The first Quebec “chaucidou”, a development aimed at calming traffic, could see the light of day in Bromont, in Estrie, this summer. This “pilot project relating to traffic on public roads composed of a two-way central lane roadway” will come into force at the end of the month, indicates the decree signed by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault. This pilot project “is consistent with the government’s desire to see innovative solutions rapidly multiply across Quebec to facilitate the responsible development of mobility,” Minister Guilbault’s office indicated in writing.
It is a contraction of the expression “gentle traffic roadway”. Other terms, including unmarked central lane and optional cycle lanes, are also used. The Quebec ministerial decree speaks of a “bidirectional central lane”. “The principle […] is quite simple and logical: there is a single central lane for cars, two others on the sides for bicycles,” summarizes the municipality of Bromont in its documentation. “When two cars pass each other, they can veer into the bike lane. If there is already a bicycle on the lane, it has priority over the car. »
Even if it is a municipal road, the Ministry of Transport “must be involved in all pilot projects that aim to test new devices. This is under its responsibility, according to the Highway Safety Code,” explained the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport for Estrie, Isabelle Dorais, last August. To authorize new traffic rules, a “ministerial order is required that must be published prior to implementation.” Since the Ministry has “jurisdiction in all matters relating to the Highway Safety Code,” this also includes signage.
The development carried out on a portion of Chemin Lotbinière, where the speed must be reduced from 70 km/h to 50 km/h, “will have the objective of slowing down traffic and sharing the road between the different users”, a summarized the municipality. Bromont, which had budgeted around $20,000 for the project, surrounded itself with various experts, including researchers from the University of Sherbrooke and Polytechnique Montréal. A lot of data must also be transmitted to the Ministry, in particular on speed readings, vehicle throughput, issues, incidents, complaints and comments.
Many municipalities already have a chaucidou, particularly in France and the United States. The City of Ottawa also judged its “optional bicycle lanes” pilot project to be successful in 2019. “The evaluation […] clearly indicated the benefits of these lanes for bicycle safety, including that motorists move out of the way more cyclists when passing them, and that cyclists stay further away from parked cars,” the Ontario municipality told us by email. “We will closely follow the conclusions [of the Bromont project] to better understand whether this solution meets our objectives in terms of road safety,” indicated Minister Guilbault’s office.
