The project of more than $ 5.4 million to reconfigure the avenue de la Cathedral in Rimouski raises online passions, where enthusiasm and discontent are intertwined.
The art of scraper City streets
, Ridicule!
, Yes, yes, yes !!
are examples of comments that we can read on social networks about this project which aims to improve the sharing of the road between cyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles.
Three Internet users who took part in the online debate agreed to go from the keyboard to the microphone of Radio-Canada.
Terry Morin is one of them. According to the 18 -year -old Rimouskois, the work that starts this week and will end in October will cause many detours to motorists and increase their fuel costs.
I find that it will really cause headaches for the next few months
he said.
He also fears that this new configuration of the avenue, which will have only one traffic route, affects the fluidity of traffic during peak long -term hours, with the increase in the population of the city.
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A sketch of the reconfiguration project of the avenue de la Cathedral in Rimouski.
Photo: Cathedral work / Image work: Rimouski City
Nadine Rioux abounds in the same direction. The woman who has lived in Rimouski for 45 years thinks that the avenue de la Cathedral is a main artery that allows lead traffic
.
Why transform it for that, just so that it is beautiful?
she wonders.
Ms. Rioux is not against the development of the cycle network, but not at the expense of car traffic.
There, I find that it is only to accommodate cyclists
she says.
Terry Morin agrees that this project will promote active transport and it expects, in fact, to see an increase in the number of cyclists on this North-South axis and a decrease in automotive traffic.
We could have consulted citizens more, before going to such a project, with such a cost, it is really the advantage of a small number of citizens
The young man is not against cyclists, he even thinks of acquiring an electric bicycle to reduce his fuel costs, but according to him, active and joint transport is not yet within everyone’s reach in Rimouski. The city could have done more with the money dedicated to this project, he believes.
Should the city improve its communications?
A follower of active bicycle transport, François Beauregard, who has lived in Rimouski for three years, is also active at the end of his keyboard. He does not hesitate to put his grain of salt in online debates concerning bicycle transport.
I try to counterbalance on social networks by saying that this is good news
he explains. He believes that the city must make an additional communication effort on social media to explain its choices.
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The reconfiguration of the cathedral avenue will end at the end of October.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sébastien Ross
It is normal that in change there are people who are refractory or that there are questions. You just have to answer and not make alternative facts or arguments that are not founded
he says.
In addition, Mr. Beauregard believes that improving transport infrastructure will eliminate conflicts of use between cyclists and motorists.
Advocacy for a better road sharing
For the coordinator of the Rimouski Cyclable Ville association, David the King, the reconfiguration of the avenue de la Cathedral will allow certain motorists to be more aware of the speed at which they circulate in this area where the limit is 50 km/h.
We must still have a security and coherent network in Rimouski
believes M. le Roi.
The members of his association, which offer, among other things, bicycle safety training for young people, see a good eye the development of the cycle network of the North-South axis of Rimouski.
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Comments on social networks are very polarized when it comes to sharing the road in Rimouski.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Sébastien Ross
Ghislain Brisson, who works within the association, expects that some motorists have difficulty adapting to the narrowing of the carriageway on the avenue de la Cathedral.
It is not because there are cycle paths that cyclists should not be cautious.
Mr. Brisson notes an improvement in road sharing in Rimouski, but he thinks there is still Lots of work to do
To improve it.
He recalls that cyclists also have their share of responsibility, that they must respect the road safety code and report their intentions when they move.
