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

When over the years we have taken visitors to Mount Royal Park we have almost always transited the mountain on the way to other sights in the city. Stopping this traffic does nothing to make Montreal more appealing.

This has been the first summer in decades that we have not visited the mountain at all because of the inconvenience. We are both 77 years old and there is no way we could carry picnic materials on a bus.

All citizens regardless of age or physical condition should have the greatest access possible to our unique mountain park.

I think the road to cross over should be kept open all year. To reduce the speed, I suggest installing a couple of sets of cameras that can register speeding drivers (who can then be sent tickets). Why not set up a toll to charge $1? - and why not put it by the police station (I never see any cops there).

une idée pour réduire la vitesse en vélo: de courtes sections faites de pavés.

During 45 years of living in Montreal, I have enjoyed going to the mountain by car. I think it is important for ordinary people to have the pleasure of the scenery and fresh air and, at my age, going by car is the logical way. I do not think the mountain should be reserved for elite cyclists. When we receive visitors, it is important to be able to show them the mountain - both sides - to show them how the city has been built around the mountain. We are so fortunate to have this beautiful park which should be available to all.

1) Remembrance Road must be kept open to allow for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians/runners/joggers rto cross the mountain.
2) It must be configured to allow for safe space for each of these three modes of transportation.
3) Considration could be given to not allowing access to the road for trucks of a certain axle size
4) There needs to be strict enforcement of speed limits, STOP signs, road usage for ALL users
5) In order to prevent U-Turns there must be a way of allowing access to the eastern lookout for traffic coming both from the north and south, including traffic a traffic light.
6) Most buses using Camillien Houde are far from full; use a smaller electric powere bus as is the case for most European inner cities

Closing the road to vehicles, without consultation, was unacceptable and high-handed.
It made access to the cemetaries extremely difficult for all.
It made access to the mountain for "regular" families very burdensome and deprived them of this wonderful location thoughout the summer
It increased significantly vehicular carbon emissions caused by the traffic jams that resulted on the "alternate" routes around the mountain.

I feel the mountain should be for EVERYONE. I am a senior citizen who loves the mountain and the area around Beaver Lake, I bring my grandchildren and we have spend many a days there watching the fish and trying to find the biggest and the smallest, this year I did not go at all. VERY,VERY DISAPPOINTING. I want to go when I want to go. DO NOT BAN CARS. There is other ways, change the speed, do other changes to make EVERYONE safe. I need to visit both cemeteries, it does my heart good to go there and visit my family in both cemeteries and I could not this summer it was one or the other, already complicated because of the road closure it was just too much. PLEASE open the mountain to everyone at ALL times..

My opinion is to keep the access roads open

Thank you

Joanabbey Sack

My opinion is to keep the access roads open

Thank you

Joanabbey Sack

I do not support closing Mont Royal to through traffic at any time of the year. The route is an important link between western and eastern Montreal, and alternate routes are lengthy and may sometimes be unavailable because of construction. During the 2018 closure of the route, I no longer went to restaurants or businesses on the "other side of the mountain" as often as I did before because it took an inordinate amount of time to get there. It would be important to take this economic impact into consideration.

I do not think that the road closure made Mont Royal more attractive or more accessible for recreational purposes. I am a born and bred Montrealer who has used the mountain for many decades, and there was no problem getting there either by bike, bus or car prior to the trial closure in 2018. If there is a concern over safety, then a reasonable speed limit should be imposed for cars, and cyclists should have a protected bike lane. It makes no sense to have traffic coming up both sides of the mountain, only to get stuck in the middle. This doesn't address the issue of safety and in fact results in congestion, frustration when no parking is available, and dangerous driving. Parking should be made available where possible at the foot of the mountain, and shuttles could be provided for access to Beaver Lake. This would help reduce congestion, and does not preclude through traffic. These shuttles could leave from nearby Metro stations, and ideally should be free of charge.

I do not think that any particular group needs to be protected as a priority. It is entirely possible for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to share the mountain safely. I do not think that any future road closures should be imposed. I think that this is a matter not just for consultation but for a referendum so that all citizens can be heard.

I have lived in Montreal for only 25 years, but have enjoyed the city for all that time. It's a wonderful city, with many strong features. Before moving here, I had lived in several other Canadian cities, and visited many striking cities in other countries. While all of those places were also memorable in their own ways, Montreal has the unique advantage of being built around a mountain, with beautiful parks open to the public. I am grateful to the leaders of the past for their foresight many years ago in developing these parks and keeping them available for the citizens. A few times annually during my time here my partner and I have travelled over the mountain, often stopping to enjoy walks in the parks, and each time that friends and family have visited we always made sure to travel that route so they, too, could enjoy the beautiful views. I think it is a terrible shame that some of our city leaders have lately chosen to force their opinions on the majority of Montrealers who want to be able to continue having access to driving the entire route over the mountain. On the last couple of days before the road was closed for the summer I drove from one side to the other for that final opportunity to witness this beauty, and I counted 2 cyclists peddling westwards and 6 going to the east. This seems extremely unfair, penalizing those in cars for the sake of those few extreme riders who could just as easily do their training beside the river on the existing bicycle paths where cars and pedestrians are forbidden. During those final drives of mine, those on bikes were normally travelling faster than most of the cars, more intent on their exercising than on enjoying the beautiful scenery they were passing through. While I applaud those healthy young people who want to keep their bodies in good shape, I don't think most of us should be forbidden to use the mountain by driving - so many of us are older and unable to power a bicycle up the mountain or control it safely while going down. Can our elected leaders not consider the opinions and feelings of the majority of those of us they are supposed to be leading, and recognize that their ideas are not necessarily what Montrealers want? I think it is for the good of our citizens that the road crossing the mountain be kept open for cars, though not necessarily for delivery trucks, for the entire length. There have been many suggestions for separating bicycle users safely from automobiles, and I believe that our leaders are intelligent enough to build on them without forbidding most of us who want to be able to continue enjoying this wonderful experience.

I do not think walkers, bikers, cars, public transit or tourist buses should be denied the right to pass over the mountain at anytime of the year (as a driver and a senior, I felt the pleasure of the mountain was "stolen" from me for the 5 best outdoor months of this year). There needs to be more EQUAL consideration of ALL these people and CLEAR guidelines developed and CLEARLY communicated that will insure safe and respectful travel for all.

Can an appropriated bike lane be painted totally green instead of just a line? It would draw more attention to it, plus symbolize a good environmental choice by its colour.
Bikes should be licensed, which would create more revenue for establishing lanes. Clear rules for cyclists in the city desperately need to be established and clearly communicated to ALL residents...and should be enforced, with fines for cyclists not abiding by them, just as for automobile drivers. Licenses for bikers AND bikes...more revenue, plus safer for all.

Environmentally, what is the truly scientific way to measure and compare pollution on the mountain? If pollution fumes rise rather than fall, more damage is done to the mountain by going the further distance at the bottom of the mountain.
If one drives across the mountain, it is a shorter distance than having to drive around it plus less idling with the congested traffic all around it.

Thank you and trusting that this consultation opportunity will result in due diligence for finding a much better solution for ALL in sharing our beloved mountain..

The complete road should be accessible by all Montrealers. It should not be reserved for bikers only. Many people need access by car and many others enjoy the scenery of the drive over the mountain. The drive over the mountain is a great way to show the beauty of the mountain and the city to friends from out of town.

I do not find it acceptable to ban through traffic to any means of transportation.

Issues of safety arise in all corners of the city. To determine that the road is not safe because one driver made an illegal u-turn causing the tragic death of a cyclist is not a fair statement. Careless behaviour comes from drivers of cars, riders of bikes as well as pedestrians. Steps can be made so that u-turns cannot be made such as barriers. As well, intersections can be created in certain spots if need be.

Closing the road to cars only helps a few elite cyclists. Families are not cycling their with their children, or walking along side the road. Perhaps it would be better if you are going to make new paths, to make a new path for cyclists, not motorists. For the U turn continue the physical barrier as far as it need be. Use some more traffic calming measures to slow traffic.

Improving public transit to the mountain would help with traffic: have buses that leave from metro stations and do not require transferring to another bus; have multiple bus lines that do this from different parts of the city (not just one); have this year-round, not just in the summer; have shuttles from metro stations that go directly to the mountain. Better public transit over the mountain could also help cut down through-traffic.

Accept that people do still need to drive cars to the Mountain and that this is part of universal access for older folks and others with mobility challenges. It is a hill; walking or cycling up it is simply not an option for many people in our city. Families with children wanting to do something other than stroll on the Mountain also need ways to get themselves and their gear (skates, sleds, skis, coolers for picnics) there, and public transit is simply not a realistic option.

Accept that people do need to drive over the Mountain. That route is not only for cyclists, who are also using it as an east-west axis for transportation, not just as a way to exercise (which is something that hasn't been mentioned very much). I don't see a conflict with having that road run through the park and being used by both cars and cyclists. Explore the obvious traffic calming measures that many of us have already proposed: much lower speed limits for cars AND cyclists; traffic lights if they won't cause back-ups on the major roads leading to Remembrance and Camillien-Houde (commission a traffic study); have a visible, consistent police presence and ticket speeding cars, cyclists and jaywalkers so that people know they need to respect the new measures. We have all shared this space for many years: we can work together to continue to do so. Think creatively rather than banning all personal vehicles, which is extreme and reactionary.

The "reason" for this ban has never been clear: first it was stated as being in reaction to the death of a cyclist and then, when the public proposed traffic calming measures, it switched to being a question of the mountain being a park. There has also been a lot of comparison to Central Park. We are not NYC, with streets completely surrounding Central Park; you can park on the street 6 feet from the multiple entrances to that park and there are subway stations within 10-minutes' walking distance. It is much more accessible by public transit, and driving into and parking in Central Park is simply not necessary, unlike the situation with Mount Royal. NYC also has multiple east-west routes through the city, unlike Montreal. Closing the remaining routes through Central Park to cars driving through the park did not have the impact on the surrounding grid in the same way that closing the Mountain to cars did here. The 2008 report suggesting we do this in Montreal is out of date and does not reflect the current road situation in Montreal in terms of numbers of cars on the road, number of functioning buses on the road (fewer in 2017 than 2012, according to the latest report), and the construction situation. Referring to it as support for the decision to close the road to cars is meaningless.

The closure this summer/fall was weighted towards months when there are fewer people driving over and around the Mountain (and that includes all of the surrounding Hampstead, CDN, Westmount, Mile End and McGill/downtown areas). Three months were in the summer and only two were in the fall. Regular traffic doesn't resume until after Labour Day. Why the study didn't include 3 months in the fall so that there was equal representation of light and normal traffic situations needs to be asked of the people who designed this project. This summer bias needs to be taken into account statistically when the data are evaluated and interpreted. Please ensure that this happens. Thank you.

All vehicles, except public transport vehicles, should be banned from the road between Beaver Lake and Smith house. Failing that, there should be an unobtrusive, electronic toll on vehicles transiting that road with no discounts for multiple trips. (SEPAQ charges $8.50 per car for entry into provincial parks so why should access to Mount Royal park cost less?)
Everyone is in favour of protecting the environment until it causes them some inconvenience.

I think it is foolish to not allow access to traverse the mountain. It makes getting to both cemeteries extremely difficult for elderly and people with limited mobility.
It’s a beautiful drive and one that I always take visitors from out of town on.
Why should only elite cyclists have access to this beatiful expansé of road. 100% opposed

In the summer, I visit the Mont-Royal Cemetery 2-3 times a week. I drive to the top of the mountain to see my brother and my father, buried there since 1989 and 2011 respectively. There is no other way to get to the top but to go by car. I derive no pleasure for this is always a sad, reflective time.
I emphasize again that there is no other way to see my dear departed family members. Neither my mother nor I am fit enough to bike or walk. We actually walked up once and it was brutally exhausting.
This road can also serve as an emergency thoroughfare when the city decides to shut down every west-east street (summer 2018), creating chaos and increasing car idling fumes.
Stop making decisions that only work for the under 50 citizens. In case you haven't paid attention to the latest Can Stats, there are more people over the age of 60 and the population continues to age. That means we need cars to get around, so don't eliminate roads and parking spots. This isn't why I'm paying hefty taxes to the City of Montreal.

1) MOTORISTS :
As a motorist, I use the Camilien Houde road (CH) to cross east-west constantly and I enjoy that moment of tranquillity in a busy day; and as a motorist I maintain I have a right to use C.H. for that purpose since it was built for that purpose - If our forefathers wanted to reserve it for bikes they would have built a bike path alone

(2)CYCLISTS :
I am also a cyclist but I never use CH on bike , not even during the Pilot Project , because CH was not safe before and it was still not safe during the pilot project- what makes me feel safe on a bike is a physical concrete barrier between me and the cars ( it could be a wide curb or a sidewalk) like the bike path on Cote-St-Catherine- this is what they should do on CH - For clarity: a painted line on the floor is not enough to make me feel safe as a cyclist -

(3) ENVIRONMENT :
Some say that Mayor Plante wants to reduce car emissions by blocking the CH for crossings but the opposite is happening as cars take a longer route through heavy traffic to deviate and this hence creates more pollution , not less

(4) WRONG JURISDICTION :
Reducing automobile use should be done at the Federal level through gas taxes and carbon taxes, electric incentives , etc , NOT at the microscopic local level by just antagonizing a few motorists who are exercising their traditional right to cross the mountain. Some day in the not so distant future there will only be electric cars crossing that mountain because that's the only cars that will exist

(5) TRANQUILITY :
Some say that eliminating cars crossing east-west is to make the mountain park more tranquil- I have used the park may many times for pic-nics near the Beaver lake and I don't even hear the cars. There are no pedestrians crossing between the cemetery and the park because of the tall cemetery fence hence the traffic bothers no-one - so it seems, the only result of the pilot project was to reduce the number of actual users at the park

(6) COMPROMISES :
if we must absolutely change things then I would reduce the speed of the cars that are crossing the CH and I would enforce this with the most effective tool that I know , which is the camera system to monitor speed. But crossing from one side to the other should continue to remain legal

(7) AS A LAST RESORT :
Another idea which was presented by me and printed by the Montreal Gazette is to have the cul-de-sac rule in effect only on weekends and statutory holidays ; as a motorist I don't mind doing the longer route to cross to the other side on weekends since Pine or Cote-des-Neiges are much lighter in traffic on those days and hence less time is lost in traffic and less pollution than when trying to circumnavigate the mountain during weekdays .

(8) INFORMAL POLL :
in 2018 I have asked everyone I meet if they are in favour of the cul-de-sac as a permanent measure ( over 200 people so far) and have not yet met one person in favour of that - hence I disagree with our Mayor when she declared the Pilot Project a "Total Success" - this is not being honest with the people she represents .


Thank you Sabino Grassi- resident of Outremont

My main concern is to make sure that access to both areas of the mountain (Beaver Lake and Smith House) are accessible to everyone. The closures this summer made it really difficult for traffic from the West to access Smith House parking lot (unless you took a long detour) and those from the East to access Beaver Lake. There is the old road from Beaver Lake parking lot to Smith House parking lot. I suggest that the city re-design that road so that cars can go from Beaver Lake to Smith House parking lots and return. The closure this summer made this impossible and thus people with limited mobility were prevented from either going to the Mont Royal lookout and chalet or Beaver Lake. You could make this new internal road 20 km/hour and other measures like speed bumps to slow down traffic. It is also really windy to get from Beaver Lake, for example, through Smith House parking lot then past several stop signs to traverse the mountain via Camilien Houde. A little creativity, please, so that both sides of the city can park in either parking lot and use the mountain for walking, skating, skiing and snowshoeing. Thank you.

Je roule en vélo l'année longue, neige, pluie, grêlene peuvent me décourager.
Je suis 100% contre la fermeture de la route Camilien Houde.
Tout le monde devrait avoir accès à la montagne.

Je crois que le problème avec automobiles et cyclistes devrait être amélioré par éducation.
Les routes de Montréal devrait être partagé, toutes les routes, il y a de la place pour les cyclistes, les motos, et les automobilistes.
On a besoin d'un meilleur éducations. Les rues de Montréal ne sont pas sécure en bicyclette.

Il y a un nouveau loin obligeant minimum d'un mètre d'espace pour un cycliste. Je n'ai jamais vue cette loi enforcer.
Donner plus de contraventions aux cyclistes ne sauvera pas des vies.

I believe the Camilien Houde road serves Montreal’s community better if it is closed off to motorist as it was this summer. Cars are prevalent throughout the city and I think that the mountain is a place where thy should not be allowed to go.
As the Arcade Fire song day:
“We know a place where no planes go
We know a place where no ships go
No cars go
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know
We know a place no spaceships go
We know a place where no subs go
No cars go
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know
Us kids know
(Hey!) No cars go
Where we know
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
Between the click of the light and the start of the dream
I don't want any pushing, and I don't want any shoving
We're gonna do this in an orderly manner
Women and children!
Women and children!
Women and children, let's go!
Old folks, let's go!
Babies needing cribs, let's go!”

Camilien-Houde and Mont-Royal,
No cars go!