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

The closing of the roadway has done absolutely nothing to improve safety for anybody. Not cyclists, not pedestrians and not motorists. The roadway must remain open as a through-fare to allow full ingress and egress from its east and western sides. Further, the closure impedes access to the cemeteries. Common sense would dictate that the vast majority of visitors to the cemeteries are older and are not prone to riding bicycles.
The closure was a knee-jerk reaction by an anti-car municipal government that ignored the vast majority of opinions that the road remain open.
The majority have already spoken and the city should heed their strong opinion that the road should remain open.

The road across Mount Royal should remain open to all wishing to enjoy the mountain and its facilities. It is there for all Montrealers - young and old - able bodied and physically challenged. Speed limits should be enforced for both vehicle traffic AND CYCLISTS. Share the mountain - share the road.

Unacceptable to close access to cars across the mountain.

For those like myself and my neighbours on Hill Park Cirlcle, Blue Ridge Cres., Upper Trafalgar, Chemin Trafalgar, Ave Trafalgar, Ave. Highland, and Gage, we live at the foot of the mountain. The access is not a short-cut, it is the most efficient route east.

Closing of the mountain in the summer add 30-40 mins to a simple commute east requiring a detour, in traffic downtown. If one of the reasons to closing access is environmental, I believe the benefits have been negated with emissions while sitting in traffic.

Secondly, closing access has robbed me of enjoyment of the beautiful drive through the mountain. I do not cycle and penalizing drivers is discrimination.

In sections of Camillien Houde there are already centre concrete dividers, why not put dividers along the whole road where possible? It would slow traffic and prevent cyclists from crossing the double solid centre yellow line.

Thank you.

Dear sir/ madam

I wish to give my opinion on allowing through traffic across Mont Royal.
I very much believe that through traffic be allowed all year long.



I believe it is completely wrong to close it to motorists.
I love the mountain and the views.
I did not once go to Mont Royal over the period it was closed to through traffic.
I believe closing through traffic took away the privilege of many,many people to enjoy this beautiful place.

I believe the speed limit should be 30 km per hour and strictly enforced to both motorists and bicyclists.

I believe a barrier should be provided to separate cars from bicycles.

Thank you for allowing me to submit my opinion.

Yours truly
Linda Tennant

I am a 64 year old female who has grown up in the west end of Montreal. I have enjoyed the mountain since my childhood. I jog, bike, walk, drive, skate and ski on Mount Royal and have driven over the mountain for both tourism, sheer pleasure and for practical purposes. It is one of the best drives in the city. With respect to the lookout, accessing it from the east side is obviously much more difficult for those who live in the west. Montreal is a unique city in that it is inclusive, a city we admire but actually live in and use to its fullest and the mountain should reflects that. Closing the road creates sentiments of divisiveness (cars vs cyclists, rabid environmentalists, elite cyclist vs the rest of us, anti car etc etc.) whether intended or not. We should strive to maintain inclusiveness for all. Driving is a reality for many.

I believe the road across the mountain should remain open to cars as was in the past prior to the pilot project. The combined and safe use of it for cars and cyclists should be obtainable just as it is on other far more dangerous, narrow and congested roads in the city. Proper speed limits, signs, etc by urban planners along with enforcements by those in authority should be the next pilot. Try and see if those measures work before assuming they won’t.

Are there any interior trails on the mountain that could be developed for cyclists that could alleviate the need to ride on the road?

I do not consider myself to have sufficient expertise to address the specific questions in your survey but wanted to share my overall perspective.

Thank you for offering this opportunity.

Keep road open all year. Very inconvenient for people going to cemetery and in general crossing the mountain. the closing plan favours a seled fit few

I am against banning cars on the mountain road. I have accessibility problems and for me the only way to visit is via vehicle.This holds true for many other folks. I am not sure why the mountain should be a racing track for cycists? They should keep to the speed limit just like cars should. It is important to have enforcement of speed limits for cars and for anyone else sharing the road. This should apply to cyclers, cars, motorcycles, skate boards (latter should not use the road at all). Cyclists should have a registration plate so that reckless cyclists can be identified. This would apply to all of Montreal. The main problem in Montreal is a cavalier attitude of many drivers and cyclists and a complete lack of enforcement.

I suggest we create a traffic enforcement group. This does not have to be the regular police force as they should be dealing with other tasks. I know that this is a very unpopular suggestions and that is why politicians stay away from it.
The tickets that should be given any given day to irrate and irresponsible drivers would probably generate enough income to be self financing. Enforcement would solve the problems on the mountain.
Kind regards,

Heike Faerber

I am in favour of keeping the road open to through traffic for the following reasons:
1. The road is not really through the mountain, but peripheral to it, with two cemeteries on it's north side.
2.Accessing Mount Royal Cemetery from the west requires a circuitous route which is awkward for (often elderly) people visiting the cemetery. To suggest that people take a bus and get off at the cemetery gates is entirely impractical. Are disabled or the elderly then supposed to walk long distances from the gate to grave sites?
3. Coming from the west, if the cemetery is approached from Outremont, it requires driving past two hospitals and several schools, with all the resultant pollution and traffic jams. How does this keep the city freer from pollution?
4. The mountain is the place where many immigrant families can go to enjoy access to nature. If they come from the west, there is not adequate parking.
Are they supposed to take a bus with children, often elderly relatives, barbecue equipment etc. etc. so they can access the mountain?
5. In all the years I have crossed the mountain, I have rarely seen anyone speeding, but if that is a concern, then lower limits, speed bumps etc. can be installed.
6. Surely there are simple barriers that can be installed to prevent u-turns.
7. In the view of Fernandez and Plante we should all be cyclists and walkers. This is a highly impractical and unrealistic view. The needs and convenience of citizens with small children, of the elderly and disabled should take precedence over a small group of elite cyclists.
8. West and east Montreal should be encouraged to unite, not be cut off from each other on this important link.
9. Tourists driving from the west in order to go to the lookout have to take a circuitous route. How does this encourage visitors to enjoy our city?
I feel the city administration is making decisions which are ideological in nature, and do not answer the practical needs of citizens.

As a 74-year-old Montrealer who loves the mountain and uses it all-year round for walking and cross-country skiiing, I am very concerned about access being limited. I was very upset by the measures adopted during the trial run of the past summer that prevented my wife and I from taking our grandchildren to the mountain, since we live at opposite ends of the city and blocking through-passage made the trip too onerous, (especially since Wilder Penfield, and other streets) were closed for much of that time).

Certainly we need to promote safety and protect the pristine wilderness of the mountain, but nothing should be done that limits access to the mountain. These are not incompatible goals.

There is no need for an all-or-nothing approach to this issue. Compromises can make it work for all people.

Instead of an outright prohibition of cars (which are probably the most used access vehicles by families and older people) , why not create effective traffic calming conditions, like the following:

-- 40 kph speed limits, strictly enforced by speed cameras

-- removable speed bumps (removed only during bicycle races etc.)

-- removable concrete medians at all curves

-- putting several “strategic stop signs” on the straightaway sections of the road

--building raised sidewalks along both sides of the Camillien Houde slope to change the “highway look” to a more sedate look . Alternatively, some of the wider stretches could be made narrower – but not as narrow as the passage between the two cliffs near the apex of the road (Which should actually be widened to allow for a bike path)

--reconfiguring the entrances and exits to the parking lots at the Smith House.
Currently both the cars that are entering and leaving end up using the same road,
creating a huge potential for accidents as well as inevitable traffic jams.

--rebuilding a funicular near the lookout -- with parking lots at the bottom end.


I hope city hall will listen to those of us who love the mountain and not repeat the error of this past summer.

E. Raudsepp
61 rue Beaudoin
Montreal
H4C 3R2

The road should be completely open to all citizens at all times regardless of their mode of transport. There are very effective tools to keep speed down and safety as a top priority, such as speed bumps at strategic intervals and traffic cameras to catch violators whether they are cars breaking the rules, cyclists breaking the rules or jaywalkers breaking the rules. The law applies to ALL of us. The mountain is the heart of our city and the soul of its inhabitants. Nothing can survive for long without its heart and soul.

I strongly believe the Camillien- Houde Way/Remembrance Rd. Thoroughfare should be open to car traffic all year long. The mountain should be accessible to everyone including families with babies and small children and seniors who cannot walk a great distance. Let the bicyclists ride on a designated bicycle path!!!

I think that the issue is not the car traffic. The issue is how to make the road accessible for all people. Configure a thorough road that respects BOTH. Fix the root of the problem and not just symptoms. You do not fix a cavity by pulling out a tooth, you fix the cavity and take preventative measures to not have cavities. the current administration of the city pleaded democracy and transparency, that is at question on this topic.
People who use cars also want access to the beautiful mountain.

Our family was saddened and extremely angry that the pilot project , closing the mountain road to through traffic, was done without proper discussion.
The mountain is our city’s treasure!! Driving the mountain road is a breath of calm in a busy, vital city.
Closing this road created more confusion, congestion, aggravation and in fact made it more difficult for all members of our society to enjoy the mountain itself. What was once a special place for all to enjoy, became a place for only those who could deal with the challenges that arose because of the road closure.
Who suffered because of this decision by the government which is supposed to represent all people?....senior citizens, families who use the mountain green space , mourners visiting the cemetery, citizens with disabilities to name a few. Not to mention the citizens who dare to use private vehicles to navigate this beautiful city.
Should the rights of bikers take presidence over the rest of us?
I think not. The mountain is a treasure to ALL the citizens of our city..... the people our government is supposed to represent.

Road should never be closed to cars.

All bicycles should have lisences so that they can be identified and would be more accountable.
Money from lisences could be used to improve conditions for cyclists.

Currently there is no way to trace cyclists and there is no accountability.


More maps should be posted for walkers.


A free shuttle from Cote Des Neiges on one side and Rememberance Road e could alieve parking congestion on the weekend.

This is quite simply the nicest road in the city, perhaps the country. Keep it open to all, all the time.

The road should be open to all traffic at all times in both directions. I have always taken visitors to the city on this route - until now.

we have not returned to the mountain since the road closing. Too complicated. We are totally against the closing.

we have not returned to the mountain since the road closing. Too complicated. We are totally against the closing.

A park road is a thoroughfare that gives access to the park area.
Parking is adequate as long as all parking lots can be reached from either side of the mountain. Of course we liked it better before meters were installed, for esthetic reasons as well as cost.
Shuttles are a good idea, IF NEARBY alternative parking is available.
To be open to all people, road must not be closed in rhe middle. It must be open for all to enjoy.
Reduce the speed limit and monitor the traffic, including cyclists. Consider a long divider to prevent U turns at the Lookout.
Entrances are fine; maintain what’s there. Clear and welcoming signage would be very good.
Through additional signage and illustration, place more emphasis on importance of protecting fauna and flora.
Also more garbage cans.

The road that runs from Cote des Neiges to Mount Royal is what I consider the park road. It should be open at all times to allow residents and tourists easy access to the park, cemetaries and look outs. In my view its location on the side of the park land allows for access and does not impact any of the natural environment of the park.
Traffic can be controlled by lowering the speed limits, speed bumps or other such measures. I strongly disagree with closing any part of the road at any time.
Thank you,
H. Shaughnessy

Mount Royal is for ALL citizens of Montreal, and always has been. I always enjoyed walking on the Mountain and now I feel I don't have that freedom. The parking lot at Beaver Lake is always full and is very small. I always parked at Smith House and did my walk from there. But I am not circling all around the mountain to get in via Park Avenue. There are far more efficient ways to allow cars and bicycles on the mountain by simply creating a secure lane for the cyclists and enforcing the speed limit for cars. We have lost the ability to take family and friends for that beautiful drive over the mountain in the summertime just to ensure a few cyclists have the whole mountain to themselves. I believe this to be a move to satisfy a very few and I do not know how the City of Montreal can actually get away with this. We've all survived nicely in the past and we should all still be allowed to continue the enjoyment of the mountain.

The closure of the Camillien-Houde road over the mountain for cars was and is the most stupid idea that that I, as a Montrealer, have ever heard. It does not benefit anyone, least of all the residents of this great city and tourism.

The average bicyclist does not use this roadway (too steep), and the few 'advanced' riders that do, do not in any way comprise a significant enough number to warrant the closure.

KEEP THE ROAD OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND !

I fully support opening the road to cars-it gives us access to the mountain.

I believe that the Roadway should be left open during the entire year. Mt. Royal has been a staple on the landscape of Montreal. I even remember when they were blowing the road through the granite rock when I was five years old. I lived on Jeanne Mance and Pine Ave From 1950 to 1958 until the appropriation of the land my parents house was on , to build the over under pass of Pine Avenue and Park( which is now reversed back to what it was when I was a child ) . I have always been a great user of the mountain and I have appreciated its beauty and serenity. I have also enjoyed using the mountain as a quiet drive from the West End to the East End. This summer, I put off visiting many places on Saint Lawrence and in the Plateau has access along Pine Ave west was, frankly dangerous.
Another thing that has to be considered is the size of the road, which is more than adequate for both cars and bicycles. As a matter of fact it’s rather dangerous for hey cyclist coming down the east side of the mountain, as they gain speed and are out of control many times. Going up the mountain is difficult for anybody on a bike so obviously only those who are in maximum shape are able to sustain a ride. As a consequence of all this, why on earth are you encouraging anybody to you use a bicycle onthe steepness and difficulty of this road( have you ever seen the Bixi and the tourist trying to maneuver that incline) . Very dangerous for a cyclist even when there are no cars there. I don’t believe we are in the bicycle racing business so please heed your constituents and open the mountain all year round. Thank you very much

I fully support opening the road to cars-it gives us access to the mountain.