Les voies d'accès au mont Royal (Camillien-Houde / Remembrance)

DO NOT GET RID OF CARS ON THE MOUNTAIN! If you do, you’re making it inaccessible to many who rely on their cars for transportation (ex: disabled, elderly, people with small children).

My primary concern with the complete closing of traffic is that I was unable to access the west gate of Mount Royal Cemetery - something that I have done regularly since the death of my mother 14 years ago. Her gravesite is just inside (to the left) of this gate and in the past have gone regularly to tend the site and visit on special occasions such as Easter, her birthday and Christmas. I am not alone in this endeavour and this site is regularly visited by loved ones like myself. The only other option for me was somehow finding my way through Outremont to get to the only other access to Mount Royal Cemetery which is very difficult. It requires going a significant distance from Remembrance Road and winding through heavy traffic in the Cote-des-Neiges borough and ultimately ending up on Ste. Catherine Road which is always very congested. Then I have to drive the complete area of the cemetery to get to the gravesite and then return the same way. It is very difficult and, as a result, something that was always enjoyable and peaceful has become a burden and resulted in me no longer continuing a significant event in my life. Mount Royal Cemetery has been in existence for over a hundred years and to restrict entry to such a significant place is arrogant and just plain mean.

I have rarely crossed over the complete road but when I did I noticed that there was nothing (no barrier) stopping cars from making a u-turn. It seems to me to be a relatively easy fix to put up cement barriers making it clear that this is not to be done. It was always very confusing and those who were not familiar with the road would not understand why a u-turn was so dangerous. Also, it was not a local but a tourist who was responsible for the accident that resulted in the death of a bicycler.

There also has to be control over the speed of the bicyclers who use this route. From my observations it seems a large number of them are serious bicyclers who are more interested in speed than the beautiful environment. They present a risk to themselves and pedestrians when they speed down Remembrance Rd going much faster than the 50 km an hour speed limit (I know this because I am going the speed limit). They also never, never stop at the stop signs meant to make it safe for pedestrians to cross the road safely. They have only become more arrogant as they feel that they have been gifted the mountain and their needs are more important than those of others.

It is a beautiful area and I think that something could be done about people who abuse the site by not picking up after themselves and who misuse the trees and other aspects of this site.

It is a beautiful area of the city and it must be preserved for all citizens. Accessing the site for people with disabilities or seniors with some limits on their mobility was made very difficult by the closing and the ridiculous parking situation that was created by the closure.

In closing, there are many things that can be done to enhance the area, make it safer for everyone and especially be accessible (including the cemeteries) for everyone not just the privileged few. However, my big fear, and this truly brings tears to my eyes, is that the administration is just pretending to consult with citizens and already have plans to close it again. I also believe that the plan to close it had nothing to do with the accident which I believe is the only one to have occurred there over many many years. It is time for the Plante administration to understand that Montreal is made up of a diverse population many of whom are dependent on vehicles for everyday life but also for enjoyment of life.

In my opinion, the pilot project to close the through rode on Mount Royal was not successful. Instead of promoting safer access to the mountain, it made it almost impossible to access and enjoy the park for all but a few young cyclists. I am a senior citizen who has always enjoyed being able to drive to the mountain in all seasons, park my car wherever I found a spot, and spend time walking in nature. The pilot project made parking an impossible nightmare. Mount Royal Park is the jewel of our city. Everyone, not just cyclists, should be able to access all areas of the mountain with ease. Please do not re-instate the system which closes off the through road leading to any and all parking lots on the mountain.

All should have access to the mountain. In the past, we had visited the mountain approximately once a month, and when we had out of town visitors. Since the closure we have not visited, as we live in the West side , enjoy going to the look out. Because of age and health issues, we are unable to walk from Beaver Lake to the look out. It appears that a minority bikers have more rights than the majority of automobiles and pedestrians . Road sharing problem has not been resolved

The City Of Montreal is totally wrong in your approach to better safety for cars and cyclist on the Mountain. There is no need to close Camillien-Houde and Remembrance roads to through traffic. It has been this for as long as I can remember and there has never been a really serious incident on that road. The road is perfectly safe in it's current form and has been for generations.

To solve the problem of safety for cyclist why not taken a proven method and build a dedicated bike path beside the roadway with a concrete curb separating the path and roadway for the full lenght, from Cote St-Catherine to Cote-des-Neiges blvds. The city has done this in many locations with proven success. Maisonneuve blvd comes to mind as one example. Why does the city have to use a sledgehammer solution of closing the mountain to cars for one accident. But the Baseball diamond in Jeanne Mance park comes readily to mind.

To solve the problem of u-turns at the Camillien Houde lookout, install a median separating the two lanes in the area of the lookout only, to prevent a driver from crossing both lanes or turning around. Along with the dedicated bike path, cars and cyclists would not meet and the road would be safe for all users.

Mr Fernandez, there are many other solutions than rushing to such drastic measures as closing the mountain to cars for one accident. Or do you hate vehicles of any type so much that you want to see them completely disappear from Montreal. One can only wonder.

The implementation of the Access to Mont-Royal pilot project brought about very few winners; those extreme athletes who have the stamina to bike, walk or run up the steep inclines that give access to the mountain and its parks.
There are, regrettably, far more many losers: all other able and dis-abled individuals, young and old, who once used the mountain as an easily accessible green space and playground. Those who enjoy recreational biking, walking, strolling, picnicking, skating, tobogganing, birdwatching, people-watching, throwing a frisbee, honouring those buried in our historical cemeteries, playing, bbq-ing, suntanning, napping, just plain “escaping” or just seeing and sharing our beautiful city from the best vantage point, Mount Royal lookout, with pride.

I understand and support the need for a reduction of our dependency on cars. However, creating options that open up accessibility to Mont Royal to all Montrealers makes us all winners.

I can offer little in the form of suggestions or ideas that might assist those with the expertise, knowledge and responsibility of designing the “new” Mont Royal, however I encourage the good people who were elected by and for Montrealers to consider all proposals but to, in the end, select the one that benefit all Montrealers.

Thank you.

Given that the road under question separates parking lots from a cemetery and a sheer drop from a sheer drop, and used by a bus and police vehicles, drop the whole concept of the road becoming a “park road”. The concept of a park road is a piece of political theatre, a sop to a small minority of spandex wearing cyclists on $7000 bicycles.
The road is a road, leave it as such.

I am in favour of opening Mt. Royal to through traffic and would like to see more protective measures to safeguard cyclists such as the greater use of concrete medians and clearly defined or protected bike paths along the road. Let's keep access to the mountain free and open to all. One unfortunate accident, while tragic, should not reduce the accessibility for so many. The mountain used to feel much more a part of my Montreal than it does today. I do hope that the wishes of so many are taken into serious account.

Firstly, I would like to say, that I attended the recent meeting November 8 which I understand was to present the findings to the group.
I feel many people were frustrated, because some of the conclusions were obvious--ie,,,there was less traffic crossing the mountain- of course this would happen, when the road is blocked except for buses, bikes...
Over many years I have enjoyed driving over the mountain, from Westmount to Outremont, viewing the trees and nature around me. Since your Project...I have not been there...as I suspect is the same for many.
If one looks at the map...the road does NOT interfere with the mountain...as it divides the cemetery from the rest of the mountain...which is for pedestrians, families , runners and some bikers although they seem to focus on going up and down the road for their extreme workouts...I wonder if they really enter the park apart from the road exercise.??
I do not feel that people, tax paying citizens, visitors etc...should be deprived of "their mountain"- because of the fanatical enthusiasm of Mr. Luc Fernandez...and some of his biker teams... I do not think anyone should be considered a Priority....If one walks along the pathways, you will of course see couples, families, students of all ages, and nationalities enjoying the mountain and what it offers as an oasis of nature...Once the mountain has been blocked, and the parking lots filled...especially the one closest to Beaver lake..while the one near smith house was emptier...likely people give up...such a disappointment ....
Getting to the cemetery apparently, has not been optimal , and is complicated.
According to your survey,,,a majority of respondents, were not in favour of closing the road to cars in fact...
I think slowing the speed limit,,,to 30, as in the school zones...and if feasible, a bike lane on both sides...the bikes should also respect the speed limit.Also, why not radar monitoring for speed, and also, illegal U turns.
I realize this became a focus after the most unfortunate death of a cyclist, by a Motorist...but this is not unique to the mountain.- and what the city has done so far, with the barriers,,,does not improve safety at all. Respect for what "we" have with this paradise , should involve pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike....
The rest of the real Park, with its paths, and chalet, and restaurants, the lake...seem still to be preserved regardless...
I truly hope that we are a democratic city hall...and that the opinions, and studies, you have done, that show a majority wish to have an open road, will not be ignored,,in favour of pleasing the rather biased opinion of Mr. Fernandez....

Hello,

I would like to keep this option open to traffic, at least while everything else in Montreal is under construction. As much as I believe that we should abandon our cars for getting around the city, our public transit system is not at a standard it should be for long distance commuting, and as such, I need to use my car to get over the mountain. I would suggest building a bike and pedestrian specific path over the mountain, which would remove the bikers from the very narrow streets.

Many thanks,

Kristina

I am an NDG resident who uses the mountain in 2 ways.
Firstly, I often use the route over the mountain in both winter and summer to go to the Plateau and I find that in this city of orange cones and crazy drivers, the roads are generally quiet, people drive well and not too fast and the drive is actually a great experience. As a bonus it makes my day enjoyable to see the pristine snow or beautiful foliage.
Then secondly, I am an avid walker and often walk for an hour or more on the mountain over the weekends. This summer the parking situation was bad with the parking lots full and it makes no sense for me to try to take public transport as getting there from NDG takes long and is inconvenient, where as by car, I am there is 10 minutes or less.

This mountain is for the enjoyment of all Montrealers and closing the road cuts out lots of people.
I understand the issue of safety for cyclists - so just put a barrier all the way down the middle of the road and no-one will be able to u-turn - cheap, low tech and a perfect solution!

I found the closed road this summer very problematic in two ways.

I live in the west end and to get to my cemetery entrance, I had to drive much further, along Cote St Catherine Rd, then wind my way up through Outremont to the entrance. I'm sure the Outremont residents are not pleased at the increased traffic on their quite streets.

Visiting the mountain, again from the west side, means no access to Smith house and very limited parking at the chalet end. This means, for seniors and those of us with limited mobility it was too far to walk, or wheelchair to the lookout.

It is such a beautiful drive to go over the mountain and should be available as a wonderful sightseeing opportunity.

If too many commuters is the issue, the perhaps it could be configured to one lane in each direction, making it slower. A full lane could be devoted to bikers on either side, all separated by a medium. This would also prevent U-turns. Perhaps a traffic light could be installed at the lookout overlooking the Olympic stadium side so access would be maintained there.

I keenly feel the loss of my mountain, both the cemetery access and the easy walking in the woods. Public transport is not an option for us.

Thank you.
Sincerely, Kim Davidman

I support keeping through traffic over the mountain with some conditions as follows:

1) install traffic calming measures to keep the speeds reduced to 30 kmh
2) install concrete barriers between the car lanes and the bike lanes
3) add a walking lane

In this way, everyone can share the mountain in safety; tourists, cyclists, pedestrians, and commuters.

Banning cars on specific days for special events is ok.

I have always enjoyed my visits to Mount Royal - except for this summer. Blocking off through traffic cut the mountain in 2. The west side parking was frequently full, forcing me to drive for 20 minutes to park on the east side. So I gave up visiting the mountain. If the big complaint is safety for cyclists, why not have traffic cameras, and dividers so that no one can make a u-turn? The mountain belongs to all Montreal, not just elite bikers, and those hardy enough to walk up the mountain? Please give us back our mountain!

Twice we went to beaver Lake
Twice no parking available.
Had to drive via cote Ste Catherine for 22 minutes to park the car n'est the chalet.
Annoying
Unnecessary
The street and the mountain access worked well before.
Revert to the way it was

I was very sorry to see Chemin Camilien Houde/Ch Remembrance closed to through traffic. I often use this road to go to the west of the city. I love that I can have access to the views and to nature even though I am driving in the city.
I often go up the mountain by foot and enjoy the walk on Chemin Olmstead and the wonderful views from the lookouts and the walks around Beaver Lake, but I also enjoy getting a little bit of nature and appreciation of the mountain when I cannot take the time to do a leisurely walk. What a treat that I can have a little bit of nature in crossing the mountain while still going about my busy day in the city. It relaxes me and fills me with joy in an otherwise harried day.
Taking a tour of the city when entertaining visitors always includes a ride over the mountain - in fact it is the piece de resistance - this wonderful jewel we can show off. And yes - it includes the whole route - going over the mountain to the other side. Not just up one side and then back again.
I don't understand why you would want to take that away from Montrealers and their visitors. It is a joy and a pride and I do believe less people have access to it now, if you continue with these restrictions.
I agree that the route should be shared with cars, cyclists and pedestrians (though I don't see why pedestrians would use that route when they would have a much nicer walk on Chemin Olmstead). Why not make a reserved lane for cyclists? Surely there is enough room for a bike lane and two car lanes. Or if the motivation is to stop motorists from making u-turns why not put up a median between lanes?
And you can reduce the speed to a crawl even . Those that use it will be encouraged to enjoy the scenery around them rather than speeding by and the slow speed will encourage safety.
I hope you will keep through traffic on the mountain road.
Thank you for your attention.

I use the mountain at least twice a week 365 days a year. I am a 62 year old cyclist who rides over the mountain, Camillien-Houde Remembrance road. I run on the calesh road and almost all the trails.
When the city closed the mountain to through traffic there was a lot of confusion and frankly I felt the roads were more dangerous. Cars stuck in traffic trying to access the parking lots got frustrated one car tried to escape the traffic jam by pulling a u-turn almost colliding with me. Riding up the hill next to cars idling in traffic on nice days was not so pleasant either. Riding by the two parking lots I would often see one or the other jammed with cars trying to park while the other was half empty. None of this was particularly serene or peaceful. There was the part in the gap between the two confusion areas that was usually empty of cars and people for that matter. Trying to access the mountain for a run or walk was also frustrating. I wasted 20 minutes trying to park and sometimes gave up and went home. Other times I would walk to the mountain to avoid the parking confusion but that reduced my time on the mountain by 20 minutes. Frankly I could not see any redeeming qualities of this test period. Access to the mountain was more difficult and frustrating, time spent on the mountain was reduced and biking safety was not improved arguably the experience was less satisfactory.
In theory the idea sounded good however in practice I realized it was a jumble of unintended consequences. We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful mountain in the heart of our city. It’s about the trails and the calesh Road that snake through it. The actual road is for cars and bikes to enjoy a lovely drive by and for easy access to the mountain. The rest is for people to walk the trails away from cars and the city crowds and be with nature. There is room enough for both.

The roads should be open to pedestrians, bicycles and other vehicles all year. There are many ways that this can be done safely for all to enjoy Mount Royal!

Hello,

My deepest sadness is that both my parents are buried at Mount-Royal cemetery and since I live in NDG, I must drive all around the mountain and enter the cemetery on Cote Ste-Catherine.

I agree that traffic should slow down over the mountain and cyclists and pedestrians protected. However, speed bumps and a separated (by cement blocks, maybe) bike lane would solve this problem. I would then be able to get to the cemetery directly.

It is also a beautiful ride over the mountain when we have guests visiting our wonderful city. That is another reason I would like to see the road open again.

Thank you for your attention,

Marie-Claire Skrutkowska

I would like the road to be reopened. The bike path is not useful for most bikers, as it is very steep; equally it is not useful for pedestrians. This also has limited use of the mountain for people with mobility concerns.

The speed limit can be kept to by: more stop signs, more speed bumps where safe, more photo radar, traffic lights that are set to a 30 km/h speed, more police presence. U-turns can be prevented by having a barrier in the middle of the road; left turns off the lookout can be blocked with the barrier, or allowed with a weight-sensitive traffic light. Make it impossible to do a u-turn but ALSO possible to turn legally somewhere nearby and safer.


Public transit on the mountain might be used somewhat more if it were free, because if you own a car, and if you are more than one person, the cost of public transit is significantly higher than the cost of one car trip. This would work well with the concept of opening lots near but not on the mountain and having a free shuttle which comes regularly from the parking lots. NB this requires room for strollers, coolers, etc on the shuttle.

Prioritising bikers who can make it up and down that hill is not a reasonable choice.

Arguably, there are few people who dislike motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) more than I do. The noise, the pollution (air and visual).

So.... that said, I want to let you know that I am 100% against blocking thru traffic – Chemin Remembrance/Camillien-Houde (from Côte-des-Neiges to ave du Parc).

If, on the north side of this thruway, there were NOT a cemetery – with a long iron fence running the length – I might agree that this was part of Mount Royal "park". However, because this is not the case, the park is not contiguous, and is of not particular interest to park users. I don't consider walking in a cemetery Mt-Royal Park!

When I am in Mt-Royal Park, it is quiet. I do not experience traffic noise. So car traffic is not a problem. (I repeat: I dislike cars immensely!, but it is not a problem in this situation.)

Thru access is *very* important to me! It's a particular Montreal feature. It's a joy to cross the mountain. Visitors have to get there somehow, and public transportation is difficult.

The project was very badly planned, especially cutting off the two available parking lots. A disincentive to visitors!

Regarding cyclists: only very fit cyclists can ride up to the mountain. That leaves out the vast majority of cyclists (including myself) who like to cycle. Mount Royal Park is *not* like Central Park (in New York City).

Please return the road as it was before!... that is a thru way.
Changes to make: install infrastructure to slow down traffic considerably, to make it a less enticing way to cross the mountain quickly. Such as: stop signs, speed bumps.

Install a permanent, separate bike lane.
The roadway is not just for racer cyclists. They treat all roads like their personal circuits! .... be it de Maisonneuve Blvd. or the Lachine Canal. They are scary and dangerous to other cyclists!

Regarding public transportation: In addition to opening the road back up, why not have a dedicated bus that runs, for example, from downtown to the mountain? If there can be a bus that goes to the Casino (which there is!), why not have continual service that brings visitors from downtown to Beaver Lake and the Smith House? A mini bus would be perfect. So many people can't walk long distances, or climb. This would help them out immensely.

Arguably, there are few people who dislike motorized vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) more than I do. The noise, the pollution (air and visual).

So.... that said, I want to let you know that I am 100% against blocking thru traffic – Chemin Remembrance/Camillien-Houde (from Côte-des-Neiges to ave du Parc).

If, on the north side of this thruway, there were NOT a cemetery – with a long iron fence running the length – I might agree that this was part of Mount Royal "park". However, because this is not the case, the park is not contiguous, and is of not particular interest to park users. I don't consider walking in a cemetery Mt-Royal Park!

When I am in Mt-Royal Park, it is quiet. I do not experience traffic noise. So car traffic is not a problem. (I repeat: I dislike cars immensely!, but it is not a problem in this situation.)

Thru access is *very* important to me! It's a particular Montreal feature. It's a joy to cross the mountain. Visitors have to get there somehow, and public transportation is difficult.

The project was very badly planned, especially cutting off the two available parking lots. A disincentive to visitors!

Regarding cyclists: only very fit cyclists can ride up to the mountain. That leaves out the vast majority of cyclists (including myself) who like to cycle. Mount Royal Park is *not* like Central Park (in New York City).

Please return the road as it was before!... that is a thru way.
Changes to make: install infrastructure to slow down traffic considerably, to make it a less enticing way to cross the mountain quickly. Such as: stop signs, speed bumps.

Install a permanent, separate bike lane.
The roadway is not just for racer cyclists. They treat all roads like their personal circuits! .... be it de Maisonneuve Blvd. or the Lachine Canal. They are scary and dangerous to other cyclists!

Regarding public transportation: In addition to opening the road back up, why not have a dedicated bus that runs, for example, from downtown to the mountain? If there can be a bus that goes to the Casino (which there is!), why not have continual service that brings visitors from downtown to Beaver Lake and the Smith House? A mini bus would be perfect. So many people can't walk long distances, or climb. This would help them out immensely.

Regarding Voie Camillien-Houde. The road should be open to everyone including through traffic. Every single Montrealer should enjoy the mountain including through traffic.
Safety:
Add singes! A stop sign with a cross walk lined on the side that leads to Park Ave and a divider between the 2 car lanes so nobody including bikes and pedestrians will not be able to cross except at the official cross sections. Include speed limits for bikes because they come down the mountain at dangerous speeds and carelessly. This carelessness endangers the biker and pedestrians. I know because I bike on the mountain and have seen such carelessness. Just see what the Mt Royal cemetery has or is forbidding bikes because they are aggressive, carless and disrespectful. Another solution would be to put the pedestrians and bike lanes on one side and the car lanes on the other side with a divider separating them. We cannot close every road because there has been a bike accident. The solution is fix the road signs and educate everyone to respect signs including bikers and pedestrians especially the ones speaking on their phone or bikers riding down the mountain at 50-60kms an hour.
Environment:
As years have passed cars have become less polluting also keep in mind the electric/ hybrid revolution which we are living. I have walked, biked and driven over and on the mountain the past 30 years. Some view points I used to stop at are no longer view points because the vegetation has grown in a very healthy way even with all the cars that have passed over the mountain over the decades. The biggest polluter and danger to the mountain are the people, walkers. I walk in the woods and see garbage in the woods and worst yet fire pits. Just these 2 are more of an environmental issue to the mountain than the through traffic by car. Closing the road to through traffic would most probably cause more slow bumper to bumper traffic on roads around the mountain henceforth causing more pollution. This added traffic around the mountain would also most probably cause issues to residential roads and home owners around the mountain.

I truly and profoundly disagree with the closure of the road to through traffic. It should remain accessible to everyone including through traffic
Thank You

My concerns centre around the access to Mount Royal Cemetery.

I visit the cemetery several times in a year to visit our family gravy site, plant and maintain flowers at the grave, etc.

Public transportation is not practical for us as it would take 2 hrs using buses and metro and buses again to reach the cemetery and then a long walk in the cemetery to reach the grave, all while carrying gardening paraphernalia. My husband is 81 and I am 72.

Using the access through Outremont by car, given that everyone wanting to access the cemetery will be using a single route through the surrounding city streets, creates traffic congestion and is also unreasonable for the residents of the area.

While I sincerely regret the death of the young man on the bicycle, I cannot forget that the car driver made an illegal U turn and the bike rider was not in control of the bike.

I believe the city's response to close the road is unreasonable and does not consider the impact on the citizens of Montreal.

1. I do NOT think that through traffic should be banned over Mont Royal under any conditions, except in the case of an occasional (ex: a few times a year) event requiring closure of the roads, or some kind of natural or weather-related catastrophe that is short-lived. (eg: ice storms)
2. It is unfair to all citizens/users to cut off universal access to Mont Royal and to create a situation where certain "sides" (east or west) of the mountain are privileged for access to either of the present parking lots.
3. A special bike path with barriers should be constructed in order to separate the cyclists from the roadways so that the two have little chance of getting in each other's way.
4. More stringent speed limits should be introduced for both cyclists and cars, and enforced unilaterally.
5. Designate a special area at the Smith House parking area as the only place for cars to make u-turns.
6. Make the lookout on Camillion Houde accessible from one way only so cars cannot cross traffic to get into or out of the parking lot. Drivers from the east would have to go to the Smith House u-turn section to get into the descending lane for access, and would have to exit going east/ descending on Camillion Houde only. Getting back to the West side would require taking Park and Pine, or turning around somewhere off of Park or Cote St. Catherine.
6. Empower Les Amis de La Montagne to continue their apt stewardship of the mountain and listen to their recommendations as they are based on extensive research.