Motoring over Mount Royal is much slower and that's a good thing, city says

Professional triathlete Eduardo Padilla Vargas normally trains in Mexico, but, after participating in a recent Montreal event, he's getting ready for an upcoming race in the Eastern Townships.

To keep his body in top form, he's been pedaling back and forth over Mount Royal alongside cars, fellow cyclists and a whole lot of bollards — flexible posts that now dot Camillien-Houde Way's centre line to prevent motorists from making illegal U-turns.

The bollards are paired with speed humps, a fresh coat of road paint, radar signs and an alternating one-way stretch controlled by traffic lights and flaggers clad in neon yellow jumpsuits.

At either end of Remembrance Rd. and Camillien-Houde Way, traffic lights are longer than usual — all part of the city's effort to discourage drivers from using the road as a speedy shortcut while making it safer for everybody to use.

These new measures serve as an alternative to last year's controversial decision to close the road to through traffic — a decision that spurred plenty of public outcry.  

It's a popular stretch for those looking to pedal uphill and, so far, cyclists and city officials agree the new measures are working.

City spokesperson Linda Boutin said there has been a "significant decrease in traffic flow" and cars are slowing down because of the bollards. 

And Vargas said he's never felt safer on his bicycle. In Mexico, he explained, it's a dangerous gamble every time he goes out for a ride.

"We don't have anything like this. There are a lot of accidents," he said. The bollards, he observed, separate "you from the cars and you don't feel the pressure of them behind you."

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has repeatedly said she's dedicated to following the recommendations put forward by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) — recommendations based on months of study and public consultation. 

The road will stay open to private vehicles all year long, but it will no longer serve as a "highway," Plante vowed this spring.

The city will be monitoring the changes throughout the summer and adjusting as needed.

Now nearly a month into the new project, she said, "So far so good. I think people are getting used to it."

New configuration is a good compromise, cyclist says

There are are plenty of cyclists taking advantage of the modifications. Among them is Montreal-based athlete Lex Albrecht who has been training on the mountain for years. 

Rather than catering to cyclists only, she said the new measures are better suited for everybody.

"It's not cyclists who are bad people. It's not drivers who are bad people. Everybody is well intentioned—it's just that the roads aren't made for everybody to live together," she said.

The overall problem everywhere, she explained, is the lack of defined lines dividing cyclists from drivers.

"But here, the changes they have made on Camillien-Houde are really positive because it's very clear where to ride and where to drive safely."

Alternating one-way confusion

For drivers, one of the biggest slow downs is at the new alternating one-way where they are sometimes expected to wait several minutes at the makeshift traffic light before meandering through the narrow, cliff-lined section of Camillien-Houde Way.  

Not everybody was understanding or respecting the traffic lights at first, so the city sent out flaggers to direct drivers. 

Some drivers are angry about the wait, said flagger Steve Hammett who stands in the middle of the road when the light is red, ensuring motorists stop.

Every day, people try to run the red light, he said, and he has to explain the rules to them.

"Some of them just don't see it. They're distracted by the view. Some think it's for bicycles and some just don't want to stop," he said.

"They don't realize it's a one-way through the s-curve and they don't realize it will be a head-on collision if they don't stop."

Once he explains that to them,  "they like me. They say, 'oh thank you.'"

Flaggers are directing traffic 18 hours a day. The city says this is to help motorists adjust to the new configuration. Eventually, once authorities feel it is safe enough, the flaggers won't be needed any more, Boutin said.

Rolling up the hill in her Jeep Wrangler for the first time this year, Chloé Lépine met her friend at the top of Mount Royal last week to hang out and enjoy the summer sun.

The West Island resident rarely drives up the mountain, so it was a new experience navigating the maze of bollards and signs. 

"It was a little confusing with the one-way," said Lépin, but she eventually found her way. 

"It's probably safer for cyclists. I saw a couple going up the road and they were far from the cars. So I guess that's good."