Montreal looks at phasing out unsafe heavy trucks on city streets

The City of Montreal is consideringphasing outheavy trucks with the worst blind spots from city streets, as it looks for ways to make the roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

"We are going to look at the North American standard for trucks: what days, what hours, what zone within thecity we would limit the trucks with less visibility," saidMarc-Andr Gadoury, Montreal's executive committee member in charge of cycling policies.

The executive committee is supportinga series of recommendations put together by the transportation and public works commission last spring.

The recommendations were tabled at city council on Monday afternoon.

Dubbed Vision Zro, the strategy includes 30 recommendations aimed to curb fatalities and injuries. The study was undertakenin the midst of a series of fatal collisions this year involving pedestrians, cyclists and trucks.

It looked at how London in the U.K., and Seattle and New Orleans in the U.S., have dealt withthe issue of heavy trucks with major blind spots.

• Phase out unsafe trucks on Montreal streets, says cyclist group

In its report, the executive committee says it is particularly impressed with London's introduction of a safety scale which rates trucks on how well a driver can see other road users directly, without the use of mirrors or cameras.

The reportnotes that by 2024, London plans to ban heavy trucks that don't meet its safety rating.

Ban would drive up trucking costs

Marc Cadieux, CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association, said a ban on heavy trucks would drive up transportation costs in Montreal.

Cadieux said in an emailthat while the association iscommitted to road safety and has a seat on the Vision Zro committee, "limitingthe size of trucks andhours of delivery will obviously necessitate more trucks and more workers to deliver the same merchandise in a time of a workforce shortage in the trucking industry."

Side guards have already been installed between the front and rear wheels of municipal snow trucks. The report being discussed Monday recommends requiring private contractors hired by the city to install side guards, as well.

• Side guards, other safety measures for snow trucks don't apply to Quebec's private contractors

Montreal will also examine the cost of installing cameras on the city's own fleet of heavy trucks.

City councillors have not given themselves a deadline to adopt all recommendations, saying they'll take the time they need to come up with a made-in-Montreal solution.

The city has already acted on some recommendations, including reducing the speed limit on many city streets, and continuingthe ban on right turns on redacrossthe island.

Increased education for all road users is also a key recommendation.For example, the cycling advocacy group Vlo-Qubecoffers a bike safety program for students in grade five and six. The executive committee recommends that program be extended to all Montreal schools.