A citizen-led petition is calling for the immediate and complete twinning of Autoroute 50 after years of severe accidents along the route between L’Ange-Gardien and Lachute. The group, Collectif Sécurité A-50, organized the petition on change.org, which has reached 20,761 signatures as of Friday, March 13.

The petition states that Autoroute 50 is underdeveloped and limits investments, jobs, and population growth in the region, despite thousands of citizens using the highway daily throughout the Laurentians.

Jean Bernard, a petition supporter, said on the petition’s comment board, “This is not about creating a new route, but about completing the one that was left. The 50 should be doubled between Mirabel and Lachute (a task started but paused). Before thinking about new routes, we must consolidate those that exist. Our safety depends on it.”

The main priority of Collectif Sécurité A-50 is the full twinning of Autoroute 50 by 2030, focusing on the L’Ange-Gardien to Lachute section, where the risk of collisions is highest.

“Enough expectations. Enough accidents. The security of Québécers cannot be conditional on budgets. Allocate the budgets needed to secure this vital infrastructure without delay,” the petition reads.

The petition is addressed to the minister responsible for the Outaouais region, Mathieu Lacombe, and Minister of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility Jonathan Julien.

Petition supporter Linda Lee said on the comment board, “I have been travelling every Thursday for seven years, and in the winter, this highway has very low visibility due to the wind. Drivers’ speeds are also an issue.”

Marie Reine, another petition supporter, commented, “My niece almost lost her two children in a head-on collision on the 50; changes are absolutely needed for everyone’s lives.”

Brownsburg-Chatham Mayor Kévin Maurice said on social media, “Behind every statistic, there are lives shattered, families affected, and emergency responders called upon to act in situations that are all too often avoidable. As mayor, I reiterate: the situation on Autoroute 50 is unacceptable.”

“The road is dangerous, both because of its infrastructure and because of certain risky behaviours, and it endangers our citizens every day,” Maurice said.

Following another fatal accident on Autoroute 50 in December 2025, Municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) d’Argenteuil Prefect and Mayor of Lachute, Bernard Bigras-Denis, said in a social media post, “The configuration of the road is dangerous; the coroners have demonstrated this, the successive deaths attest to it, as do the numerous accidents, both serious and less serious.”

“Enough is enough. Despite the promises, it is clear that no concrete action has yet been taken to prevent accidents. Clear, swift, and comprehensive measures are now needed to permanently make Autoroute 50 safe. Our community deserves better. Our safety is non-negotiable,” Bigras-Denis concluded.

More information on the petition is available here: https://www.change.org/p/pétition-citoyenne-pour-le-doublement-rapide-et-complet-de-l-autoroute-50.