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

this wonderful place is owned by everyone,therefore it must be available to all year round.For car/bike safety there needs to be a physical barrier to allow safe travel,this would prevent accidents from happening as both cyclists and motorists have been equally at fault in past accidents..
parking should be maintained as-is ,we need to preserve the green space.More flowers at certain spots would enhance the beauty.
Paths should be cleared in winter to allow same walk options as non winter months.

Access should be open all the way across all year round. All the parking lots should be accessible from all directions (no separation as it was this summer).
Make a separate bike-lane on Camillien-Houde, like the one on De Maisonneuve. That road is wide enough - absurd to limit cars because of bike safety when a separate lane would protect cyclists.

It is a travesty to think that the city of Montreal will close Camillion-Houde to cars permanently for the following reasons:

The closure would divide the east and west of the city as it did this summer which is terrible as this limits east/west interaction among Montrealers and would limit easy access to restaurants and commercial businesses in both the east and west sectors.
It would only help to protect about 5% of the Montreal cyclists as most everyday cyclists can't use it because the ride is too steep.
It would prevent many, many Montrealers and tourists from using the park on a regular basis for picnics, family gatherings, sports, going to the look out, etc.
It would impede access to the cemetery which currently attracts many visitors who visit their loved ones, but also those who walk through the cemetery to observe wild life, particularly birds.

All of this could be avoided if a special cordoned off bike lane could be set up using concrete dividers and cameras could be installed to force drivers to reduce speed (like the camera used on Cote des Neiges) between the Boulevard and Cedar Ave. I travel this route every day and have for many years and as soon as the camera was installed, the speed in the "shute" was immediately and greatly reduced. It really works!

I am totally against closing the Camillien Houde Parkway to through traffic for automobiles. Enforcement of traffic rules and speed limits, for cyclists as well, yes. At 91 years old I wish to visit my wife's grave in the Mount Royal cemetery.
Cycling is not an option for me. Public transport does not run inside the cemetery. Incidentally bicycles have been banned from the cemetery because of bad behaviour of cyclists - food for thought there. All last summer and fall I have had to drive a circuitous route from Westmount through Outremont to eventually reach my destination. No decrease of driving there. It is also nice to be able to occasionally enjoy the views from the northeasterly part of the Parkway and to show one's visitors the same without having to take a long circuitous route from the western side of the mountain. The purpose of the Parkway was to increase accessibility to the park following Olmstead's ideas on the subject. Blocking the road does not facilitate accessibility.

[1] Let everyone drive completely through the park, just put the speed limit very low (15-25Mph) to discourage people using the road just for a fast commute to and from work.


[2] If you cannot allow everyone to drive completely through, at least give those over 65 a special pass to display on their dash board so that they can enjoy a ride through the park, especially from the west side to see the view of the city once more. Many of us cannot walk well, cannot cycle and cannot take a variety of buses to access the view as one starts to descend the east side, and also to access the cemeteries easily.

At 77, I really miss a slow ride through the park to see the view.

I disagree with the road across the mountain being closed to through traffic for a variety of reasons among them ease of accessibility for Montrealers especially mobility reduced persons, the enjoyment and convenience of being able to cross the mountain from time to time.

What a shame! Access to the mountain has been sharply reduced largely to increase access for cyclists who race. No more taking visitors to the lookout, since it can only be accessed by increasing the trip by about 30 minutes or more, especially because of roadwork. When attending a funeral at the Mount Royal Funeral complex,one needs to factor in an additional 30 minutes or more, again through busy traffic and roadwork. Realistically, there are not many people, especially seniors and families with young children,who can cycle up the mountain. (As the population ages, Projet Montreal seems determined to make it more difficult for seniors to feel welcome in their own city. E.g. road over mountain closure, removal or parking downtown, etc.) Realistically, Montreal citizens from outlying arrondissements who do not have direct access to the Metro and who are directly affected by major construction projects which in turn affect buses must drive to visit the mountain. Realistically, was Camilien Houde created as a bicycle race course?

Universal Accessibility Recommendation:

I believe the mountain should have universal access for all. I am recently disabled, and the thought of taking a bus to the mountain ( virtually impossible to do when you can't walk) or expecting difficulty parking the car , ( when there are limited spots in the west side parking lot and it is a long detour to the east side lot ) discourages me from returning to the mountain..., a place i have visited and loved all my life . My preference is to see the mountain reopened for thru traffic year round to all cars, .
In this way, individuals can choose to drive across the mountain and enjoy the park like feeling , and stop at the eastside lookout or choose to park at either of the two mountain parking lots.

If the city wants to prevent u turns by automobiles... then perhaps a medium or divider should be installed the length of the road , where turns are not permitted. Both cyclists and cars should be provided speed restrictions , which need to be enforced, as with all traffic regulations.

I am completely against the blocage to cars of the route over the mountain.
The pilot project looks and looked like a preemptive move by the Plante administration whose penchant for acting without consultation is now is well established.
Mr Fernandes's ludicrous report on the "pilot project" just shows the prejudicial nature of his involvement.
There are few east-west thoroughfares in downtown and they are subject to continual construction of one several at the same time. We are advised that this will continue for years to come as the city "beautifies" street-scapes, replaces worn out water, sewer and other infrastructure and puts pressure on already overloaded metro lines.
The route over the mountain is a vital artery as well as being access to the cemeteries.
One of the justifications related to bicycle safety because one cyclist died, hardly a cause for this major impediment to vehicular traffic. Besides, the cyclist users are limited to a very small group of people in a narrow age/fitness band.
Quit while you are still able to. Montrealers are tired of your autocratic, non consultative style.

Easy access to Mount Royal should be for all, not just for "elitist" cyclists, who seem to take great delight in disobeying all applicable traffic laws.
Easy access is being denied to predominately migrant families, who for decades have used Mount Royal for family meetings, BBQ,s and summer activities.
The "new"parking areas on each side of the mount do not make any sense as they are situated in difficult to access areas due to continual roadworks.
Elected politicians should be made aware, again, that they are elected to serve the general population, and not just the elitist few, who they appear to continually support at the moment

The mountain is meant for EVERYONE to enjoy, not just cyclists and healthy , active citizens. Those of us who are seniors like to enjoy the views, the experience of crossing the mountain but are unable to hike Kms. It is a prime show off experience for visitors to Montreal who marvel at such scenery in Downtown Montreal.

I am concerned for the safety of cyclists. It would not be difficult to extend the barrier already in place to provide safety. It is reasonable to lower the speed limit for autos and to install working cameras to enforce them.

In my experience there is more than enough room for all auto and bike traffic and neither takes away from the enjoyment of the park. Pollution is not an argument as cars were deflected to other streets.

I have heard so very very many objections to closing the road that I know it will be a major issue in the next election. Here is an opportunity to prove you do listen to the citizens. I hope you do.

I believe the park should be left in as natural a state as possible. And p.s. the parking lots used to be occupied during the week in summer and winter when people knew they had full access to the park. If one section was closed one drove to another!

In short, do not close the road across the mountain. It is an over reaction to a very unfortunate accident.

I am against the road closure for the following reasons:
As a frequent user of the road, mostly by automobile and sometimes as a pedestrian, it is clear that automobile, bike and pedestrian traffic is primarily heavy on summer weekends. The same is true for the parking and remained true even when the road was closed between the lookout and the Maison Smith parking lots. Closing the road at the midpoint at all times does nothing to address the fact that frequent use is actually intermittent.

Motorists and cyclists are still sharing the road for the majority of the roadway, either from the Cote des Neiges side, or from Mont Royal. Anecdotally, U-turns increased due to motorists not being aware that the road was closed in the middle while cyclists are reputed to be less vigilant in obeying traffic regulations, believing that there are no motorists on the road. Therefore closing the road at the midpoint does nothing to reduce different users sharing the road and has increased the danger to both.

Access to the cemeteries has become difficult. Visitors to the cemeteries are also important users of the mountain and should be respected.

The roadworks in Montreal which are slated to continue for another several decades are only worsened when another road is closed. There seems to be no coordination between the various road closures and the mounting frustration of motorists is becoming dangerous. The inability to get from the west side of Montreal to the east has been exacerbated by the mountain road closure. This is clearly not a good period to enact this measure.

The mountain should be available to all, including motorists--it offers a welcome respite from the density of downtown Montreal to motorists who are sometimes able during their work day to traverse it going to or from their place of work, but who do not have the leisure time to walk or cycle.

I think we should be able to all Safely share access to the mountain, cars , buses bicycles and pedestrians. Vehicle traffic should be able to cross from one entry to the the other, Mt. Royal Ave. to Cote des Neiges.

Speed limits should be observed for both cars and bicycles. Spped bumps on road for traffic calming on downhill sections for both cars and bicycles. Cameras and signage installed in areas deemed to be challenging for traffic as a deterant for illegal manouvers or speeding.
Separate trails should be available for walking across and bicycling across the mountain. (especially around curves, or tight passages.

Fauna and flora should be protected limiting access and making trails available to both hikers and bicycles,
Provide a peasurable low fare public transport system for the mountain only, ex. open air triple decker bus, with parking at near the base of the mountain similar in cost to parking on the mountain.( or at least easy public transportation across the mountain from wherever parking is made available. Vehicle parking at whatever location would include the bus fare to the top of the Mt. Royal.

The park road is intended for visitors to cross over the mountain in order to easily access the interior of the mountain, the lake, and to reach the other side, thus reducing motor traffic on other already-busy roads surrounding the mountain.

Due to safety, the road must prioritize motorists, first. There are very few pedestrians that use this road, probably due to the length and distance of the road. Pedestrians should be encouraged to use the pathways locating in other parts of the mountain where motorists cannot access. Cycling should NOT be encouraged due to the steepness, which is a major safety hazard as it can be difficult to control speed when descending the mountain on a bicycle. Therefore, cyclists should not be encouraged to use the road. But, if cycling is permitted on the mountain, cyclists MUST follow the rules of the road (traffic signals, traffic lights, stop signs, speed limits, use bike path only, must wear helmut...), or will face fines, as would any motorist. It is common knowledge that cyclists on the mountain, and everywhere in the city, rarely respect traffic signals, etc, and the rules of the road. All citizens, motorists, and pedestrians can attest to this. Cyclists who do not respect the rules of the road put themselves in serious danger and frustrate other users of the road. We have personally witnessed cyclists not following traffic signals immediately in front of the police station on the mountain (where the horses are), and the police did NOTHING to fine the cyclists or even warn them. This is unacceptable.

As for public transit, there are STM buses that currently access the mountain. Maybe more bus routes can be added or modified to make a stop on the mountain.

Regarding parking, weekends are busier than the weekdays, thus proving that the public wish to use their cars as a main method of transportation. Visitors come from far with their cars to enjoy the mountain. Therefore, more parking spaces should be created. This will also generate revenue for the city, as parking fees are applicable. Creating a parking lot adjacent to the mountain and offering a shuttle service is very unsuitable due to the fact that there is NO space near the mountain to build a new parking and existing parking lots are already full. Also, visitors normally have picnics and bring toys, for example, to the mountain, and expecting people and families to haul all their personal belongings from their car to the shuttle bus and back is a considerable inconvenience and very time consuming.

Prohibiting U-turns is extremely easy to resolve by placing cement barriers between the lanes. This way it is physically impossible to make a U-turn. The City is already in possession of cement barriers as millions of dollars were already spent to purchase numerous ones for the now defunct E-race.

Regarding signage, always room for improvement. Pedestrians should be made easily aware that there are pedestrian pathways on the mountain, and do not necessarily need to take the actual road to experience the mountain, for example. On the more dangerous and steeper areas of the mountain, cyclists should be advised to not ride their bikes but rather walk with their bike due to the safety hazard. Signs can be created in these more hazardous areas.

Regarding the landscape, having a "cafe" with loud music (or no music at all) at the lookouts is quite disturbing. When I saw these, I was downright insulted and embarrassed to see these, and that the city permitted such a thing on the mountain. The "cafe" was playing loud music, the customers can get loud, also obstructed part of the view, and occupied several parking spaces. This decision of building "cafes" was made in very poor judgement. Visitors go there to see the beautiful view and enjoy the tranquility, instead they are unexpectedly annoyed.

For the road entrances that have already been closed for years now (from Cote des Neiges Road, for example), these access roads remain unproductive and unattractive. They should either be reopened or reconfigured, as it is very odd to see a road that no one can use.

For the environment, when a tree needs to be cut down due to illness, for example, another tree must be planted to replace it. This is probably already the case. Also, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on "stumps" is not acceptable for the taxpayer. If money is going to be spent, in any way, it must be a logical and necessary expense.

Thank you very very much!

Although I am not a frequent visitor to Mount Royal, I definitely think it should be available to all. It is a treasured location for all Montrealers to be able to access at all times. And, of course, to increase traffic when detoured off the mountain roads in our city of continual construction is absolute insanity.

I work on the east side of Montreal and the only way that I can get to work on time is through the mountain instead of driving along Cote St. Catherine. Cote St. Catherine is usually full of orange cones and instead of the trip taking 15 minutes, it takes 45 minutes - sometimes more.

Access to the mountain is essential to families with children. Given that they do many different activities-including
walking, running, biking, skating, sledding, and picnicking-they may have to bring a lot of gear with them. A car is the most practical and efficient way to get about. They may come from some distance from the city. Public transportation is not viable. Closing road access through the park is not a good idea. If the city truly cares about making the mountain
accessible to families and the public the road must be kept open. I have lived in Montreal for over 30 years and
regularly use the mountain. I am within walking distance but many people are not. It will only discourage people
from going to the mountain.

I live in the west end of the city and do not like having to drive all the way to Park Avenue in order to access Mount Royal Cemetery.

The mountain is for eveyone's use and not only a few elite cyclists that almost always exceed the posted speed limit.

Please keep the mountain open to both cyclists and vehicles.

Closing the road while doing construction on Pine avenue and Cote St.Catherine road was completely unacceptable...

No measures were taken to mitigate the traffic nightmares such as a free shuttle from Cote-des-neiges road to park avenue, the sole option was an 11 bus which does not run on time or often...

I voted for Project Montreal in the last election I will never do so again solely based on this fiasco. The road needs to be kept open, the city has shown it is incapable of providing any reasonable alternatives.

This through-traffic ban was a ridiculous idea borne of ideology rather than practicality and necessity. By banning through traffic, it effectively limited mountain access to the those who live in the immediate area. Who wants to drive to the mountain to bike/ski/walk only to find the parking lot is full and you have a 45 minute drive through side streets to get to the other parking lot. As a result, most people wouldn't bother, thus depriving them of what is an essential part of Montreal.
Those on foot or bike have easy and much nicer access via the trails. Leave the road for the vehicles. The mountain is for all Montrealers, whether Mr. Fernandez and Mayoress Plante like it or not.

I think the road should be open to cars.

Hello,

I believe the road should be open to everyone, cars, cyclists and pedestrians alike year round with no black-out period. The road is a ring road that goes around the park not through it as some have suggested. On one side is private land , (a cemetery) and on the other is a park.

Je prends depuis 30 ans, a l'occasion, (selon mes rendez-vous ou mes besoins), le raccourci par Camilien Houde de l'ouest a l'est et c'est toujours avec plaisir. C'est joli, apaisant et c'est plus court. Je n'ai pas a me perdre dans la circulation urbaine (moins d'autos en ville, ca devrait compter non?)

Je me souviens de tres bons moments quand j'allais reconduire ma fille de Westmount ou nous vivons a l'ecole Querbes a Outremont. Le changement des saisons etait agreable. Je nous sentais en securite. Ca commencait bien la journee.

J'ai vu au cours des ans, une augmentation de la circulation mais je me demande si c'est si dramatique.

Il faudrait juste, je pense, decourager les conducteurs qui s'en servent regulierement (pour gagner du temps), en reduisant la vitesse ou en ajoutant un peage aux heures de pointe et decourager les touristes et les locaux de pouvoir faire demi-tour en mettant des barrieres entre les deux cotes de la route.


Je vous remercie de prendre notre opinion en compte.

Pierrette Bornais-Hill

In Montreal traffic needs to cross Mount Royal
. Camillien-Houde Way/Remembrance Road is a viral arterie for this traffic and until an alternate route is built, it must remain open and accessible to all residents,
The pilot plan restricted access to this community thoroughfare by the majority of the community. This is not fair nor is it a democratic solution.
Theitizens must be heard