This Friday July 29th, a Beaconsfield city council special caucus meeting will decide the fate of a sound wall development. There has been much debate surrounding the city's proposition of this sound wall that would stretch five kilometres from Devon Rd. in the west to the city’s eastern border at Jasper Rd.
SOURCE: City of Beaconsfield
The city has surveyed a sample of residents through a Léger 360 phone survey. As decision day draws nearer, the city of Beaconsfield's website provides some answers residents may have surrounding this project done in collaboration with the ministère des Transports.
The current Mayor, Georges Bourelle campaigned in 2013 with promises to get the wall up. As it turns out the promise was not as easy to keep as expected.
Q: How much would it cost to build a noise barrier?
Between $50 and $60 million dollars. 75% of which will potentially be covered by the MTQ.
Q: Will the noise from motorbikes, as well as car and motorbike races be reduced by the noise barrier in zone 4, between Saint-Charles Boulevard and the eastern limit of the installation?
A: The installation of a noise barrier will reduce the noise intensity from Highway 20. In Zone 4, the average attenuation expected for all types of vehicles will be 8 to 13 dBA. It should be noted that the different frequency bands will not be equally affected by the construction of the noise barrier, but the noise produced by passing motorbikes will be significantly reduced even in its low-frequency components, i.e. between 50 and 250 Hz. (source:Beaconsfield website)
Q: With regard to the noise barrier, would all residents have to pay for services rendered by the City, or only those affected by certain special projects?
A: This would depend on the loan bylaw that could be proposed to citizens by Council. The debate for many years has been between the Northern section of Beaconsfield that could be required to pony up tax dollars for a wall that will not protect them from the same highway noise that exists on the Southern side of the city. The northern side has additional noise from the train tracks to add insult to injury.
Q: In 2015, the then minister had assured that the Beaconsfield part of the noise barrier costs would not exceed 5 million dollars, there would be no cost overrun, and the budget would be respected. How do you explain the most recent estimate?
A: According to the partnership agreement proposed by Transport Québec and approved by Council, the City pays 25% of the cost instead of 50% usually prescribed by the government’s policy. We invite you to consult the MTQ's presentation from May 17. (https://direct.webtv.coop/mtq-english/)
SOURCE: City of Beaconsfield
