Mont-Royal Avenue to pedestrianize
In contrast to the Little Italy SDC’s rejection of pedestrianization for its segment of the Main, the Mont-Royal Avenue SDC is going for it – all the way from Park Avenue out to Fullum, which is an even longer stretch than was usual for the summer street sales. The closure to traffic should start next week, and will involve spacious terrasses.
David1187 20:30 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
They should think more strategically: Italian-employed Haitian gangsters will think twice about firebombing your business based on a partial ownership of the limited company holding title if they have to park, walk, and walk back, as opposed to stopping in front.
Short sighted!
hamza 22:27 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
that’s an interesting ‘just-a-joke’ comment to be made in this day and age
david001 22:46 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
The several decade long Italian gang wars, with their Haitian and biker underlings (also multiple battles) are something super well known, and not something that has yet been folded into racist analysis, but I think I see how we could.
Anyway, the point is that when you’re coming to Montreal from Saint Leonard, Saint Laurent, or Montreal North to fire bomb a Montreal business, having easy access to stop/stand/get away is essential. Fire bombing is physically more difficult if you have to park somewhere in the neighborhood, secure your vehicle, go commit your crime, return to your vehicle, then return to one of these Cicero, Illinois circa 1930-style suburbs.
So that progressive moves on pedestrian issues are likely to lead to fewer gangland crimes, with the consequence of fewer businesses and homes lost to arson, deaths (rare, but do occur), police and fire calls, etc.
david001 22:48 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
There wasn’t some sort of joke about how these people only drive instead of walk, or about where they all live – it’s a straight up joke about how it’ll be harder for them to continue the arson spree where the getaway is more difficult because of pedestrianization.
Kate 22:51 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
Jokes are funny, david. This wasn’t.
david001 22:53 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
Onion headline: “Mafia representatives complain they’re foiled from gangland arsons by pedestrianized streets.”
Funny!
Kate 23:03 on 2020-06-01 Permalink
Let it drop, David.
CE 10:04 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
I wonder what the plan is for the 97 and 11 buses.
qatzelok 10:07 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
Speaking of mafia, it looks like it’s not easy for the Jeffrey Epsteins of this world to extort our mayor into doing what the car industry wants her to do right now.
Mind you, the Pharma industry seems to be in charge for the moment, but the Automotive industry waits in the shadows.
Kate 10:45 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
qatzelok, do us all a favour and leave your idées fixes at home.
Meezly 11:31 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I think a pedestrianized Mont-Royal will be wonderful, and as a cyclist non-car-owner, it would make it much more pleasant to visit businesses there. On the other hand, I live on Villeneuve, and closing Mont-Royal to cars will just redirect cars to the streets on running parallel on either side.
Ian 11:46 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
I guess one result will be that it makes the pedestrian traffic much more local – I don’t mind walking as far as, say, Boyer but that’s about a half hour from where I live. I certainly won’t be walking all the way out past Papineau let alone Fullum to do any shopping. It will certainly make the stretch between St Larry and St Denis more pleasant though, the sidewalks are too narrow there at the best of times.
I also wonder about whether the buses will continue to run, I was a bit surprised that little detail wasn’t addressed in this article.
qatzelok 12:49 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
@Kate: “leave your idées fixes at home.”
Oh, I agree with you. I was just following up on numbered Davids’ great work in this thread.
Jonathan 14:43 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
I read somewhere that buses will still be allowed.
Ian 16:20 on 2020-06-02 Permalink
It will be interesting to see how buses running will not interfere with an extended street terrasse – though to be fair the buses could just be rerouted along St Joey for the summer.