Judge orders Montreal suburb to compensate residents for excessive traffic noise

A Montreal suburb has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars to around 300 residents who say they've suffered from years of unreasonable traffic noise.

A Montreal suburb has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars to around 300 residents who say they've suffered from years of unreasonable traffic noise.

The residents, who filed the class-action lawsuit a decade ago, live along des Prairies Road in the City of Brossard, where traffic has steadily increased over the years as the community has grown.

The neighbourhood used to be largely farmland, but now des Prairies Road connects to a major boulevard and a large shopping mall, and 10,000 vehicles travel on it every day, Quebec Superior Court Justice Dominique Poulin wrote in her Oct. 10 decision.

"The court has heard 11 credible, sincere, convincing and disheartened residents who are significantly affected by the traffic, which they consider excessive … which causes them inconveniences that exceed, in the eyes of the court, by their severity and recurrence, the normal inconveniences they must endure as a result of living along the stretch," Poulin wrote.

Residents had "no respite" from the noise, and many had to soundproof their homes as a result of the traffic, she said.

"They can't open their windows," the judge wrote. "They are bothered by noise outside their homes and cannot have normal conversations when they are in front of their houses. Although some still enjoy their backyards and gardens, they complain that the noise is disturbing their peace and quiet."

The City of Brossard argued that it had developed the district according to the law — and that despite the fact it had no responsibility to cut the amount of traffic on the road, it had taken steps to reduce the volume, noise and speed of vehicles.