tempted by active transportation. »

In a region where the motorist is king, Mr. Dufour determined that the idea is not for the entire population to ride a scooter. The idea is to make some changes.

“If you live in a neighborhood near Sainte-Geneviève Boulevard, if there is a pedestrian light and a safe sidewalk, you will be more tempted to walk and go to the pharmacy on foot. So on the coast there is more active transportation and less traffic. »

It shows that every move counts.

Too many cars on our streets?

Yes, the daily flow of the main arteries of the City of Saguenay has increased in the last decade, but we are still far from reaching saturation, said the land planning specialist. In fact, the question even made him smile a little. Our roads can still pass through it.

“The roots fully meet the needs. You should know that the main role of boulevards like Talbot or Sainte-Geneviève is to facilitate travel between different sectors of the city as well as businesses. So, it is normal that there is more traffic. »

As commercial areas are doing well, traffic is increasing during certain peak hours, but we are still far from the thresholds reached in Quebec or Montreal.

The data from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility clearly shows this. The daily flow was recorded using detection loops throughout the year.

For Talbot, between Autoroute 70 and Rue des Saguenéens, there will be 26,000 vehicle crossings per day in 2022. This number will be 33,000 in 2012 and 31,000 in 2022. However, the Talbot/Université intersection will see 60,000 passes. cars every day.

On Boulevard Sainte-Geneviève, between Pont Dubuc and Boulevard Martel, from 24,000 in 2002 to 26,000 in 2012 and 25,000 in 2022.

MTMD has established a correlation with low population growth. According to forecasts, between 2021 and 2026, the population of the region is expected to decrease by 0.3%.

However, it is worth noting that cars are bigger than 20 years ago and take up more space on the road. In less than a decade, nearly 32,000 light passenger trucks have been added to the region’s roads, according to data compiled by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

Traffic is induced

Pier-Luc Dufour took the opportunity to talk about the theory of induced traffic. “It is based on the theory that people are rational and that they will analyze the total cost of their trip for their chosen accommodation and their chosen mode of transportation. Therefore, if they have the impression that things are good and that houses are cheaper further away, he will move there. »

This is what happened with the explosion of residential construction outside the center of Saguenay, such as Saint-Honoré or Saint-David-de-Falardeau. So now, 50% of the people who work in the core of Saguenay don’t live there and they almost all travel the same routes. This is the same phenomenon that happened in the northern suburbs of Quebec.

The city planner does not throw stones at the citizens. “The car remains the easiest solution. » According to him, change will undoubtedly come through improvements in active and public transportation.

This raises the following issue: the Quebec government finances the construction, installation and maintenance of roads. For public transportation, this same government finances the installation of the infrastructure, but not its maintenance. “So, municipalities turn to road transport because it is cheaper. »

When it comes to public transportation in Saguenay, he is not the first to raise problems. “Transports are not efficient. There should be a bus that runs every 15 minutes on the roads, people can be tempted by this alternative by parking somewhere and taking the bus. »