The traffic lights on Cavendish Boulevard, from Mackle to Kildare, are a constant source of frustration for motorists and pedestrians. I receive many inquiries on the topic and I wish to thank our hard-working traffic engineer Spyro Yotis for he really does his best to please everyone.

For motorists, the wait at each light is too long. Then we hear from pedestrians who complain that they do not have enough time to cross.

On August 8, constituent Joey Grossman (who lives on Mackle near Cavendish) joined Spyro and I for a walkabout an examination of the lights near his corner and at the Avenue near City Hall. Joey had contacted me to express his concern that the traffic lights on Cavendish are not set properly for today’s traffic flow. “It’s amazing how long it takes to drive up and down Cavendish,” he stated.

Spyro is very hands on and certainly doesn’t perform his duties exclusively from a desk. He is out in the field often, as this meeting illustrated. Spyro reminded us that the last analysis and modification of the traffic lights on Cavendish was back in 2018. Since then the Montefiore complex reopened as an apartment rental and the Equinoxe twin towers debuted on Marc Chagall. And very soon, Quartier Cavendish will present us with a proposal to rezone and add several high-rise buildings.

Very soon, Spyro confirmed, the Urban Planning Department will present city council with a proposal to have another professional study undertaken on Cavendish. Based on the budgetary process protocols, that means this work should occur in 2025. “I hope we will be able to improve the efficiency of the lights,” Spyro said.

Spyro also explained that programming at the corner of The Avenue and Cavendish changes based on the detection. Sometimes the green light for The Avenue will be very short if there are few cars and no pedestrians; other times the green for The Avenue will be much longer. Although there was some work for synchronization, the main work done in 2018 was to increase detection and optimize individual intersections. “ I have personally evaluated the lights at The Avenue towards Kildare and yes, sometimes the green leads you to a red at Kildare,” said Spyro. “However, there are other times where it leads you to a stale red which will soon be green. The goal is of our previous work was not to allow greens along Cavendish for cars to speed down through all the lights, but to increase efficiency at each intersection. The only intersection which we were not able to change was Kildare due to the existing timing and heavy traffic/pedestrians in every direction.”

Joey agreed that the problem is predominantly at rush hour.

We have the commitment of Spyro that this situation is not being overlooked.

With Joey and Spyro at the corner of Cavendish and Mackle.

Les feux de circulation sur le boulevard Cavendish, de Mackle à Kildare, sont une source constante de frustration pour les automobilistes et les piétons. J'ai reçu de nombreuses demandes à ce sujet et je tiens à remercier notre ingénieur de la circulation, Spyro Yotis, qui travaille dur et fait vraiment de son mieux pour satisfaire tout le monde.

Pour les automobilistes, l'attente à chaque feu est trop longue. Les piétons se plaignent ensuite de ne pas avoir assez de temps pour traverser.

Le 8 août, Joey Grossman (qui habite Mackle près de Cavendish) s'est joint à Spyro et à moi pour un tour de table et un examen des feux près de son coin et de l'avenue près de l'hôtel de ville. Joey m'avait contacté pour me faire part de son inquiétude quant au fait que les feux de circulation sur Cavendish ne sont pas réglés correctement pour le flux de circulation d'aujourd'hui. "C'est incroyable le temps qu'il faut pour monter et descendre Cavendish", a-t-il déclaré.

Spyro est très pragmatique et n'exerce certainement pas ses fonctions exclusivement depuis un bureau. Il est souvent sur le terrain, comme l'a illustré cette réunion. Spyro nous a rappelé que la dernière analyse et modification des feux de circulation sur Cavendish remonte à 2018. Depuis, le complexe Montefiore a rouvert ses portes en tant que location d'appartements et les tours jumelles Equinoxe ont fait leurs débuts sur Marc Chagall. Et très bientôt, le Quartier Cavendish nous présentera une proposition de rezonage et d'ajout de plusieurs tours.

Très bientôt, a confirmé Spyro, le service d'urbanisme présentera au conseil municipal une proposition visant à réaliser une autre étude professionnelle sur Cavendish. D'après les protocoles de la procédure budgétaire, ces travaux devraient avoir lieu en 2025. "J'espère que nous pourrons améliorer l'efficacité de l'éclairage", a déclaré M. Spyro.

M. Spyro a également expliqué que la programmation à l'angle de l'avenue et de Cavendish change en fonction de la détection. Parfois, le feu vert pour l'avenue sera très court s'il y a peu de voitures et pas de piétons ; d'autres fois, le feu vert pour l'avenue sera beaucoup plus long. Bien qu'il y ait eu quelques travaux de synchronisation, les principaux travaux réalisés en 2018 ont consisté à augmenter la détection et à optimiser les intersections individuelles. "J'ai personnellement évalué les feux de The Avenue vers Kildare et oui, parfois le vert vous conduit à un rouge à Kildare", a déclaré Spyro. "Cependant, il y a d'autres moments où il vous conduit à un rouge périmé qui sera bientôt vert. L'objectif de nos travaux précédents n'était pas d'autoriser des feux verts le long de Cavendish pour que les voitures passent à toute vitesse tous les feux, mais d'améliorer l'efficacité à chaque intersection. Le seul carrefour que nous n'avons pas pu modifier est celui de Kildare, en raison de la synchronisation existante et de l'importance du trafic et des piétons dans toutes les directions.

Joey reconnaît que le problème se pose surtout aux heures de pointe.

Spyro s'est engagé à ce que cette situation ne soit pas négligée.

For many years now residents of Merrimac Avenue have been asking for a speed hump. I want to recognize specifically  residents Arthur Cytrynbaum and Gregory Libman as it was installed at the beginning of October across the street from the entrance to Rembrandt Park.

A look at the speed hump.

Speed humps or bumps are not approved easily by our Traffic Committee. A lot of research goes into these decisions. This includes site visits and an analysis of the traffic.

Speed humps are installed to reduce the speed of traffic, spaced evenly along a block, 50 to 90 metres apart, and are usually located 10 to 30 metres from an intersection. There is no question we have had vehicles moving too fast, notably when they make the turn at the curve from Rembrandt,

In the case of Merrimac, it was decided to make this an elevated crosswalk. This  ensures  that cars are slowing down at the instant pedestrians may be crossing, hence it is the safest. “If we install a speed hump next to a crosswalk, it is not ideal as cars tend to accelerate after passing the hump towards the crosswalk,” emphasizes our Traffic Engineer Spyro Yotis.

The hump will be in place 12 months a  year.

Our Traffic Engineer will analyze the success of this measure next spring.

Les ralentisseurs sont installés pour réduire la vitesse

 Depuis de nombreuses années, les habitants de l'avenue Merrimac réclament un ralentisseur. Je tiens à saluer tout particulièrement les résidents Arthur Cytrynbaum et Gregory Libman, car un ralentisseur a été installé au début du mois d'octobre en face de l'entrée du parc Rembrandt.

Les ralentisseurs ne sont pas approuvés facilement par notre commission de la circulation. Ces décisions sont le fruit de nombreuses recherches. Elles comprennent des visites sur le terrain et une analyse du trafic.

Les ralentisseurs sont installés pour réduire la vitesse de la circulation. Ils sont espacés régulièrement le long d'un pâté de maisons, de 50 à 90 mètres, et sont généralement situés à une distance de 10 à 30 mètres d'une intersection.

Dans le cas de Merrimac, il a été décidé d'en faire un passage piéton surélevé. Cela permet de s'assurer que les voitures ralentissent au moment où les piétons traversent, et c'est donc la solution la plus sûre. "Si nous installons un ralentisseur à côté d'un passage pour piétons, ce n'est pas l'idéal car les voitures ont tendance à accélérer après avoir passé le ralentisseur en direction du passage pour piétons", souligne Spyro Yotis, ingénieur en charge de la circulation.

Le ralentisseur sera en place 12 mois par an.

In recent days I have been receiving some complaints about JPPS-Bialik School creating what appears to be a private one lane road to their facility for vehicles and placed an  orange cone on the street, closing off the second lane. As my constituent Jason Ullman states, "Anyone not going to Bialik has to wait in single file to be able to turn on  to Marc Chagall. Why am I waiting from Rembrandt in bumper to bumper traffic in single file when there should be a  two lanes?"

Parking, Jason points out, is not allowed going west on Kildare during morning rush hour but he complains this is being ignored. And on Kildare driving east, between Rembrandt and Marc Chagall he wants to know  why cars are allowed to park there? 

 

Jason Ullman took this photo of the traffic issue.

 

I went to our Director of Public Safety Philip Chateauvert. "Normally parents dropping off their kids at this location do line up in the Eastbound Lane in single file and the left lane turning onto Marc Chagall is free and clear," he explains. "Unfortunately, the city had to issue a tolerance for parking restrictions along Kildare Between Rembrandt and Marc Chagall   due to the large number of vehicles that are parking in the street as a result of  garage repairs at 5790 Rembrandt. While I understand the issues this causes, I feel that the problems caused by this are far less than those that would be experienced by the residents of the area if parking was not allowed in this location for the duration of the work. The work should be finished by the end of September."

That being said, our Public Safety Department sees no reason why the school crossing guard is reducing eastbound Kildare between, Merrimac and Marc-Chagall.  Director Chateauvert has dispatched his lieutenant to meet with school  officials and request that they stop doing this immediately since it is unnecessary and prohibited by our bylaws. Another meeting is planned with the school administration next week to explore other solutions.

Frank Palucci is one of my most remarkable constituents. As part of the District 2 Advisory Council I established a few years ago,  Frank is my representative for Ilan Ramon Crescent and Sir Walter Scott Avenue. To say he serves as “my eyes and ears” is an understatement.

Frank Palucci showcases the new speed hump.

As part of my very regular District 2 walkabouts, I usually make a stop at Frank’s house to chat. For some time now we have watched together as motorists race down Sir Walter Scott,  which  is home to half a dozen apartment buildings and of course two entrances to  Ilan Ramon.

Via Frank’s persistent reminders, I was able to get the attention of our Traffic Committee and a speed hump at the mid-way point of Sir Walter Scott has been installed and it is already making a huge difference. We also brought back another one at the rear entrance/exit of City Hall which also serves as deterrent to speeders. So thank you Frank, as well as Traffic Engineer Spyro Yotis.

Meantime, there continues to be complaints about speeding on Marc Chagall Avenue. We do have a speed hump near the snow dump, so cars seem to pressing the accelerator when they turn the corner and drive towards Mackle.

We reached out to Police Station 9 Commander Martin Montour. “We believe it is the same youngsters who are speeding along Cavendish,” he said, confirming that the complaints will be followed up.

Citizens who witness speeding infractions are asked to send an e-mail directly to [email protected]  and it will be acted upon. You can call 911 in the case of an emergency,

Installation de ralentisseurs et de dos d'âne ; signalement des excès de vitesse à la police

Frank Palucci est l'un de mes électeurs les plus remarquables. Membre du conseil consultatif du district 2 que j'ai créé il y a quelques années, Frank est mon représentant pour Ilan Ramon Crescent et Sir Walter Scott Avenue. Dire qu'il est "mes yeux et mes oreilles" est un euphémisme.

Dans le cadre de mes promenades très régulières dans le district 2, je m'arrête généralement chez Frank pour discuter. Depuis quelque temps, nous observons ensemble les automobilistes qui descendent à toute allure la rue Sir Walter Scott, où se trouvent une demi-douzaine d'immeubles d'habitation et, bien sûr, deux entrées d'Ilan Ramon.

Grâce aux rappels insistants de Frank, j'ai pu attirer l'attention de notre comité de circulation et un ralentisseur à mi-chemin de Sir Walter Scott a été installé et il fait déjà une énorme différence. Nous en avons également ramené un autre à l'entrée/sortie arrière de l'hôtel de ville, qui sert également à dissuader les automobilistes. Merci Frank !

Entre-temps, des plaintes continuent d'être déposées au sujet des excès de vitesse sur l'avenue Marc Chagall. Nous avons un ralentisseur près de la décharge à neige, donc les voitures semblent appuyer sur l'accélérateur quand elles tournent le coin et roulent vers Mackle.

Nous avons contacté le commandant du poste de police 9, Martin Montour. "Nous pensons que ce sont les mêmes jeunes qui font des excès de vitesse le long de Cavendish", a-t-il déclaré, confirmant que les plaintes seront suivies.

Les citoyens qui sont témoins d'un excès de vitesse sont priés d'envoyer un courriel directement à [email protected] et il y sera donné suite. En cas d'urgence, vous pouvez appeler le 911,

The Côte Saint-Luc Traffic Committee met recently, at which time I made the case for something to be done to increase safety on Marc Chagall Avenue

With the addition of two Equinoxe high rises,  and if you take into account Le Rothchild I, which borders on the street, there are  close to 1,000 residents spread across six buildings and one town house complex. Add to that JPPS Elementary/Bialik High School,  Beth Chabad at Kildare Road and the snow dump, then we are talking about a lot of traffic.

A look at Marc Chagall Avenue.

Following two recent accidents at the curve on Marc Chagall, the committee discussed what can be done. Engineering presented  traffic counts taken from the previous week.

They showed low volume and low speeds at the curve. Simply looking at the data would not suggest a problem in the area. The  local Police Station 9 commander  agreed that there is likely no speeding on the curve and that they would not be able to issue tickets based on the speeds of the tests. The committee did agree  that these values would be amplified if it were trucks and not cars.

Personally I do not feel that these speed tests tell the true story. There have been many spring, summer and fall nights where have seen cars whizzing by well above the speed limit.

So our plans now call for a significant reduction in speed allowed:   30km/hr along the entire Marc Chagall stretch. For residents who have been asking for such a measure  you need to understand that once signs are installed the police will be monitoring it and tickets issued.

Keep in mind that the main entrance for Isadore Goldberg Park is now on Marc Chagall, qualifying  certain portion of the street as a park area for the purposes of speed. Then, of  course, as we approach JPPS/Bialik we enter a school zone.

I walk or drive down Marc Chagall almost every day. When I am in my vehicle I do so very slowly, cognizant of the traffic and - notably during COVID-  the fact that there has been more pedestrian activity.

The addition of more speed bumps was not accepted as the noise caused by trucks  would be very disruptive to the surrounding buildings.  

Before the signs are installed and we complete the necessary steps to make this a reality, I welcome comments from constituents at [email protected].

It has been two years now since a new stop sign was placed at Kildare Road and Rembrandt. Police authorities okayed it from the start and monitored it often. Councillor Cohen monitors it regularly. Some people expressed concern that the stop sign was too small. So a larger one was installed recently.

I recently held a meeting with some residents of the town houses on Kildare Road, between Cavendish Boulevard and Kellert Avenue.  With Scott,  David and Jo Hong I shared the discussions I had at the last Traffic Committee meeting over  an issue they are having with  restricted parking signs (Tuesday and Thursday)  that went up in front of their homes.

With Jo Hong, David and Scott.

These same signs were removed when construction commenced in 2009 on their homes. Interestingly, there were no restricted parking signs present when work was complete in 2013. For six years that section of Kildare continued to have no such signs. According to Public Works this was a serious oversight on their part.

It turns out that it was a complaint from across the street, asking why they had no parking two days a week and their side did not. Engineering did some research and realized that the signs were removed during construction in 2009, but never put back. Since I was never consulted, I asked for a review and that finally took  place yesterday. Public Works insisted that they had complaints for years that the sweeper during spring, summer and fall could not clean the street properly. Their personnel were not aware of the sign situation. At  the meeting their operations director said they still need some restrictions in place.

For residents this poses a major inconvenience, notably when guests come over during the day or they themselves want to leave a car on the street instead of going back into the garage.

A compromise has been reached. They will only maintain restrictions between April 1 to December for the sweeper. Instead of two days, it will be part of one day. I spoke to Public Works and they are recommending Tuesdays from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm as the sweepers start in early spring and leaf season goes to the end of November. I will now wait for the Traffic Committee’s formal recommendation to come to City Council and the situation will be resolved.

One foot note: Montreal Transit Commission mandated bus lines will be introduced island-wide in the next year or so. That could impact on  parking  for everyone, including this stretch. We have no power on such decisions. We will keep everyone posted.

I have some terrific news to report. After a lengthy search, our Human Resources Department has finally engaged the services of a full-time crossing guard for the crucial corner of Cavendish and Kildare.

Danilo Aaragao will start work on Monday, September 30, working with Lt. Anthony Tsakon  and  Jean-Marc Dubois from our Public Safety Department.  He will succeed Norman Klein, who left the post for a security post at a local condo. Of course the legend there was the late Archie Kwiatt worked  that corner for many years.

Norman Klein previously patrolled the corner.

This our busiest cross-section. There are many students from JPPS-Bialik and pedestrians from nearby streets who frequent the corner and we need someone responsible to make sure they abide by the  signals. And yes we have to watch out for the motorists as well. Decades ago there was a fatal accident involving a Bialik student. I still get chills recalling that moment.

Danilo Aragao

In  a continued effort to make Kildare Road in District 2 safer, we have just installed a brand new flashing stop sign at the corner of Sir Walter Scott. Hopefully this will deter motorists who have either run through the sign or made short stops. We do not have many signs this noticeable in the city so I would like to thank our traffic experts for recognizing the need here.

The new flashing stop sign.

Further down the road we have another stop sign  that was  installed just over a year ago. As noted in previous articles,  we  did so in order to give an opportunity to Rembrandt motorists to get off their street safely. Prior to the stop sign some  were inching out dangerously out of impatience. Our Traffic Committee and the local Police Station Traffic Officer have monitored this corner regularly, several times in my company, to examine and confirm its efficiency.

The little girl with the backpack.

We  also have a sign of a little girl with a backpack on a pole closer to Merrimac, warning motorists that there are small children travelling back and forth to school and to watch their speed. These type of signs are posted in strategic spots throughout the city and I think they are very effective.

I am pleased to report that a new security measure will soon be put into place at the corner of Rembrandt Avenue and  Kildare Road.

Last September we added a new stop sign at that section heading towards Cavendish. Motorists on Rembrandt had been locked in, particularly during rush hour, for many years. Our Traffic Committee did a number of studies for taking this measure. I had promised to review it in  the spring. Councillor David Torjdman (Traffic Committee Chair) and I met with Police Station 9 Traffic Officer Simon Poitras  and did so with a group of Rembrandt Ave. condo reps. I then  went with Officer Poitras to observe the intersection. Not only did Officer Poitras agree that the area is safer now with the stop sign, but he supported a suggestion from our meeting related to the Montreal Transit Commission.

This photo shows where the bus stop will be moved.à

The 162 bus stops directly at Rembrandt and Kildare. This creates a partial blindspot for cars turning left from Rembrandt. After interventions from our Traffic Engineer Spyro Yotis the MTC has agreed to move the stop back 15 meters. This will make a big difference and improve the situation even more. The MTC does not adhere to requests like this often. We hope the work will be completed by the end of August.

This is where the bus stops now.