Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says Mount Royal will no longer serve as a “highway” even as it remains open to through traffic following recommendations from the city’s public consultations office.
The Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal (OCPM) released its long-awaited report on Thursday with several recommendations, including the suggestion to allow private vehicles to access the mountain.
READ MORE: Camillien-Houde reopens to traffic — for now
Plante says the city will respect the recommendations, several of which line up with its vision for making the mountain safer for all commuters.
“Ultimately, it did not come out exactly how I wanted originally but it shows how Montrealers are attached and love their mountain,” said Plante.
The report follows a five-month pilot project by the city, which only allowed emergency vehicles, company cars, buses and cyclists to access Camillien-Houde Way and Remembrance Road.
READ MORE: Montreal to hold public talks before limiting cars on Mount Royal
The contentious measure was prompted by the death of an 18-year-old cyclist in October 2017. Clément Ouimet was killed after he was struck by an SUV making an illegal U-turn on Camillien-Houde Way.
“From the perspective of the citizens, it was a pretty bad idea,” said OCPM president Dominique Olivier.
The OCPM’s report found the results of the pilot project were disappointing and “inconclusive.” It said limiting car traffic on the mountain could not be done without boosting public transit options for access to and travel through the mountain.
“In terms of the objectives, of making the mountain accessible and enjoyable, we didn’t find the pilot project did that,” said Olivier.
WATCH: Debate continues over what to do with the road that cuts though Mount Royal (November 2018)
The report also recommends overhauling Camillien-Houde Way in a way that allows pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to safely access and leave the mountain and suggests reducing the number of parking spaces and replacing them with green space.
Lionel Perez, Opposition leader at Montreal City Hall, said the results of the public consultations show Plante’s administration is “completely disconnected from the feeling of Montrealers.”
“This project has been a complete and utter fiasco,” he said.
— With files from Global News’ Amanda Jelowicki and the Canadian Press
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