A newly planted tree in the St-Henri neighborhood is being called the city’s latest urban planning mistake.
Workers planted a new oak tree right in front of a stop sign at the corner of Saint-Émilie and Sainte-Philippe streets.
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While the problem is clear, the stop sign is not, as the green leaves completely block the view of the traffic sign from the street for oncoming traffic.
“It’s not too easy to watch. It is not good planning there by the city,” said resident Farhana Begum.
Some residents didn’t even notice the sign as they crossed the street until they were told.
“I guess I’m a bit baffled too. I didn’t even notice,” one resident told Global News.
A number of trees and safety features were added, such as detectable warning pavers at the street corner, plus a redesign of the intersection by the municipality intended to make street crossings safer for pedestrians.
While the new foliage and safety measure are appreciated, the workmen’s mistake on Rue Saint-Émilie has left St-Henri residents scratching their heads and questioning the city’s use of common sense.
“I guess we do what doesn’t make sense first. Do that and fix the problem later,” Begum said as he laughed.
Others, like Nellis Andrew, see the blunder as a serious problem and call it a big mistake.”
Andrew says that while the intersection is not busy, it does have its fair share of speeding and hiding the stop sign in plain sight carries unnecessary risks.
“People speed up here. It is a residential area and this could cause many accidents. So it’s not a good place for a tree,” Andrew said.
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When asked about the mistake, County Councilman Craig Sauve said, “Things happen.”
Sauvé also added that the stop sign will be moved to a more visible spot already marked on the street corner.
As for when that will happen, no date was given.
Fortunately, in the meantime, a second stop sign across the street is still clearly visible.