mtp feedback final

7/30/2019 MTP Feedback Final

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COMMENTS ON WESTMOUNT GENIVAR MASTER TRAFFIC

AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN



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Table of Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 12. Establishing a Vision .............................................................................................................. 13. Establishing Parameters ........................................................................................................ 14. Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 1

4.1 Case Studies ................................................................................................................. 14.2 Simulation Modelling ..................................................................................................... 24.3 Indicators of Success .................................................................................................... 2

5. Integrating Viability Concerns of Westmount’s Two Commercial Sectors ............................. 25.1 Victoria Village .............................................................................................................. 35.2 Greene Avenue / Ste-Catherine St. W. ......................................................................... 4

6. Improving Public Transit ........................................................................................................ 57. Incorporating the concerns of schools and Westmount’s senior population .......................... 68. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 79. Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 7

A) Victoria Village Radial Flow Plan ...................................................................................... 7B) PPP Proposal for Greene Avenue Parking Garage ........................................................ 11C) List CURA Studies .......................................................................................................... 13



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1. IntroductionThe recommendations in this document stem from consultation with members of the WestmountMunicipal Association (WMA), consultation with the merchant associations for both Greene Avenue and Victoria Village and the WMA’s participation in public consultations prior to therelease of Genivar’s final report.

For ease of reference, the Westmount Traffic and Active Transportation Master Plan, preparedby Genivar in February 2013, will be referred to as the Genivar Report from herein.

The WMA considers the Genivar Report to be a background study that can be used as inputinto the development of a Master Traffic and Active Transportation Plan. The WMA defines sucha plan as one that sets out the specific actions to be taken in a given area or on a given street,aimed at achieving the overall vision that the City adopts.

The WMA proposes that the City of Westmount adopt the following priorities in relation to thedevelopment of a Master Traffic Plan:

2. Establishing a VisionThe WMA proposes that the Westmount Master Traffic and Active Transportation Plan be drivenby the vision of a safe, sustainable and economically prosperous City: that is, safety concernssurrounding pedestrians (notably children and seniors, bicycle and vehicular traffic), sustainabledevelopment principles (emphasis on active modes of transportation) and support of economicdevelopment (enhanced viability of Victoria Village and Greene Avenue/Ste-Catherine St. W.).

3. Establishing ParametersChanges to a municipality’s traffic and parking arrangements inevitably lead to some angstamong its citizenry. As there are some restrictions placed by federal, provincial and center-cityagencies on the alterations that the Westmount City Council can implement, the WMA

recommends that such restrictions be clearly outlined to our residents when new traffic

plans are presented, publicly, to citizens for approval.

4. Methodology As Genivar sets out, understanding travel patterns is crucial to determining whether thetransportation infrastructure is meeting the needs of the population – and the WMA would add -whether it is safe, efficient and sustainable. Some questions, however, remain regarding howGenivar established the transportation framework. For example, methodological questionsremain for how Genivar establishes the amount of traffic that goes through Westmount withoutstopping (see p. 46, Genivar Report). Further, the established travel patterns do not take intoaccount seasonal variations in routes and modes of transportation (e.g. summer v. winter).Finally, the established travel patterns do not include any projections for increase in traffic as aresult of the MUHC and changing demographics. The WMA further notes there should beanother another Origin-Destination Survey conducted in 2013.

4.1 Case StudiesGenivar states that it relies on the 2006 census data and the 2008 Montreal MetropolitanRegion Origin-Destination Survey to establish Westmount’s traffic patterns. The WMA notes thatas the 2011 census data is available, the report should be updated to reflect any changes in thedata. The WMA also notes the limitations of survey data as a basis for policy development as itreflects what people believe to be the case, which does not always reflect reality (e.g.miscalculations as to frequency and type of trip, misunderstanding of questions). While the



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Region Origin-Destination Survey provides a great deal of information, it should be used withcaution in setting out traffic patterns in Westmount.

Given the limits of any survey data, an important element to any study of a given topic are casestudies. Relevant case studies would be those that examine what other cities haveaccomplished and how other municipalities have dealt with similar situations. For example,Laurier Ave in Outremont faces similar parking challenges as Greene Avenue and VictoriaVillage. As a result, a parking lane in the centre of Laurier was added, contributing to the vitalityof the street. This is an option that could be considered for Victoria Ave. between SherbrookeSt. W. and De Maisonneuve. Another area to examine is the Monkand Village area. The WMAnotes that Transport Canada maintains an extensive list of case studies on various topics suchas road planning, active transportation (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs/environment-utsp-casestudylibrary-229.htm). The WMA also notes that the CURA Project has undertaken a seriesof studies looking at various issues related to transportation and community (see Appendix C for a list of studies and reports).

4.2 Simulation Modelling The WMA notes that under section 5.3 the Genivar Report, Genivar indicates that specific

designs need to be made but does not mention the use of simulation modeling. Simulationmodeling – the use of mathematical modeling through computer software to help plan atransportation system - has been in use for over forty years and is a fundamental component of traffic and active transportation planning1.

Simulation modeling must be part of any development of a master traffic and activetransportation plan. Currently, the City is made up of residential, collector and arterial roads,some of which are one way and others two way. Some of the roads have acquired their statusby virtue of the way in which they connect to other parts of Greater Montreal. However, thereasons for the way in which traffic currently flows, specifically on residential and collector streets are less clear. Simulation models could help improve the efficiency of traffic flow inWestmount. It would lead to a better understanding of the ways in which a variety of mechanisms such as road diets and one way/two way streets would impact the flow of traffic.

This modeling would have to include traffic projections in surrounding areas in light of theredesign of the Turcot and the MUHC. Further, such modeling would provide a visual model for residents to understand and conceptualize the layout and impact of bicycle paths, widening of sidewalks and bus lanes.

The WMA is of the opinion that simulation modeling must be undertaken before theimplementation of changes to any streets or areas in Westmount.

4.3 Indicators of SuccessThe Master Traffic Plan must include clear indicators for measuring the extent to which theadopted measures successfully promote the vision that the City adopts.

5. Integrating Viability Concerns of Westmount’s Two CommercialSectorsBoth Victoria Village and Greene Ave/Ste-Catherine St. W. are important social and commercialhubs for Westmount. As public consultations held prior to the release of the Genivar Reportclearly indicated, the needs of each area must be examined in detail and in a comprehensive

1See, for example, http://publish.uwo.ca/~jmalczew/gida_5/Pursula/Pursula.html



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manner in order to attract more individuals to the areas. The WMA is of the opinion that theGenivar Report does not adequately address and incorporate these concerns.

5.1 Victoria VillageVictoria Village is a social hub and important commercial district for Westmount residents. It is

currently facing severe viability problems, to which the lack of parking (see high parkingoccupancy during peak hours, Zone A, p. 95 of Genivar Report) contributes. The coming of theMUHC is likely to exacerbate the problem – both parking wise and with respect to vehicular traffic. As with Greene Avenue, more details are needed to understand who is occupying theparking spaces and what will be the impact of patients, workers from the MUHC and nearbymedical clinics searching for on street parking or visiting Victoria Village during breaks betweenmedical appointments and changing demographics2.

The WMA notes that it is imperative that simulation models of the area be created such thatWestmount can ensure the most efficient flow of traffic. The WMA attaches a possible radialtraffic flow diagram for the area3.

In addition, the following are a list of possibilities that the WMA proposes that the City examine:

• In order to reduce parking demands, Westmount should examine establishing an intra-city shuttle bus (see Priority #4 below) or providing taxi vouchers, with increased taxistands

• Consider reducing through traffic on Sherbrooke St. W. At least 60% of cars are ‘throughtraffic’. However, Sherbrooke St. W. is the lifeblood of the community. In this case‘through traffic’ does not benefit merchants, residents, shoppers or visitors. It adverselyaffects the commercial district

• The use of angled parking ought to be analyzed as a mechanism to alleviate highparking occupancy rates in the area. On busy streets, angled parking requires a reservelane, thus enabling cars to enter and leave slots without blocking on-coming traffic.

Angled parking should be angled in the direction of the flow of traffic. That is, the driver backs into a parking slot and therefore has a clear vision, left and right, when emerging.

• The City could consider removing/restricting during certain hours parking from arteriessuch as Sherbrooke St. W. This would increase safety (the dangers of opening andclosing doors) and address the eventuality of a reserved bus lane. Parking spaces couldbe ‘reallocated’ in equal numbers by implementing angled parking on the wider residential, north-south streets (of which there are several) bordering Sherbrooke St. W.In addition, the use of a lane with alternating directional traffic flow depending on thetime of day (as on Parc Avenue) could help alleviate traffic congestion on arterial routesin the area.

• Westmount ought to widen the sidewalks on the north side of Sherbrooke St. between

Prince Albert and Roslyn, and on the east side of Victoria between Sherbrooke andSomerville.

• Westmount should consider the use of photo radar to control speed (the WMA notes thatGenivar does not provide information on the use of photo radar).

2The WMA notes that the City has already commissioned such a study

3 See the attached radial traffic flow diagram for Victoria Village



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• Westmount ought to increase the number and improve the style of bike racks (therefurbished portion of Greene Avenue has none to speak of) in Victoria Village andincrease network and maintenance of bike paths to increase ease of access to theVillage

• Westmount ought to examine the use of roundabouts at wide intersections like Ste.Catherine and Lansdowne, as well as at Clarke and Ste Catherine Streets. Thefeasibility of buses being able to make the turn as well as pedestrian crossings needs tobe considered

• A master traffic plan should include buffered encasements for large trees especially inthe ‘villages’. Sherbrooke St.. once had magnificent elms. A good example is DuluthStreet that has firs of a sizeable growth that lend an aura of graciousness and quietsatisfaction for pedestrians.

5.2 Greene Avenue / Ste-Catherine St. W.Greene Avenue is an important commercial district for Westmount. It not only providesconsiderable revenue to the City but it also serves Westmount residents. Increasingly, however,the commercial viability of the area is in question, and is being overtaken by businesses that are

not geared to the community. As part of the effort to respond to Genivar’s report, the task forceconsulted residents and representatives of the Greene Avenue Merchants’ Association. Itbecame clear that the commercial viability of the area depends on increasing the number of customers, whether they arrive by foot, car or bicycle. Consequently, the Master Traffic Planmust specifically incorporate the needs of this commercial district and be based on a specificstudy looking at the area. For example, while the Genivar report establishes high parkingoccupancy rate, it does not specify the type of occupants and does not focus in on key streets.

The WMA proposes that the following mechanisms be examined:

• Proper bicycle parking be made available so that individuals may properly secure their bikes

• The creation of a north-south shuttle bus or taxi vouchers (see Priority #4 below)

• Lack of easily accessible parking is widely seen as an impediment to the commercialviability of the area (see high parking occupancy in Zone D (Greene Avenue), p. 95,Genivar Report). The WMA proposes that the parking situation in the area be analyzedin detail. A preliminary investigation reveals that there are 60 parking spots on Greeneavenue between Sherbrooke St. W. and Ste-Catherine St W. The parking lot adjacent toSecond Cup holds 30 parking spots. As a result of the new condo development and areconfiguration of the street, approximately 35 parking spaces have been lost.

The following measures would provide increased parking:

• Temporarily allowing parking on both sides of Olivier while the parking situation onGreene Avenue is being addressed.

• Consistent with Genivar’s recommendation on p. 92 of an off-street park and walk

facility, the City should consider constructing a two-storey parking facility on the currentlycity-owned property at the corner of Greene and Dorchester. The design could include a“green roof,” charging for electric vehicles, and other environmentally appropriatefeatures. It could be developed following the model of a public private partnership. Sucha car park would have the following advantages:

o Increased pedestrian traffic along Ste Catherine St. W. thus, assisting in thedevelopment of Ste Catherine Street, a currently struggling retail area



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o The facility would also assure that the future owner of the Henrietta Antonyproperty has adequate parking to offer customers; if parking is not improved thisproperty could remain vacant for an extended period of time. The Henrietta Antony property with a new owner / operator could become the jewel anchor of arevitalized area.

o A new parking garage, which offers a reasonably priced monthly parking rate for those who work in nearby offices, would free up metered parking in and aroundGreene Ave for clients who are looking for easy and accessible parking (e.g.seniors, individuals with young children).

• The WMA notes that the parking in Westmount Square is full at peak hours.

• Adopt a public-private partnership parking proposal, such as the one presented to theGreene Avenue Merchants Association by Peter Cohen to build a parking lot in the placeof the parking lot currently located next to Second Cup on Greene Avenue. Such a PPPis a low-cost solution that would add 168 cars and 6300 square feet of ground-level retailspace, while respecting all existing zoning regulations (See attached proposal).

6. Improving Public Transit

The Genivar Report falls short in its analysis of the public transportation issues. Specifically, thereport does not address, in sufficient depth, the underlying reasons why “… public transportationis higher in the south than the north of Westmount (p. 16, Genivar Report).

Figure 2.15 of the Genivar Report demonstrates the glaring lack of public transit in the northernsector of Westmount. Many residents residing north of Cote St. Antoine Road must walkconsiderable distances to access the existing bus routes. Furthermore, the steep slope of manystreets throughout the northern portion of the City often prevents seniors, persons with mobilityissues and people accompanied by young children from even considering the use of publictransit especially when the weather is poor.

Genivar notes in its report that “Public transit and active transportation use for work trips ishigher in the southern parts of Westmount,” and that “There are very few internal transit trips

(3%) (both start and end within Westmount) due to the small size of the City.” (page 16). Whilethe foregoing statements are correct, Genivar fails to highlight that significant deficiencies inpublic transit availability within the northern sectors of the City force residents to use privatevehicles (Figure 2.10).

Reason dictates that, if the City wishes to decrease vehicular dependence within our boundaries, viable travel alternatives must be available to the public. Safe, reliable and efficientpublic transit 18-20 hours per day, 7 days a week is essential in the pursuit of such a goal.

The WMA proposes three ways that the City could accomplish this goal:

1. Intra-city Shuttle Service

The Genivar report notes that 47% of internal trips in Westmount are made by car. Thisis undoubtedly in large part due to the topographical layout of Westmount. An

environmentally friendly (e.g. powered by natural gas or electricity) intra-city shuttlewould enhance the viability of Westmount’s two commercial sectors by alleviating theparking situation and could also serve to reduce vehicular traffic. Consequently, theWMA proposes the examination of a North-South shuttle bus service to reduce the needof those who live and work on the mountain from using cars. It could also encouragevisitors to the Summit.

This shuttle service could potentially follow a circular route between Greene Avenue,Victoria Village and our northern border or as two shuttles running perpendicular fromGreene Avenue and Victoria Village respectively to different points in Upper Westmount.



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allotted for pedestrians to cross at key intersections ought to be increased to take into accountseniors. Finally, the use of auditory cues at key traffic intersections ought to be installed.

The WMA proposes that many of the concerns of schools and seniors could be addressedthrough education campaigns.

8. ConclusionsThe current Genivar plan does not define a vision: it is a narrowly -focussed technical documentwith many small details but no overall picture of how to achieve the goals defined above. Inmany places in the document, statements such as “the MTP should include” or “further studyneeded” are made – this indicates that the plan is incomplete.

A further aspect that is missing is that of the definition of short , medium and long in the contextof the measures proposed. No estimate of the scope or the costs of the measures is given. It isimpossible to quantify how to implement the MTP without these definitions. Furthermore, nodefinition is made of the composition of the Traffic Advisory Committee.

The Vision for the Master Traffic Plan should include:

•

An overall statement of the aims of the plan after its implementation• Identification of the City’s ability to make changes to arterial roads inside its boundaries

• Consider the use of alternating lane directions based on time-of-day traffic flows

• An integrated view of how the traffic infrastructure fits into the overall urban environment

• A detailed timeline for implementation of the measures to meet the overall aims

• A cost and scope analysis of the proposed measures

• A method to quantify the success of the measures and, if necessary, a mechanism toadjust the implementation of the plan accordingly

• Mechanisms to adjust the plan as various external factors (such as the MUHC, Turcotrework) come to fruition

To summarize, the WMA is of the opinion that simulation modeling must be undertakenbefore implementation of changes to any streets or areas in Westmount.

9. Appendices

A) Victoria Village Radial Flow Plan

The following – Sections A to F – will hopefully stimulate dialogue so that citizens canconceptualize a plan to meet the challenges posed by the MUHC and its impact on ‘Victoriavillage’.

The object is to address the issues of bike paths, bus lanes, wider sidewalks where needed to

create a pedestrian-friendly area.The key factor is the survival and wellbeing of the small businesses and retailers that are thelifeblood of the ‘hub’. These enterprises impart an individuality that defines the ‘village’ and itwould be detrimental to see this attraction eroded by chain stores and the sort of ubiquitous‘brioches-en-ville’ cafés that offer drab, second-rate fare. Parking and other city services areessentials for these merchants.

Section A:



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Sherbrooke Street….is currently six lanes wide: four traffic lanes, and two parking lanes, one oneach side, north and south.

• 1) The proposal under this village plan is to add a two-directional bike lane toSherbrooke Street, as well as bus lanes running east and west, leaving three middlelanes for traffic, the centre lane alternating its direction (designated by traffic lights)according to peak period flow, as currently exists successfully on Parc Avenue.

• 2) Elimination of parking on both sides of the street. (see parking, Section D:1) Currently,parking lanes are dangerous on a busy street and whenever a driver moves in and out of a parking space it temporarily interrupts the traffic flow.

• 3) Widening of sidewalks: north side, between Prince Albert and Victoria, and particularlybetween Grosvenor and Roslyn. Wide sidewalks are a major feature of successes likeMonkland village. They allow space for interactive business and social activities.

Section B:

Victoria Avenue...is currently five lanes between Sherbrooke and Somerville, reduced to four lanes between Somerville and Ste. Catherine.

Three lanes exist on the east side of the street: two traffic lanes and a parking lane; two lanesexist on the west side: a wide traffic lane (it is almost two lanes wide, that allows busses to turnthe corner more easily and the semi-trailers delivering to Metro to swing wide in entering theparking lot), and a parking lane.

Four lanes exist on Victoria between Somerville and Ste Catherine: two parking lanes and twotraffic lanes that are each one and a half lanes wide.

• 1) It would become a south direction street, continuing its one-way status from aboveSherbrooke.

• 2) Contiguous to B:1, Lansdowne below Sherbrooke becomes a one-way north,effectively creating a radial flow pattern for the area.

• 2a) The network of adjacent local streets reinforces the radial flow; someresidential streets become one-way with angled parking; in all cases theredirected traffic revolves around a core of accessible parking, while at the sametime blocking through-traffic from the MUHC.

• 2b) The number of cars doesn’t necessarily increase due to a new one-waydesignation, the flow simply goes in one direction with the assumption that thesame number of drivers are looking for parking spaces.

• 3) The parking lane, east side, from Shebrooke to the Metro parking lot would beeliminated and the very narrow sidewalk widened.

• 4) A Bike Path and a Bike Island (for bike racks) is added as a new feature.

• 5) Angled parking with a narrow reserve lane is created on the west side.

• 6) Of the three remaining traffic lanes, the east lane flows into the Metro parking lot. Thetwo centre lanes continue to Ste. Catherine.

• 7) A large tree would be planted in the buffered area in front of the Metro parking lot, asthe entry lane from Sherbrooke has been eliminated after entering into the lot. Exiting isvia the remaining two middle traffic lanes.

Section C:

Somerville, and the west side residential streets.

• 1) Somerville remains a two-way street between Victoria and Prince Albert, and then aone-way to Claremont, with angled parking on the north side.



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• 2) Burton, one-way west with angled parking; Winchester, one-way east with angledparking.

• 3) Prince Albert remains a two-way street between Somerville and Ste. Catherine, aspart of the radial flow plan within the core of the ‘village’.

• 4) Angled parking on Prince Albert at its widest, all angled and parallel parking on larger

streets becomes metered.• 5) York and de Maisonneuve remain as is, including the Bike Path on the de

Maisonneuve.

• 6) A small roundabout at the intersection of Somerville and Prince Albert, with a largeplanted tree (oak).

Section D: redesignating parking

Undertaking (Section A: 1), above, involves removing some 58 parking slots on SherbrookeStreet between Claremont and Grovenor, and part of Victoria Avenue (Victoria becomes one-way south all the way to Ste. Catherine). This loss of 58 spots is met by some 70 additionalparking slots redistributed throughout the village, comprised of three types of parking.

• 1) Angled parking on residential streets (Burton, Somerville, Winchester) would increasethe number of spaces by about a half. Residential parking would be strictly preserved interms of existing numbers, and the excess generated by the angled spots would beuniquely for Westmounters who would’ve paid an upgrade – the W permit, but at ahigher price – to park throughout the municipality.

• 1a) A re-modification of the G and W permits, so that the W upgrade would also berequired for G permits for village parking.

• The upgrade would defer the cost of lost revenue from meters on Sherbrooke, and wouldmean no parking meters would be installed on these residential streets.

• 2) On these core residential streets, a portion of the additional parking spaces (due tothe angled format) could also be designated as numbered spaces and rented to users of

the Visual Arts Centre, and who would also have paid the W upgrade for the privilege.• 2a) On other adjacent residential streets (i.e. Roslyn) the same formula for angled

parking would strictly preserve residential parking at existing numbers, and the additionalspaces could be rented to employees of the merchants, who currently take up valuableshopper-related slots. The city’s price would be advantageous to regular long-termusers. And priority would be given to car-poolers in any of these scenarios.

• 2b) Angled parking on busy streets requires a reserve lane so that drivers can halt andreverse unhindered by through traffic into these parking spaces. The spaces are angledto the flow of traffic, and when drivers exit those spots, they have a clear line of vision,left and right.

• 2c) An alternative way is to have parking in the centre lane, as currently exists on Laurier Avenue. In this case, angled parking in the centre would be fed by a reserve lanealongside the curb that then allows drivers to enter into a slot front first, (without backinginto it). Then the driver simply exits the slot to rejoin mainstream traffic.

• 3) All other angled parking and parallel parking on through-fares such as Victoria Avenueand parts of larger connecting streets like Somerville and Prince Albert would bemetered parking with a three-hour restriction, and basically intended for non-residentswho come to the village to shop, go to restaurants, etc.

• 4) Merchants would likely be skeptical of seeing parking removed from SherbrookeStreet. Although angled parking and a redistribution of parking throughout the adjacent



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residential streets are feasible, both Victoria and Greene villages need an enlargedfacility in place (such as the Metro parking lot on Victoria) before any substantiveamelioration occurs. Parking is the key; then bike paths, widened sidewalks, bus lanes,and alternative transport can be reconfigured to sustain the village life, and buffers canbe devised against the encroachment of the MUHC.

Section E

Other traffic-related considerations:

• 1) A multi-level, underground garage on the Metro parking lot, or at the city’s lot justnorth of Sherbrooke on the west side of Victoria, should be investigated to relieve thecongestion of parking (i.e. which could then be reconfigured with the goal of further widening sidewalks for terraces and pedestrian ‘sociability’ that are a key to a successfulvillage environment.

• Any upgraded multi-level parking lot should have a rooftop community-garden .

And,

• 2) A shuttle bus linking the two villages and the mid-level reaches of the City, such as

Westmount Avenue/ The Boulevard, where, in some instances, parking availabilityexists. The shuttle might have a unidirectional flow, or have a two-directional flow usingat least vehicles.

Section F:

Various other considerations:

• 1) Presumably, for relatively narrow residential streets with angled parking, new snow-removal techniques may be necessary… i.e. snow-blowers brought in earlier as soon asa snowfall reaches 10 inches. An inventory should be drawn up of streets with lawns onwhich snow can be blown, provided it contains no salt.

• 1a) Downtown Montreal uses narrower gauge snow blowers for its wide sidewalks,possibly also for its bike paths kept open in winter. This should be investigated.

• 2) A wider sidewalk (east side) is needed to connect Lansdowne to the W.R.C.• 3) A dual-lane Bike Path (for the same reason) on Lansdowne is included.

• 4) ‘No Left Turn’ preserved on Sherbrooke to Victoria, and ditto for Roslyn, south of Sherbrooke. Drivers arriving from Westmount Avenue, The Boulevard and Lansdowne(north) would access the village via Victoria Avenue.

• 5) Approximately 61% of traffic along Westmount’s arterials is through-traffic and of noappreciable benefit to the life of our Victoria and Greene Avenue villages. This inevitableoverflow, to the extent that it cannot be discouraged, should stick to the periphery likeThe Boulevard and Ste Catherine Streets, and not congest the heartland.

• 6) ‘Greening’ is quintessential to ‘villages’. With the radial flow plan, people may have towalk a block or two to get to Victoria Avenue, so it should be pleasant. People with

pickups may conceivably park in the angled reserve lane for a few minutes (withoutinterrupting the flow in the two middle lanes.)

• 7) Both Vic and Greene villages should be viewed as the ‘spokes’ of Westmount (likeminiatures of Paris), as they define and structure commercial life in Westmount.

• 8) The Westmount Train Station formerly had an underground passageway thatconnected to the quay on the far side. This passageway has been filled in but it could bere-utilized in an enlarged capacity as an access to the MUHC.



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• 8a) The train station is seeking a new life that must also be a paying proposition (i.e. nota financial burden to the city). A suggestion is to have a shuttle stop here, and that theplace should be a museum with books, historical postcards and sightseeing maps.Sydney, Australia, had a puppet cottage in a similar setup that was a roaring success.Kids enjoy live inter-active media.

• 9) That a statue dedicated to Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine be considered for the littleplaza fronting the Train Station, with an inscription (something like):

‘Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine was Quebec’s first premier in the Great Ministry that followed upona version of home rule conferred in 1849. An able and courageous proponent of theResponsible Principle that is germane to our Westminster system of parliamentary government,he was forever denigrated by arch sentiments for having leagued outside of the province inorder to capture a majority in the United assembly, a political move that was instrumental inensuring ‘la survivance’ for the Quebec nation. His abiding friendship and political alliance withUpper Canada’s reform leader, Robert Baldwin, remain an inspiration and highlight the arduousconstitutional battle waged during the decade after The Troubles of 1837 and 1838.’

B) PPP Proposal for Greene Avenue Parking GaragePeterS.CohenwrotetotheGreeneAvenueMerchantsAssociation:

This is the background, history and details of our planned project for a combinationparking/retail project on the city parking lot lands on Greene Avenue, adjacent to second Cup.



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BACKGROUND: We (my partner and myself in an automated vehicle storage/parkingdistributorship) were aware of a severe parking shortage problem on Greene Avenue frompersonal experiences and from our many friends and service providers living, working andshopping in the area. We observed the totally inefficient and inadequate municipal parking lotnext to Second Cup and knew that parking systems exist whereby better use could be made of the property for both parking and retail purposes. We worked with a US based distributor of

automated parking systems and came up with a plan and concept where, while there are nowonly 24 surface parking spaces on the site, we could get 168 cars on one level below groundfloor and 3 levels above a new 6300 sq ft ground floor retail operation while respecting existingzoning regulations. The garage would be automated and computerized with elevators and/or robotic pallets taking the cars from a drop off entry stall and deposit it, and then retrieve it, froma computer designated available space. The entry to the parking portion would be from a 13-15ft lane off Greene Ave beside Second Cup leading to the parking garage entry at the end of thelane, providing also a queuing lane to avoid backups blocking Greene Ave. Exiting would be intothe rear lane, thus not conflicting with the entry. It would vastly enhance the appearance on thestreet by eliminating this parking lot eyesore and replacing it with an architecturally attractivenew building, adding a much needed additional retail space and the much needed addedparking. The facade of the upper levels in front of the parking would be designed to integrate

into the streetscape. It further provided much better security for persons and vehicles as thecars and parking areas would not be accessible to the public and the cars would not be drivenwithin the facility. These systems have been operational worldwide for years but are onlyrecently becoming more acceptable and used in North America as the cost and availability of land for parking is becoming too expensive. Weather and climate related matters are not anoperational issue, and the throughput is fast, to avoid bottlenecks. There are many systemredundancies to deal with possible breakdowns, which are rare and manageable. The projectwas financially viable at even below local commercial parking garage rates. I attach the plan

THE HISTORY: We were aware that the City owned the land and thus approached them in thesummer of 2010 to either sell it to us, lease it to us, even with a revenue participation clause, or have us build and/or operate the development for them or just sell them the parking systems atour cost and let them operate it themselves. We were made aware and accepted the fact thatwe would have to bid competitively with others if the city ever agreed to do such a project. Idealt in writing with Joanne Poirier, Duncan Campbell and Mayor Trent and a few councillorsrepresenting affected wards. I had one meeting with Joanne Poirier. Plans and a write-up werepresented. The city was made aware of the financial advantages to them to capitalize on theland value and still serve its citizens and the public. It could easily triple the revenues it currentlyreceives from the meters. I was eventually told that this was all very interesting but that the Citywas not yet ready to embark on such a project at this time, and, further, that it wanted todiscourage additional parking and related traffic, not encourage it. I argued against that logic butto no avail. Further, the Greene Ave street renovations and Arena projects were distracting thecity authorities at the time and there was no interest or time available to them at that moment todeal with a parking project that could even further disrupt Greene Avenue. We decided to waituntil after the 1250 Greene condo project was finished, together with its own disruptions, beforereturning to the city again.

CURRENT STATUS: We remain interested and would be ready to resubmit our proposal to thecity at this time. It would be nice to have an operational interest, but we would be content justgetting a system into operation even through others. We remain firmly convinced and committedthat this is a most beneficial and viable project for the city, the merchants, the customers,visitors and employees in the area.



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C) CURA Studies

Westmount Baseline Study

The Westmount 2010 Baseline Study provides a “snapshot” view of Westmount as a city and as

a community in 2010. Major projects underway in areas directly adjacent to the city, particularlythe MUHC Glen Campus development and the Ville-Marie Expressway and Turcot Interchangereconstruction are expected to affect Westmount residents’ quality of life. The baseline studyoffers indicators worth monitoring over the upcoming years in order to assess the true impact of these mega-projects on the local community. Based on an analysis of demographiccharacteristics, built form, population density, and real estate costs, it is apparent thatWestmount is comprised of two distinct communities: Lower Westmount and Upper Westmount.Whereas Upper Westmount represents a stable, extremely affluent community, Lower Westmount is more diverse and more vulnerable to change. Key indicators, focused on Lower Westmount, include demographic shifts toward an aging, more affluent community; householdincome that does not keep pace with increasing real estate costs; and a transportation networkthat prioritizes automobile mobility over other modes. Given the existing conditions and trends

revealed in the baseline study, it is expected that Westmount will be facing some complexchallenges in the upcoming years that may be further exacerbated by the presence of theMUHC Glen Campus and the reconstruction of Turcot Interchange. The City of Westmount mayuse its commitment to sustainable development and civic engagement as a source of inspirationand guidance in addressing the issues raised in this report.

Date: December 2009

Author: Amy Twigge-Molecey

Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety in Westmount [.pdf]

This paper presents the results of the Westmount Road Safety Study, conducted in the summer

of 2010. After reviewing the goals and methodology, and background information on road safetyconcepts employed in the report, the data is presented. Using survey responses and observedaccident data, it compares areas within Westmount that are perceived to be risky with thoseactually observed to have high accident rates, and discusses why these differences arise. Thereport also identifies several major factors that were found to contribute to perceived andobserved risk, some which Westmount can influence, but also other broader issues that arebeyond its control. Particular attention is paid to the de Maisonneuve bicycle path, given itsimportance as an active transportation route through Westmount. The report finds that althoughWestmount’s roads are generally safe for pedestrians and cyclists, there are risks associatedwith excessive traffic speed and volume, non-compliance with traffic laws, and inappropriatetraffic signals and signage. The report makes several recommendations to address theseconcerns.

Date: September 2011

Author: Sarah Kraemer

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