The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, announced Wednesday that the City would “green up Mount Royal for the equivalent of three football fields” by banning cars on the Camillien-Houde route, the main access to the summit, starting in 2027 .
On this artery, a promenade will therefore be created for pedestrians, in addition to a parallel and separate lane which will be dedicated to cyclists, detailed Ms. Plante, during a press briefing at the foot of Mount Royal. “We are going to regreen Mount Royal for the equivalent of three football fields by completely transforming the Camillien-Houde route […] We remove the asphalt, we put in trees, we put in plants. That’s what we do. »
Emergency vehicles, such as those of firefighters, police officers or ambulances, will however be able to access the Camillien-Houde route by using the cycle path, the mayor specified. “We will not compromise on the safety of citizens. » The terms of this part of the project, however, remain to be refined, said Richard Liebmann, director of the Montreal Fire Safety Service.
As for cars, buses and other motorized vehicles, they will still be able to access the top of the mountain, but via Remembrance Road. “We know that every day in fact, every day during the week, there are 10,000 cars crossing the mountain and, of that, 85% do it for transit. So the message I am sending today is that the mountain is for everyone. But the mountain is not a shortcut, it is a destination,” said Valérie Plante.
The latter said it was working in conjunction with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) to improve service on certain bus lines that reach the mountain.
The safety of road users who use the Camillien-Houde route has been a concern that has existed for several years in Montreal. In 2017, the death of an 18-year-old cyclist, Clément Ouimet, who died after being struck by a motorist who was illegally making a U-turn, sparked debates on through traffic on Mount Royal. We must “never forget” Mr. Ouimet, underlined the mayor, affirming that “the safety of the most vulnerable” on the road was one of the main drivers of the project unveiled on Wednesday.
Further details will follow.