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| Ten much-needed parking spots were removed from the St. Charles Rec centre for a phanton bike path. |
The centre contains a swimming pool and a rink with such popular attractions as a learn-to-skate course which sees dozens of parents haul their kids down to watch them fall on their bums for an hour.
Most of these parents need a place to park their wheels, as the spot is pretty remote, even for people in the neighbourhood.
But early in 2012 the borough zapped 10 parking spots alongside the facility, to replace them with a bike path, because they're convinced that bicycles and cars are races that should never mix.
So parking has been banned on the south side of Grand Trunk between Island and Hibernia for the convenience of those using the bicycle path.
(There's also no parking on the entire block in front of the arena either for reasons I don't entirely grasp.)
Here's the kicker: unlike most bike paths, which are closed after November 1, this path is apparently technically still open, as parking signs indicate that there's no parking at any time, regardless of season or hour.
And yet the bike path is completely uncleared of snow and ice.
A huge pile of snow now sits on the spot.
So there's no parking, no bike path and just a lot of irritated parents circling the neighbourhood streets trying to snatch parking spots from local residents.
The Vision Montreal (Harel's party) runs the borough and I have left a message with local city councillor Veronique Fournier to ask for an explanation. There's also a Projet Montreal borough councillor named Sophie Thiebault, a party that generally supports bicycle paths, but apparently doesn't have much say in the mismanagement of this resource.
The person who brought this situation to my attention describes it as a war on families.
I have left a variety of email and voice messages to various authorities and will update this report as any other information comes in.
Residents who want to ask why such a bizarre and inconvenient policy is in place might consider attending the next borough council meeting at 815 Bel Air on 5 Feb. (show up at 6:30 pm to register to ask questions at the meeting).
Addendum: Late Monday afternoon a borough official called to say that the parking will be restored, for the winter at least. Someone had blundered and that the snow will be cleared and the signs changed to allow parking on the spot from Nov. 1 to April 15.
These bike paths are ridiculous and they always seem to open new ones just as winter arrives.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a bit of a confused plan, but the term 'war on families' is truly hyperbolic, not to mention ridiculous. I am so tired of hearing the 'war on this' the 'war on that' It displays a societal laziness to situate issues (complex or simple) as 'war' or 'undemocratic' if it does not guarantee their perception of that everything must be a zero sum game, hence everything is a competition for inches of turf so to speak. As someone who has been an avid cyclist and raced at an amateur level (steroid free Ha!), as well as someone who loves classic cars and has owned a fine Italian sports car or two, plus owned hand-made expensive frames by local bicycle makers in Canada, and who like most cyclists - works, pay taxes etc.: it is baffling why the auto rhetoric has a misreading of what cyclists are as if there is some fixed bifurcation of what rights a citizen has depending on their mode of transport, and in turn their level of societal contribution. I like many other cyclists I have known in bicycle clubs, workplaces etc, often own cars but if possible will cycle for health, simplicity etc. The idea of 'two races' does come from both sides however, it is mostly one of material objective facts on part of cyclists. One cannot win a battle against a inattentive driver (on their cell) when on a bike. Unfortunately, many casual cyclists have low bike handling skill, cycle with headphones, do not plan to brake or prepare for when at intersections cars may turn legally across bike paths as on Maisonneuve. This digression aside, though I possess very high bike handling skill, I still want to be separated from opening car doors, erratic SUV drivers with huge blind spots (I.E Toyota Land Cruiser) as much as possible. I have seen enough injured cyclists by the above situations in my 30 years of cycling. But of course it would be perfect if there was no bicycles or pedestrians like Los Angeles and more cars on the road which guarantees better & longer lasting road conditions, and more parking spaces. Robert
ReplyDeleteI work close to the Notre-ame East bike path (from De Lorimier to Pie-IX and beyond. Heavily used even in winter. For the last several days it was not plowed. Today it was and cyclists were using it.
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