La Fontaine Park, a beloved escape from the crowds and the concrete jungle for Montrealers and tourists alike, is frequented by thousands of visitors, but some park users say it can be a headache to navigate — thanks to cycling and pedestrian paths weaving together in and around the green space.
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One pathway in particular, on a median just off La Fontaine Park Avenue intersected by Christophe-Colomb Avenue and Rachel East, is causing some alarm.
It is known as a “desire line,” which urban planning experts define as a path that pedestrians take informally instead of a set route.
Mara Jezernik, who attends the park three to four time a week, said she always uses the path as an entrance to the park.
“Everybody does it all the time,” she said. “I got ticketed downtown before for jaywalking but never here.”
Stephen Burgess, who can regularly be heard playing his music in the park, said the small stretch of land has been used so much as a pathway that it’s been eroded into one.
“There’s like a carved out walkway,” he said. “Like it looks like a very natural way to pass, and there’s crosswalks on the other side of the street there, so it’s a very natural route to get to the park.”
But people are not supposed to be crossing there.
“Obviously, pedestrians and cyclist are invited to cross Avenue du Parc La Fontaine to access the park where it is safe and designed to do so, where there are appropriate street sign, lights and so on,” the City of Montreal told Global News in a statement. “We understand some might want to cross the road to access the park quicker, but by doing so, they put their lives at risk.”
“Near Avenue Christophe-Colomb, pedestrians and cyclists can cross at rue De La Roche or at Avenue Duluth,” the statement continued.
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Burgess said he thinks this is unrealistic and that there isn’t enough signage indicating where people should or shouldn’t cross.
“I think there should definitely be a cross walk put in place,” he said.
“Considering la banquise is like the most popular tourist poutine destination and that chicken place that opened up across the street is just as popular, you are going to have tourists coming and they aren’t aware of the dangers like locals are.”
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