montréal Parc du Mont-Royal - Discussion générale

[Le Roach]

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/aujourd-hui-l-histoire/segments/entrevue/460840/mont-royal-montreal-olmsted

 

[mtlurb]

Opinion: Our beloved mountain deserves better

As landscape architect, I worked 23 years on Mount Royal. The city's latest plan does a disservice to Frederick Law Olmsted's vision.

Published Nov 02, 2023  •  5 minute read

 

 An artist's rendition of the new Camillien-Houde Way. Imagine cyclists descending at high speed and suddenly coming face to face with children crossing the road, Daniel Chartier writes. Photo by City of Montreal

The renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed New York’s Central Park, Boston’s Emerald Necklace and a great number of other parks across North America whose outstanding qualities are celebrated.

In 1881, several years after preparing the design plan for Mount Royal Park, Olmsted wrote and published a report — “Mount Royal, Montreal” — to instruct the ”owners of the mountain,” as he called the people of Montreal, and expand on his design vision, which was explained in great detail.

Olmsted believed that creating a park on the mountain for the sole purpose of providing fresh air and a space for exercise would be a waste of such a precious site. Instead, he took the “genius of place” as the key to his plan and proposed enhancing the unique character and scenery of different sections of the mountain and making them accessible via an extensive network of carriage roads and pathways.

The winding promenade he carefully designed to and from Mount Royal’s summit aimed to create a sequence of accessible and restorative spaces that would make Montreal’s modest mountain seem more vast and majestic. Ultimately, he wanted to create landscape experiences that would touch the soul of each visitor through the pervading charm of natural scenery carefully enhanced by landscape art.

In terms of use, Olmsted’s report recommended that every detail be suitable for the weak and the poor so that everyone — not only healthy and the rich — would be able to enjoy the mountain.

Pathways should be smooth and gentle, with slopes not exceeding two per cent; the park should be designed for the largest segment of the population; and no part of the mountain should be reserved for any select group of citizens.

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His report was visionary at the time and remains relevant today.

In recent weeks, municipal voices and their allies have claimed that turning Camillien-Houde Way into a steep pedestrian pathway and cycling road would be the way to highlight Olmsted’s heritage.

Really?

There are numerous long stretches along Camillien-Houde that exceed a 10-per-cent slope, which is beyond the maximum recommended for universal access. That means only a small portion of the population could successfully ride a bicycle to the  summit — and fewer yet with an unassisted Bixi.

Riding downhill could also be extremely hazardous given the steep inclines that entice cyclists to travel at high speeds, for some as a reward after a tough climb.

In 2017, a cyclist was killed after colliding with the back of a vehicle whose driver was attempting an illegal U-turn. Imagine a peloton of cyclists descending at high speed and suddenly coming face to face with an exhausted cyclist zigzagging up the same pathway — a typical method of reducing the steepness of the climb — or a group of children crossing the road to reach the other side.

Then there are the potential collisions with trees, rocks or emergency vehicles that could cause serious injury or worse.

 

 In announcing the proposed changes to Camillien-Houde Way, Mayor Valérie Plante was quick to thank cycling groups for their support, notes Daniel Chartier. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette

There was something notable about Mayor Valérie Plante’s news conference in which she announced — not for the first time — her administration’s plan to revamp Camillien-Houde and ban cars from crossing the mountain:

Among the first groups she thanked for their support were cycling organizations, including the Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for competitive events like the UCI Road World Championships to be held in Montreal over eight days in September 2026.

It’s not surprising that cycling groups would be supportive. But what would Olmsted say about a plan that stands to consolidate Mount Royal as a spot for elite training and competitions reserved for a select group of citizens and outsiders?

Also notable: Camillien-Houde was built on an old tramway route that took pedestrians from Park Ave. to the Smith House and the heart of Mount Royal Park. This century-long public transportation to the park’s recreative areas and facilities dedicated to family activities and sports will no longer be available from the east if the city’s proposal goes forward as presented.

According to what we know of the plan, vehicular traffic from the east — including public transportation and tourist buses — will have to detour around the mountain to access the heart of Mount Royal via the newly redesigned Côte-des-Neiges / Remembrance Rd. intersection. Was this sector planned accordingly to deal with the extra traffic?

The evolution of Camillien-Houde / Remembrance Rd. to offer better access from the east was masterfully documented by historian Denise Caron in her study “Le chemin de la montagne,” which was included among the background materials made available during public consultations by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM).

The consultations — apparently the second-most attended in the history of Montreal, with more than 13,000 citizens participating — were called following a public outcry over the Plante administration’s first attempt to block through traffic on Mount Royal as part of a pilot project in the summer of 2018.

The main recommendation to emerge from the consultations was that the through road should be maintained, but made slimmer, greener, slower and more scenic. The OCPM added that it should be in harmony with Olmsted’s vision, something that could be seen as a “global and democratic work of art.”

Five years later, the City of Montreal is defending a project that disregards both the main recommendation of the vast public consultations and certain fundamental principles of Olmsted’s vision.

Before moving forward with a project that favours the Lycra crowd, the city should clearly and publicly demonstrate how its version is better than the vision favoured by the general public — the ”owners of the mountain,” in Olmsted’s words.

Every issue touching Mount Royal and the surrounding area — security, public use, public transit, traffic, legacy, design principles, and more — should be presented in a side-by-side comparison.

It’s the least we can do for the legacy of Olmsted and the future of our beloved mountain.

Daniel Chartier is a landscape architect dedicated to environmental causes. He worked 23 years exclusively on Mount Royal for the City of Montreal and served 18 years with the Olmsted Network, dedicated to championing Olmsted parks, places and principles. The 2012 Prix du Mont-Royal acknowledges his contribution to the mountain. He lives in Montreal.

https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/opinion-our-beloved-mountain-deserves-better

[mtlurb]

Mount Royal: Montreal was warned car ban would reduce accessibility

Six months before Mayor Valérie Plante announced Camillien-Houde Way's revamp, her administration was also cautioned about a 95-year-old legal document that could throw a wrench into the plan.

Published Nov 24, 2023  •  Last updated 4 days ago  •  7 minute read

 

A motorist, a cyclist and a runner share Camillien-Houde Way heading up Mount Royal on Thursday November 23, 2023. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Before announcing it will permanently ban car access to Mount Royal from the east, the Plante administration was warned such a scheme would decrease accessibility and cause thousands of people to drive up to an extra 12 minutes every day.

The city of Montreal was also cautioned that a 95-year-old legal document could throw a wrench into any attempt to shut Camillien-Houde Way to reduce through traffic on the mountain.

The warnings were given to the city in a March 2023 traffic management study by engineering company CIMA+, obtained by the Montreal Gazette via an access-to-information request.

Six months later, Mayor Valérie Plante announced Montreal would completely shut Camillien-Houde to cars, the roadway replaced with space for pedestrians, cyclists and buses.

A road with two names bisects Mount Royal.

From the east, drivers arrive via Camillien-Houde, which begins at Mont-Royal Ave. in Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. From the west, drivers take Remembrance Rd., which begins at Côte-des-Neiges Rd.

Camillien-Houde and Remembrance meet near the top of the mountain at Smith House, a park hub.

Under the city’s plan, Remembrance will become the only road for drivers heading to Mount Royal’s attractions.

The CIMA+ document provides a detailed look at the options Montreal considered behind closed doors before deciding on its plan.

 

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announces the redesign of Camillien-Houde Way on Sept. 13, 2023.Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette

A recreational oasis

Plante has been looking to reduce the number of vehicles on Mount Royal since 2017 when cyclist Clément Ouimet died after his bike struck the rear door of an SUV making a U-turn on Camillien-Houde.

Drivers should not be using the roads as a shortcut to reach other parts of the city, she says. Any vehicles on the mountain should be there to reach parking lots so they can enjoy the mountain.

Flora and fauna should be the focus, with the mountain treated as a recreational oasis that’s safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists, the Plante administration says.

During the summer, an estimated 1,000 cyclists per day use Camillien-Houde.

In 2019, Montreal’s consultation office was sharply critical of a 2018 city pilot project that banned through traffic. The rebuke came after the most popular consultation ever held by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal, with 12,000 people taking part.

The OCPM recommended car traffic be maintained on Camillien-Houde and Remembrance, with the roads transformed into a slow-moving, tree-lined scenic drive “to enhance the Mount Royal experience and the discovery of its landscape, natural and cultural heritage while reducing and discouraging through traffic.”

$91-million overhaul

Four years later, in September 2023, Plante ignored the OCPM’s recommendations.

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By 2027, the road will be turned into a pedestrian promenade and bike lane as part of a $91-million overhaul, with the Camillien-Houde portion set to cost $38 million. Plante promised improved bus and adapted transit services. Emergency vehicles will be allowed on the new bike path.

“The mountain will no longer be a shortcut, but it will remain an international-calibre destination,” Plante said at the announcement.

The plan may “shake up some habits” among drivers, but it will improve air quality, preserve biodiversity and enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, she said.

 

The city of Montreal plans to close Camillien-Houde Way to cars, leaving Remembrance Rd. as the only way to reach mountain attractions by car. Source: CIMA+

The project was applauded by environmental groups, which called it a “courageous and, above all, coherent move.” Critics, including a group representing people with disabilities, argue it will reduce mountain accessibility.

The scenario Plante chose is one of four CIMA+ analyzed in its 87-page report.

By eliminating car traffic on Camillien-Houde, the mountain would be made safer for cyclists and pedestrians, both on Camillien-Houde and Remembrance, the company concluded.

On the other hand, the measure would “reduce accessibility” to the mountain, the report says. Mountain visitors coming from the east in cars would have to circumvent Mount Royal, driving to Côte-des-Neiges to reach Remembrance. The detour is about five kilometres long.

The study does not estimate how many people would be affected.

Another consequence: drivers who currently use the road as a shortcut would have to take alternative routes that will add up to 12 minutes of driving time, the report said.

Using figures from 2018, CIMA+ said Camillien-Houde is used by about 10,000 cars on weekdays and 7,700 on weekends. Much of that is through traffic — 8,500 cars on weekdays and 3,400 on Saturdays and Sundays.

That means, with Camillien-Houde closed, almost 50,000 car trips per week will take the five-kilometre detour, adding traffic to streets such as Pine Ave. and Côte-Ste-Catherine Rd., both of which circumvent the mountain.

CIMA+ estimates detours will add 10 to 12 minutes to trips at rush hour, with drivers diverted to Outremont, Côte-des-Neiges and downtown streets.

 

Cars drive on Camillien-Houde Way on Mount Royal on Thursday November 23, 2023. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Cemetery activities ‘disrupted’

CIMA+ also warned that eliminating through traffic could “disrupt activities, particularly funeral processions” at the two cemeteries on the mountain — Notre-Dame-des-Neiges and Mount Royal Cemetery.

In the case of Mount Royal Cemetery, an agreement dating from 1928 with the city of Montreal “guarantees access from the road for vehicles coming from the east or west,” CIMA+ noted.

“Users of the cemetery (visitors and processions) must be able to travel on the axis at all times and arrive from the east and west.”

CIMA+ raises the prospect of that agreement being revised “to limit this privilege to certain specific users (for example, processions or maintenance).”

Mount Royal Cemetery has long been vocal in its opposition to a ban on through traffic.

It says Plante’s latest plan could discourage cemetery visitors because of extra travel time.

“In essence, this will reduce access to the mountain,” cemetery general manager Maxime Jacques told the Gazette in September. He said he’s also worried through traffic will use roads within the cemetery as detours, endangering visitors.

Though it doesn’t have a similar agreement, neighbouring Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery would face similar accessibility issues, CIMA+ said.

 

An artist’s rendition of the pedestrian and bike paths that will replace Camillien-Houde Way. Source: City of Montreal

The history of Camillien-Houde is intertwined with that of Mount Royal Cemetery.

In the 1920s, Montreal swapped land with the cemetery as it expanded Mount Royal Park and developed plans for a tramway on the mountain.

In 1928, the two parties signed a notarized agreement.

It says Mount Royal Cemetery “shall have the right of way and access to the new road and tramway line at any points the Cemetery Company may from time to time request, with the proviso that the use of the roadway shall at all times be free to the Company for any service which it may require,” according to a cemetery document submitted to the city in 2018.

Montreal was eager to improve access to the mountain from the east, first by public transit, then by car.

When the tramway opened in July 1930, the Gazette said it was “expected to (become) one of (the city’s) most popular scenic routes as well as providing easy access to the top of Mount Royal.”

In 1958, cars took over. The tramway was gone, replaced by a concrete-and-asphalt parkway billed as a scenic drive — Camillien-Houde Way. It was built as part of a major Mount Royal Park revamp that included new parking lots and a restaurant at Beaver Lake.

The cemetery has said its “rights of access and passage” were reaffirmed during the construction of the road.

The CIMA+ report includes three other scenarios to reduce through traffic, all of which have pros and cons:

Stopping cars midway

 

One of the options considered would have blocked cars midway, blocking through traffic. Source: CIMA+

Similar to the 2018 pilot project, cars would be blocked from crossing the mountain.

Those arriving on Camillien-Houde would have to turn back and take the same road to leave. The same would apply to Remembrance. Cyclists, pedestrians and buses would be allowed to cross the mountain.

This scenario would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians and significantly reduce the number of cars on the mountain, but accessibility would be curtailed, CIMA+ said.

Cutting through traffic in half

 

One scenario would have turned Camillien-Houde Way into a one-way street westward. Source: CIMA+

Camillien-Houde would become a one-way road westward for both through traffic and drivers heading to mountain attractions.

Drivers arriving on Remembrance would only be able to reach Smith House. Blocked from reaching Camillien-Houde, they would have to leave via Remembrance. Drivers coming from the Plateau would also have to leave the mountain via Remembrance.

This scenario would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, eliminate half of through traffic and reduce the number of cars on Camillien-Houde, CIMA+ found.

Mountain accessibility would be maintained, but turning Camillien-Houde into a one-way road could cause confusion, the report said.

Flexible access

Access to the mountain could change depending on the season, the time of day or whether it’s a weekday or a weekend, CIMA+ said.

Such a system could see Camillien-Houde and Remembrance partially or completely closed to car traffic at certain points.

This would allow authorities to maintain accessibility but cut car use at times when cyclist traffic is high. However, “the variability of traffic patterns could lead to confusion,” CIMA+ found.

ariga@postmedia.com

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/mount-royal-montreal-was-warned-car-ban-would-reduce-accessibility

[mtlurb]

Mount Royal Cemetery threatens legal action over car ban

“By deciding to permanently close the Camillien-Houde route, the city is acting illegally and contravening the rights of (the cemetery) as well as its contractual obligations.”

Published Nov 27, 2023  •  Last updated 6 hours ago  •  3 minute read

 

Cars drive on Camilien-Houde Way on Mount Royal in Montreal, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Mount Royal Cemetery says Montreal’s plan to close the mountain to car access from the east is illegal and contravenes a 1928 agreement between the cemetery and the city.

The cemetery sent a lawyer’s letter to the city in September, a week before Mayor Valérie Plante announced that Montreal will close Camillien-Houde Way to car traffic in 2027.

“Inevitably, the closure of the Camillien-Houde route will cause major harm and significant damage to our client,” the cemetery’s lawyers said in the Sept. 8 letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Montreal Gazette.

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“More particularly, this closure will undoubtedly have the effect of diverting transit traffic towards the cemetery access road, which would notably damage cemetery roads, harm the tranquillity of the premises, cause significant inconvenience and endanger the health and safety of customers, users and visitors as well as employees.”

The lawyers added: “By deciding to permanently close the Camillien-Houde route, the city is acting illegally and contravening the rights of our client as well as its contractual obligations.”

The cemetery learned of the plan in August during a meeting with the city.

Until then, it hoped Plante would allow car traffic to continue on Camillien-Houde, as recommended by Montreal’s public consultation office in 2019, the lawyers said.

But under the city’s plan, paths for pedestrians and cyclists will replace the Camillien-Houde roadway.

Last week, the Gazette revealed that Montreal was warned in March that the project would reduce accessibility and that the legal agreement with the cemetery could throw a wrench in the plan.

The warnings were in a March 2023 city-commissioned traffic management study by engineering company CIMA+.

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In the 1920s, Montreal swapped land with the cemetery as it expanded Mount Royal Park and developed plans for a tramway along the route that eventually became the Camillien-Houde roadway.

The deal included a notarized document allowing the cemetery access to the right of way in perpetuity.

“An agreement dating from 1928 with the city of Montreal guarantees (the cemetery) access from the road for vehicles coming from the east or west,” the CIMA+ report said.

Though it doesn’t have a similar agreement, neighbouring Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery would also face accessibility issues, CIMA+ said.

In the letter, the cemetery’s lawyers gave the city 10 days to confirm “it will respect (the cemetery’s) rights of access and passage, that it will revise the project accordingly and, ultimately, that it will not close the Camillien-Houde route.”

Montreal has not done that, Maxime Jacques, the cemetery’s executive director, said in an interview Monday.

Before deciding whether to proceed with legal action, the cemetery is waiting to see what comes of a December meeting where officials from the two sides are to discuss the Camillien-Houde plan, he said.

As it stands, the Camillien-Houde project is “total nonsense,” Jacques said, noting visitors would have a harder time reaching the cemetery, with through traffic using the cemetery as a shortcut.

But the city appears to be standing by its plan.

“Cemeteries are important institutions on Mount Royal and it is absolutely essential that they are accessible to all people who wish to go there,” the mayor’s office said in a written statement to the Gazette.

“The cemeteries will continue to be accessible in the project as presented.”

Visitors will continue to be able to reach the cemetery by car or bus from the west or via entrances at the foot of the mountain, the statement said. Visitors will also be able to reach the cemeteries on foot via the new path that will replace Camillien-Houde, the mayor’s office said.

ariga@postmedia.com

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/mount-royal-cemetery-threatens-legal-action-over-car-ban

[Rocco]

Une incompétente. La mauvaise personne à la mauvaise place. Quel fiasco ses 8 ans à la tête de Montréal. La ville va prendre des décennies à s'en remettre. 

[ToxiK]

il y a 6 minutes, mtlurb a dit :

Mount Royal Cemetery threatens legal action over car ban

“By deciding to permanently close the Camillien-Houde route, the city is acting illegally and contravening the rights of (the cemetery) as well as its contractual obligations.”

Published Nov 27, 2023  •  Last updated 6 hours ago  •  3 minute read

 

Cars drive on Camilien-Houde Way on Mount Royal in Montreal, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Mount Royal Cemetery says Montreal’s plan to close the mountain to car access from the east is illegal and contravenes a 1928 agreement between the cemetery and the city.

The cemetery sent a lawyer’s letter to the city in September, a week before Mayor Valérie Plante announced that Montreal will close Camillien-Houde Way to car traffic in 2027.

“Inevitably, the closure of the Camillien-Houde route will cause major harm and significant damage to our client,” the cemetery’s lawyers said in the Sept. 8 letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Montreal Gazette.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“More particularly, this closure will undoubtedly have the effect of diverting transit traffic towards the cemetery access road, which would notably damage cemetery roads, harm the tranquillity of the premises, cause significant inconvenience and endanger the health and safety of customers, users and visitors as well as employees.”

The lawyers added: “By deciding to permanently close the Camillien-Houde route, the city is acting illegally and contravening the rights of our client as well as its contractual obligations.”

The cemetery learned of the plan in August during a meeting with the city.

Until then, it hoped Plante would allow car traffic to continue on Camillien-Houde, as recommended by Montreal’s public consultation office in 2019, the lawyers said.

But under the city’s plan, paths for pedestrians and cyclists will replace the Camillien-Houde roadway.

Last week, the Gazette revealed that Montreal was warned in March that the project would reduce accessibility and that the legal agreement with the cemetery could throw a wrench in the plan.

The warnings were in a March 2023 city-commissioned traffic management study by engineering company CIMA+.

Headline News

Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

In the 1920s, Montreal swapped land with the cemetery as it expanded Mount Royal Park and developed plans for a tramway along the route that eventually became the Camillien-Houde roadway.

The deal included a notarized document allowing the cemetery access to the right of way in perpetuity.

“An agreement dating from 1928 with the city of Montreal guarantees (the cemetery) access from the road for vehicles coming from the east or west,” the CIMA+ report said.

Though it doesn’t have a similar agreement, neighbouring Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery would also face accessibility issues, CIMA+ said.

In the letter, the cemetery’s lawyers gave the city 10 days to confirm “it will respect (the cemetery’s) rights of access and passage, that it will revise the project accordingly and, ultimately, that it will not close the Camillien-Houde route.”

Montreal has not done that, Maxime Jacques, the cemetery’s executive director, said in an interview Monday.

Before deciding whether to proceed with legal action, the cemetery is waiting to see what comes of a December meeting where officials from the two sides are to discuss the Camillien-Houde plan, he said.

As it stands, the Camillien-Houde project is “total nonsense,” Jacques said, noting visitors would have a harder time reaching the cemetery, with through traffic using the cemetery as a shortcut.

But the city appears to be standing by its plan.

“Cemeteries are important institutions on Mount Royal and it is absolutely essential that they are accessible to all people who wish to go there,” the mayor’s office said in a written statement to the Gazette.

“The cemeteries will continue to be accessible in the project as presented.”

Visitors will continue to be able to reach the cemetery by car or bus from the west or via entrances at the foot of the mountain, the statement said. Visitors will also be able to reach the cemeteries on foot via the new path that will replace Camillien-Houde, the mayor’s office said.

ariga@postmedia.com

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/mount-royal-cemetery-threatens-legal-action-over-car-ban

Do we really need cemeteries in Montréal.  I mean, do people really need to die.  If people stopped dying, we could just transform cemeteries into parks and permit cyclists back in.  That is all the CAQ's fault...

[Rocco]

⬆️ No, this time its Valéries fault. It alternates entre Val and Legault... Depending on the stupid idea.

[Rocco]

[Le Roach]

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/transports-urbanisme/806592/mont-royal-menace-densification-centre-ville

 

[mtlurb]

2 hours ago, Le Roach said:

https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/transports-urbanisme/806592/mont-royal-menace-densification-centre-ville

 

Gros LOL