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

I believe the entire road should be accessible to everyone at all times, but that the speed limit on the mountain should be no higher than 30 kph, and there could be speed bumps installed as well.

The speed limit must be enforced for cyclists as well as for motorists.

We are opposed to closing the road to through traffic. We support efforts to enhance safety and protect the environment. Whatever happened to enforcing existing driving code and prosecuting offenders, including manslaughter for causing the death of a cyclist by an illegal U-turn!?! Banning cars altogether deprives many people (law-abiding citizens) of easy access to enjoyment of this beautiful space. Driving through and over the mountain is itself an aesthetic, enriching and stress-reducing experience for drivers, their families, tourists and visitors. Banning cars is not the way to go.

The speed limit should be reduced to 30 km. Per hour and keep the road open. From what I can understand , the citizens from the east can access the through road but citizens west of Park Avenue have no access. This means in order to see the view we must drive around ( many more kilometres ) to view the city and to access the Mont Royal Cemetary. Even if public transport is increased , cemetary access is limited as many people must walk a long way to get to their loved ones burial place.

Totally unfriendly to the elderly , handicapped , informed and families with more than 1 small child.

With the confusing closure of the summer, the taxpayers paid police to be on duty to control and explain the situation. Maybe we could use the police to police the speed limits and U turns . Just as dangerous are the cyclists that ride down the hills just feet from the back of cars so drivers feel scared to brake in case these cyclists hit the back of their cars and get injured.

This pilot project was deemed a success and yet there is no one I know that thinks this is a good idea. It seems to be just another nod to the “ spandex set “ who can ride and jog up the mountain. Give that a large percentage of our population is over 60 ( baby boomers ) and therefore not as mobile as they used to be , they should not be cut off from visiting loved ones and enjoying the mountain without walking long distances to do it. This goes for the older population and the informed and handicapped.

NOT A SUCCESS !

The elected officials seem to be pushing through their own agenda.

Joan Sutherland
Resident of Melrose Avenue in NDG

It is ridiculous for the City of Montreal Plante administration to have stopped through-traffic on Remembrance Road/Camilien Houde based mostly on one unfortunate accident to a cyclist.

Particularly since it is not clear how much that cyclist was in fact partly responsible for the accident. It seems that the cyclist, a young inexperienced aspiring racer, was probably travelling on a downhill section of the road at a greater speed than that posted for cars.

Also, it should have been evident to the cyclist that a bicycle on skinny tires and limited traction/road handling and with inherently small brakes cannot maneuver or brake as fast as any car can in front of it.

Consequently, a bicycle should never be raced on a road shared with cars. In fact, when there are bicycle races, regular car traffic is never allowed with the exception of vehicles driven by specially trained drivers (for example, the official cars one sees during the Tour de France).

It seems that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Ile Notre-Dame is reserved at specific times so that aspiring and experienced bicycle racers can enjoy their activity/sport without endangering themselves.

All other form of speeding and racing on Montreal streets and boulevards should be banned and speeds, particularly on downhill stretches, should be monitored by the SPVM and fines levied as provided in bylaws.

It seems that the anti-car faction at City Hall took advantage of that one accident to ban through-traffic on the Mountain and thereby inconvenienced thousands, maybe as much as ten thousand, commuters everyday rather than issue a warning to bicyclists to control their speed.

Let us hope, that common sense will eventually prevail and that through-traffic on the Montain will be allowed again.

Closing the access to Mont Royal was a huge mistake. Not only did it cause severe traffic jams throughout the City, it also placed a burden on those whose only access to visit Mont-Royal, particularly the cemeteries, is by car. To think that closing access is a way to decrease carbon emissions is plain wrong when the result is causing people to drive greater distances and to spend even more time in their cars stuck in traffic.

I also noticed that the shoulder of the road, which is where cyclists ride, has been narrowed. Instead of having a wide buffer from what used to be relatively slow-moving cars, cyclists are now forced to move closer to the roadway which is now taken up by speeding tour buses. As tragic as the past accidents have been, the situation has not changed by restricting access as I witnessed a number illegal U-turns and other unexpected maneuvers by cars and some really large buses.

Probably the most disappointing aspect of the access closure is the cavalier attitude that the City's administration has taken towards its citizens in this matter. There seems to be a blatant disregard of what people really want which is less time spent in frustrating traffic jams and better access to the downtown core and other parts of the City. Yes, I am sure it is really nice to hear the birds chirping on Mont-Royal in the middle of the day but does it really have to be at the expense of car owners and those who want to have fluid access to different parts of the City.

I believe cutting off access to through traffic is a bad idea. I do not feel it is fair to disallow a large portion of citizens to be penalized due to the unfortunate poor decision of one driver that caused the death of a young cyclist. I used to go to the mountain every year. I would go to Beaver lake, the Chalet and the other look out tower, as well as the cross.. I would bring visitors from out of town, as I am proud of my city. I went once this year to bring my sister to Mt Royal cemetery and had a hard time trying to get there by cutting through Universite de Montreal. I did not go back again. I agree safety is a concern for cyclists, but a barrier would be more effective than limiting traffic the way it was done. I saw a news clip, where a cyclist almost got squished between a bus and a barrier. This tells me that the issue of safety was not been totally addressed.
The city of Montreal is already touting this a a success before they heard any input from citizens. This tells me that a decision has already been made regarding this situation. Will you actually listen to what people are saying or is this just a formality? Will the city release the financial impact of this decision. For sure there were fewer cars,. Was there a drop in parking revenue? were fewer people visiting Beaver Lake as well as the Chalet and Maison Smith.

I suggest installing a barrier to keep motorists and cyclists separated. Cyclist should also slow down. This way everyone could enjoy the mountain, as the mountain is for everyone.

I am an active cyclist and an active user of mont royal. The closure of the car traffic to the upper parking lots for those coming from the west is unreasonable. The lower parking lots are often full and makes access to the park very difficult from the west. At the same time, the cycling on camille houde has not improved as there is still car traffic from the east ( and back) making the shared space identical to before.
I find the summer closure of the car traffic between the lower and upper parking lots unreaonable and with result of keeping the beautiful park area inaccessible for more people living on the west of the mountain. There has been no benefit from this experiment, only inconvenience.

Kato Lone

Nice idea but badly executed so please don't continue it. It didn't work. Whoever said there were no traffic consequences in the rest of the city was deluding themselves. Bring in more speed bumps and better patrols to control the speed of drivers and cyclists - yes, cyclists speed too and they also need to be controlled. The mountain belongs to everyone, not just athletic cycling fanatics. Allow bus and car traffic over the mountain.

I feel the Rememberance Road and Camillien-Houde Parkway should be kept completely open. Closing it cuts
the city in half.

Living in NDG and often travelling to the Plateau Mont- Royal or Outremont this past summer was difficult.
With construction on both Dr. Penfield and Pine Aves traffic was forced to Sherbrooke St which was further plugged
with traffic. This made one think twice about going to the shops or restaurants of those neighborhoods.

I on many occasions, when I have visitors like to drive up to Smith House, park and then walk up to the look out.
Return to the car and carry on past the eastward lookout. It is a real highlight for tourists.
Cutting the parkway in two eliminates one part of this trip as I would not go to one side and drive around to the other.

My family is buried in the Mount Royal Cemetery and although I do not go there often ,the inconvenience of
having to travel over to Park Ave. to access it again makes me think twice about going. I am sure many other visitors to this cemetery and the Cote de Neiges one are much inconvenienced by this, especially as public transport is not that reliable.

I agree that the park should be preserved as naturally as possible. The City could enhance the Camillien-
Houde portion of the roadway. The shoulders on either side are very wide and could be rebuilt, even narrowed to
include a dedicated bike path as well as some trees. That way bikes and cars would be kept separate .
On the Rememberance portion of the road. The old part of the road has been left paved. This could also be
broken up and trees or flowers planted or also incorporated into a bike path.

Thank you for letting me give you my opinion.

I often walk along the chemin Olmstead from av du Parc to the Maison Smith, and sometimes I take the bus back along Camillien-Houde. During the entire time that Camille-Houde was closed, I did not see any difference in the number of cyclists on Olmstead; there were still as many as before. Similarly, I saw no difference in the number of cyclists on Camillien-Houde - there were just as few as before! And, just as before, there was a significant difference between them: the cyclists on Camillien-Houde were dressed in spandex "Cyclist" clothing, whereas the ones on Olmstead wore ordinary clothes.Although not a scientific study, this suggests strongly to me that the only ones to benefit from the closure were an elite group of cyclists. For the last majority of Montrealers, it was an inconvenience that disrupted daily commutes and family outings to one of Montreal's wonderful venues. The role of the mountain park in providing a free "natural" place to gather with family and friends is very important to many Montrealers, especially those who cannot afford to go out of town.
This whole conversation began because of a driver who didn't obey the rules and did an illegal U-turn. It seems to me that we could solve the problem by enforcing the existing rules and creating a significant enough barrier that U-turns could no longer be done.
Please don't make the mountain accessible primarily for the privileged and well-off people; we need it to be OUR mountain, in line with Olmstead's vision: a magnificent inner-city park that is accessible to all.

Please keep through traffic over the mountain.

Through traffic should be permitted on the mountain. Certainly Monday through Friday. Montreal roads are so congested and there is so much construction everywhere, that closing a through way, especially when some of the alternate routes are closed, caused tremendous delays on those few routes that were open this past summer.

I commute to and from work over the mountain, a time saving of 10-15 minutes each way every day vs the other options available. It is peaceful, there is very little traffic, and those of us that commute regularly are very aware of cyclists on the mountain.

It seems rather unfair to motorists, in this city of construction, road closures, potholes, bike lanes and other traffic causing problems, that a direct route be closed in order to further cater to cyclists. We are trying to get to our jobs!!
As a regular commuter, I would NEVER make a u-turn on the mountain, or endanger a cyclist.

Perhaps the mountain should be closed to cyclists who drive 60 kmh on their bikes, vs those of us in cars that drive the speed limit.

Instead of focusing on nonsense, why doesn't the municipal government focus on easing up traffic for the hundreds of thousands of workers trying to get to and from their jobs, and to perform their jobs, in motor vehicles?

Over the years I have seen some drivers making a number of illegal turns on the mountain - this seems to have been addressed by some of the new barriers and signs. There are only one or two particularly dangerous spots on the route, which make it difficult for cars and cyclists to coexist: Right at the top before the lookout (coming from Cote des Neiges). This needs to be addressed - perhaps widening the road and/or protecting the cyclists by way of a barrier.

I walk on the mountain for recreation and have never found cars to be a problem
I spent a miserable summer commuting - I sincerely hope that this does not become a permanent closure.
Based on what I have read, there were at least 4 times as many petitioners AGAINST the closure, than there were FOR it.
Why then, are we even still having this discussion?

There is not reason to close it. If you closed every road where there was an accident, there wouldn't be much left. It is also very inconvenient for access to the cemetery where my wife's parents are buried.

I completely disapprove the closing of Camilien-Houde and resent the way this change has been railroaded through our community. The area is less safe now than it was--I have seen many cars illegally parked near the lookout and very few pedestrians get that far--it is a CLIMB. Bicyclists are reckless as usual not paying attention to the few pedestrians who (ridiculously) are forced to share the bicyclists' marked-out routes. Effectively Montreal has closed this site to all citizens not fit enough to climb to the lookout--IT IS NOT A GOOD SITE FOR PEDESTRIANS and it is ridiculous to prioritize it as a pedestrian hike. The Mountain has glorious pedestrian hikes and walks that are infinitely safer and more beautiful. The hammocks at the lower end which are accessible to all, admittedly, I have yet to see occupied by anyone but a young person smoking a cigarette (or something else). The only way to prevent illegal u-turns at the lookout and illegal parking is to erect barriers for most of the way. I would not increase parking. I would institute mandatory slow driving there on weekends.
I want protection for the environment but this is not the way--to close it off.

Hello

I am pleased to be able to provide input into the consultation regarding the closing of the road over Mont Royal. I am totally opposed to this initiative. We tried several times over the summer and fall to drive to Mont Royal to go for a hike or a picnic and had to give up because there was so much traffic backed up to Cote des Neiges that we could not even reach the parking lots were which all full.

And, it was a huge problem for my grandchild who was going to the day camp at Smith House organized by the Amis de la montagne. Since his mother could not drive up to the parking lot outside Smith House she had to make him walk from the Beaver Lake parking lot and back every day when he was tired from his day at the day camp.

In the past I have enjoyed driving visitors to Montreal over Mont Royal and everyone loved the drive. What a loss for the city not to be able to show off this scenic drive.

This is a big mistake and hopefully it will not be continued next year.

Clare Cecchini

I think that "access" is a very good way to begin this discussion. It means many different things to many people.
We are discussing every Montrealer's backyard, that is why the discussion is so emotional for all.
A cyclist training for an upcoming race needs to practice on the Camillien Houde course, so should perhaps have some weekly times when that could be scheduled. But that does not have to close the entire passage from east to west for evermore. A separation between racers and cars should be established during the training months to solve this problem. Let us not think that recreational cyclists use the same route. They probably share the Olmstead road with walkers, which is also something a little education could teach us all. I don't really think most cyclists realize that they are perceived as aggressive while taking the olmstead road. I remember when bikes were
prevented from taking Olmstead road. It was very peaceful for all who chose to walk along the mountain.

I live very close to the mountain. I can stroll, ski or bike whenever I choose. But I feel like my mountain has been shut off to many by this pilot project. I feel for those who want to access the cemeteries, from east or west; for those who simply want to show our beautiful city to their out-of-town visitors, and for those who cannot physically make it to the summit on their own.

I also start each morning on my walk to work crossing 8 lanes of traffic, between Dr. Penfield and Côte de Neiges,
with an unplowed "islet" for which I have been calling 311 everytime it is not plowed, for the past 8 years. The traffic on Pine Avenue has increased in the summer during the closure, and the construction on Dr. Penfield and Peel has been very frustrating for visitors to the Montreal General. It is not always convenient to take public transit with your elderly mother or father to their appointments. The descent on Dr. Penfield opposite the sidewalk to the General, is very dangerous for pedestrians. I have witnessed drivers going through the red lights weekly as I try to cross the 8 lanes of traffic on my way to work.
The shutting of the mountain road will make this situation even more dangerous in the years to come, as Côte de neiges will be blocked by new reconstruction at the General, in the emergency entrance, and yet the traffic will increase during the summer, when construction work is done.

The road belongs to all people of Montreal which include the young and able and the older slower citizens too.
An online gathering of opinions excludes a huge operation of the city population and its likely only S small portion of Montrealers know about this online gathering of opinions.
Keep the road open! Central Park in NYC has roads open to cars that go from the West to East sides of the city and East to West.
A solution is to place a barrier along the side of the road for Montreal cyclists.

Our road is for all of us. The taxpayers and all people ought to have a formal vote.
Keep the road open.

There are ways to protect the cyclists that do NOT require barring through traffic. This is self evident.

My experience this summer was this: I have a weekly ritual where I come from the west side, and my friend comes from the east side. We meet at Maison Smith to walk for an hour. We were no longer able to do this because the east side was consistently being used and blocked to any traffic, forget about through traffic.

The city has conveniently started using the park as a rental, income generating place for any and all corporate events. There used to be families gathering on a Sunday - but all I saw this summer were corporate events. Was that the real reason the restriction?

It makes not sense to change an entire way of getting around in Montreal because of 100 cyclists.

You also mention how on the weekends the parking lots are full to capacity - I did not have this experience. I felt the mountain was sadly underused this summer.

And yes drivers are still making u-turns. Why has no one put up a barrier? It's simple no? Same for a designated and protected bike lane... you have done this in many other parts of the city... make it so on Camellien Houde.

To the Mayor:

I am a senior living in Côte des Neiges. I am writing to tell you what I think of the pilot project that closed Mount Royal this summer.

Although I am one of the fortunate few who can take the number 11 bus across the mountain, cutting the mountain in half has had negative consequences for me, as for many other citizens of all ages.

The mountain is the jewel of Montreal. We all have fond memories of greeting the dawn on the mountain after graduation ceremonies. We all love to take out-of-town visitors up Mount-Royal. Many people go up to visit family and friends who are buried in the cemetery. Walking on the mountain is a delight.

From June to October, Mount Royal was effectively closed. Whenever I went across on the bus, I saw cars doing U-turns (more dangerous, not less) and a few elite cyclists enjoying the emptiness.

In August, some friends and I planned a small memorial gathering in honour of a friend who had died in July. The mountain was her favourite place in Montreal. Getting a bunch of seniors who live on both sides of the mountain, several with disabilities and leaning on canes, up to the chalet was a ridiculous logistics exercise. Afterwards we went to a restaurant on the Plateau to toast her memory, and again it was very difficult and time-consuming.

The city seems to think that motorists only cross the mountain to save a few minutes (which they don’t, with the current construction mess and so many adjacent streets closed down) and race through. This is not true. My friends who have cars cross the mountain at the speed limit, often stopping to admire the gorgeous view at the lookout and say hello to the horses in the paddock near the police station. They tell me that driving across the mountain is the best part of their day, a peaceful pause in the busyness of their daily lives.

I hope you will consider my and many others’ comments and keep our beloved mountain open to everyone. There is surely a way to keep Mount Royal open to all – cyclists, pedestrians, motorists and bus riders – people of all ages.

Kathe Lieber

Côte des Neiges

leave the road over the mountain open year round.
Put many more speed limit signs in english and french.
Take down the horrendous structures that were put up in the summer they block the view.
This mountain park is our pride and joy.
I have lived in Montreal for 63 years and it is a part of my life in Montreal
it is my calm ride in the day
it is my meditative beauty minutes in my busy day
Dont block the lookout with that ugly structure.
You should be ashamed to block access to the cemetaries and memorials for all the families
and to try and section the city by closing the mountain road.
Shame on you Mayor Plante

I think it would be a good idea for the mayor to take into account that she only received the support of 21.9% of the population in the election - 51.39% of the 42.7% turnout.

Therefore, now that she is asking the opinion of the citizens on some of her policies perhaps she should go with the majority's thoughts - right now it seems as if the majority does NOT want to close the parkway.

Just a thought

Dear Sir or Madame,

I am writing to express my opposition to the closing of the Mount Royal traverse road to automobile traffic.
Reasons as follows:

1.You remove a vital scenic route to cross from one side of the city to another.

2. You adversely affect businesses in The Plateau, restaurants and shops, who would otherwise enjoy traffic from neighbourhoods such as Westmount, Cote des Neiges, Cot St. Luc and Hampstead. Our family has simply stopped shopping St. Laurent, Parc Ave. nor enjoying our favourite restaurants on that side of the mountain. Too much traffic to take an alternate route. By the way, we are too old to bike to dinner!!!!

3.. If speed is an issue, simply install some speed bumps that will control traffic.

4. We hear that not many cyclists are taking advantage of the closed route; Why cater to so few, and also to those who pay ZERO dollars fee (no license/registration for bikes) to use city streets paid for by taxpayers. That is definitely not right. it is as if the city is striving to rid itself of ALL cars. An impossible objective. We need autos to get us to and fro. Logic needed.

The closure of Mount Royal park to car traffic discouraged my family and me from visiting the park at all. We used to enjoy stopping in at Beaver Lake or one of the lookouts when driving west to east to shop or dine; now we don’t bother. We didn't bring our out-of-town visitors through the park where they could enjoy the lovely vistas and be inspired to return. It is, moreover, a major inconvenience to visit our family plot in Mount Royal Cemetery. I miss taking relaxing drives through the beautiful environment of the park, and feel that my access to this incredible resource has been severely diminished.

The creation of a scenic roadway, as proposed by Les amis de la montagne, is a far more inclusive approach than the one arbitrarily imposed by the City administration.

Closing the road limits access, regardless of what politician may claim.
A deficated bike path, bypassing the area of danger, where the road narrows and there is no shoulder, is the reasonable solution
Dr Ron Dimentberg

Cars should be able to access the mountain as they have been able to since before the pilot project. If we want to increase people's attachment to the mountain - make it as accessible as possible. Diverting traffic does not reduce car use - merely increases traffic elsewhere,.

As a cyclist, I welcome accessibility to the mountain by cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. A dedicated cycling lane is sufficient to ensure the safety of cyclists.