Schools at odds over road closure
An Outremont school got permission to close their street to traffic in May and June, but Hasidic operators of a school bus are not happy.
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jeather 11:22 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
It seems like it was closed because it’s on the same block as a private school, where all the parents drive their kids. I don’t entirely understand the complaint that this is too difficult because there are lots of children going on lots of different buses and they can’t all be sent out alone to walk half a block (as only half the block is closed) BUT that it would be okay if it were just during school dropoff/pickup hours. (Mornings must overlap, even if afternoons/evenings don’t.)
I do see the issue with trucks having to do a u turn on this street, though.
Nicholas 11:25 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
Kids can’t walk half a block alone on what has become a dead end street? Kids can’t be alone at home with siblings for 5 minutes while the parent walks half a block away? Throw my parents in jail!
Kate 13:19 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
Nicholas, I think the general feeling about guarding kids has changed since we were small. Also – and I don’t know whether this comes into it or not – the Hasidim may feel that, with their kids a visible minority by choice, they might be targets for bullying or worse.
Chris 13:57 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
“with their kids a visible minority by choice”. By their *parents* choice you mean.
Hassidic kids are outside a lot generally, I don’t think walking half a block more will open them to “bullying or worse” anymore than they are already.
Nicholas 15:09 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
I agree with Chris, they’re out a lot, including without parents, based on what I’ve seen when in the area. Non-Hassidic kids near me are out a lot too. Each kid is different, and parents get to decide who’s mature enough to be out on their own, whether 5 or 8. But if a single kid is going to a bus without a sibling and also no other sibling is at home to watch their siblings for a few minutes, I guess you take that sibling over too. I remember my sibling or me having to dress up to go out for the other’s trip somewhere.
I should add it’s also the parents’ choice to not send their young kids to the elementary school on their block.
Joey 16:00 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched the school bus drop kids off along the one (admittedly long, but not dangerous) block of Jeanne-Mance between Fairmount and St-Viateur – the bus stops every few meters to ensure that kids are dropped off in front of their door. I have no idea why they wouldn’t just drop some of the kids off at Fairmount, some at the midpoint of the block (Groll) and some at St-Viateur. Why each kid has to get off literally in front of their house, prolonging the drop-off, is beyond me. And these are kids who, unlike non-Hasidic children, are constantly playing all over the block.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the parents of kids at the private school, many of whom drive from all over to bring their kids to school, are overwhelming the block and making things dangerous for the kids who get to school on foot to by bike, with or without parents – many of whom are likely enrolled at the local alternative school on the block. The decision to close the block to traffic, I guess, has irked the Hasidic families who rely on bus access to whisk their kids off to school.
I can sympathize with the folks who are inconvenienced by this decision – but convenience should not come before safety, and as we’ve seen, the areas directly around schools tend to attract the worst kinds of driver behaviour.
walkerp 19:23 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
Seems like they should be able to block it off for all traffic except school buses.
Ian 19:24 on 2025-06-23 Permalink
Hm Joey, looks like you & I were close neighbours, are you secretly the Joey who lived above me?
As Joey points out, these kids get dropped off at their door – and part of the reason for that is that they start school as soon as they’re capable, and go to school 5 days a week with no summer break. We’ve also seen these same kids get run down even by bicyclists right in fronto of their own houses going to take the bus, it’s no wonder the parents are concerned.
I see the commenters saying “it’s the parents’ choice” but let’s be real, this community represents close to 30% of the population of Outremont, it’s not exactly an obscure minority asking for accomodation here…