Make the speed limit on Camillien-Houde 30 km/h for vehicles and cyclists, opposition says

The opposition at city hall says it has a solution to the traffic issue on Mount Royal.

Ensemble Montréal leader Lionel Perez says his party wouldn't ban cars, but would put in measures to discourage drivers from crossing the mountain using Camillien-Houde Way.

The plan includes adding rumble strips, speed bumps and photo radar, and reducing the road to one lane at the narrow stretch above the lookout.

The party would also reduce the speed limit from 40 kilometres per hour to 30, for everyone — including cyclists.

Many cyclists use the mountain as a training ground and travel much faster than that.

In June, part of Camillien-Houde was closed to private vehicles as a pilot project. The controversial decision was made after Clément Ouimet, a young cyclist, died when he collided with an SUV making a U-turn near the lookout.

The road reopened to traffic earlier this month.

Perez also wants to keep bikes seperate from cars.

"We need to have raised and dedicated bike lanes. We think they should be coloured and we think that will enable to have better visibility," he said.

His plan would also include a boardwalk for pedestrians, built from the city's discarded ash trees.

No to separated bike lane, yes to traffic calming, says Vélo Québec

Magali Bebronne, Vélo Québec spokesperson, said the organization supports reducing traffic by restricting through transit.

"We are not in favour of a separated bike path on such a downhill or uphill road. We agree that traffic needs to be calmed and that a more appropriate road width will encourage all users to slow down."

Luc Ferrandez, who is in charge of large parks on the executive committee and is also the borough mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal, said last month an initial report on the pilot project showed there were no collisions in the area and pedestrians used the road more.

However, it also found there are still issues around co-habitation between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.

Montreal is now holding a public consultation to decide whether the closure will become permanent. It wraps up next week.

A final decision is expected to be made over the winter.