Debating ways to make Montreal streets safer for cyclists

With the death of another Montreal cyclist in traffic, there’s debate, yet again, about just what to do to make the streets safer for all.

Eighteen-year-old Clément Ouimet died in hospital Wednesday after he collided with an SUV on Camillien-Houde Way on Mount Royal as the driver made an illegal U-turn, a common occurrence on that street.

Cyclist Erick Marciana, riding past a makeshift memorial erected at the accident location, wasn’t surprised to hear that a driver made an illegal U-turn.

“Yeah, I see it often,” he said.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre reacted, saying he’s considering closing the street to through traffic.

“Instead of going through, you’re going to the Mount Royal only,” he explained at a press conference.

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Opposition leader Valerie Plante agrees that traffic should be reduced in the area, but that it should not have to take a death to do something.

“I wish it would’ve been taken seriously before that,” she said, adding that there was nothing stopping the city from implementing measures immediately.

But not everyone agrees that closing the street is a good idea.

Traffic consultant Rick Leckner says the street is an excellent alternate that eases congestion, and closing Camilien Houde would just create problems elsewhere.

“It would create more of a burden on streets such as Côte-des-Neiges, Parc Avenue and Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road,” he said. “Are we gonna transfer the problem to Outremont and Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road?”

He said other solutions should be considered first, like better enforcement, and reducing speed, for both cars and cyclists.

Others, like Marciana, agree saying that even adding a fence at certain points to separate cyclists and motorists would help.  But that in the end, they say both drivers and cyclists need to be more careful.

“Anybody driving here knows that there’s a lot of cyclists up and down here all day long, just to be more aware.”