Orange cones in downtown Montreal | Omnipresent… and often “useless”

Are Montreal and its downtown “afflicted” by an overabundance of orange cones? The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM) believes so, and fears that the image of the metropolis will suffer. In one year, 94% of downtown arteries have been blocked at one time or another, shows a study by the organization released Thursday. The Plante administration admits having to do better, but Quebec is reluctant to change its signage rules.

Paralyzed streets

“One of the major irritants for bringing employees back is the difficulty of access in terms of getting around downtown. […] It’s as if we had admitted that Montreal is in the process of being defined by the orange cones, ”supported the president of the Chamber, Michel Leblanc, at a press conference Thursday. He regrets that the “overabundant” presence of orange cones has a lasting negative impact on people’s minds. In total, more than nine out of ten arteries (94%) in the city center were blocked “partially or completely at one time or another” between April 2021 and March 2022, and more than 5,500 permits were issued.

More than a quarter of cones are “useless”

According to a census by the CCMM, more than a quarter of the orange cones in the city center are “useless”, that is to say “abandoned” or “without purpose”, but still remain “systematically used” during Works. For example, downtown, 57% of Peel Street is lined with cones, and there are orange signs on 100% of the route. Rue Saint-Urbain, barriers have been in place for nine years, the study shows. “If there is an illustration that coordination can be deficient, it is this one. We create perpetual obstacles because the industry is not coordinated to do so in a time-limited way,” says Mr. Leblanc. The Chamber believes that the cones should only be used “for short-term work or on motorways”. More generally, signage should be more “agile” in the city center, in order to adapt to the “high density” of this sector.

Solutions ?

According to the CCMM, a “dynamic pricing policy” based on the occupation of the public domain, according to the area and the time of occupation, would make it possible to reduce the obstacles. In other words, according to specific criteria, construction companies that reduce their barriers would pay less for their permits and those that increase them would have a higher bill, like a financial “bonus-malus” system. It is also suggested to impose a delivery period “outside peak periods”, in particular early in the morning, which would limit the presence of trucks during the day in the city centre. The organization also proposes to consider “bypass plans” to devote certain areas entirely to active or automobile traffic, when the density of the obstacles is too high.

Montreal recognizes “certain problems”

At the City of Montreal, the president of the executive committee, Dominique Ollivier, recognizes that “some problems exist on the construction sites and that there is room for improvement”. In the same breath, she recalls, however, that only 30% of construction sites come under the municipal administration. “If everyone does not feel part of the solution, we will never get there,” she says. The Plante administration calls on Quebec and the promoters to open a real dialogue. “You have to get everyone together, sit down, everyone recognizes their part of the problem, and together we agree on standards. With the Worksite Summit this spring, that is precisely what we want to do. There are things that can be put in place quickly, ”insists M^me Olivier.

Quebec does not intend to adapt

Glenn Castanheira, general manager of Montreal centre-ville, believes that the priority is to “tackle orphan” and abandoned cones, which are in “very high” numbers. “We would have substantially the same obstacles, but much less frustration. In Paris, there are ten times more construction sites, but 100 times fewer cones! For the rest, the [ministère des Transports] changes its signage regulations. It won’t change tomorrow, but it takes that to sort it out,” he said. However, the MTQ does not intend to change its rules. “At this time, there are no changes planned. On the other hand, if the City wants to propose changes to the signage standards, we are open to collaborating and analyzing the proposals, ”says the spokesperson for the Ministry, Sarah Bensadoun.

Review tenders

The CCMM also believes that the City’s public calls for tenders should take into account the external costs of construction sites, such as their lifespan, their completion time and their potential for congestion and nuisance. The organization also demands that all the data related to the obstacles be “centralized” on a single platform, which would be managed by Quebec, Montreal and several other partners such as Hydro-Quebec, Bell or Énergir.