News

Camillien Houde Way, Montreal

Montreal’s Mayor Reclaims a Famous Road From Cars and Trucks

Camillien-Houde Way, the road that winds up Montreal’s iconic Mount Royal, will be closed to most vehicles, the mayor of Montreal announced Wednesday.

Mayor Valérie Plante presented what she called an “ambitious vision” for the road at a news conference on Wednesday. It will be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists but emergency vehicles will be able to use it when needed, she said. 

“We’re taking out the asphalt and we’re putting in trees,” she said.

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New York City traffic congestion

We’re Taking New York City’s Streets Back — and Then We’re Coming for the Rest of the Country

Over the summer, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority held meetings to discuss how to organize its congestion pricing toll for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street…

…The fury around congestion pricing is part of a larger debate that has animated a great deal of big city politics of late: Who owns the streets? The public right of way can occupy as much as one-third of the land in big U.S. cities, and various residents have begun to ask if there might be better things to do with all that territory than moving and storing cars.

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Jessica Spieker

Toronto East York Community Council Video – April 12, 2023

Jessica Spieker of Friends & Families for Safe Streets (FFSS) spoke to the TEYCC on April 12, 2023, in support of Councillor Saxe’s motion regarding Avenue Road safety. FFSS is a support and advocacy group working to end traffic violence. The group supports those who have been impacted by road violence. Its members want Toronto to be free from deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic collisions, all of which are preventable.

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Avenue Road south of St. Clair

The Avenue Road Study Update

The City’s Avenue Road Study is currently in progress with the goal “to find opportunities to improve the street with emphasis on safety, mobility choices, and enhancing streetscape. Streets are places where everyone should feel safe, comfortable and connected.”

The Phase 1 survey results have been published. The results affirm that safety improvements for all users along the Avenue Road corridor is a top priority. 

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cyclist at Avenue Rd & Dupont

Is Avenue Road getting worse?

Residents want change, but people keep getting hurt

Recently, a cyclist was hit by a school bus while trying to cross Avenue Road in midtown Toronto. It’s not the first time someone has been hit along Avenue Road and it won’t be the last, which is why local residents and residents’ associations have been calling for the six-lane stretch of the thoroughfare south of St. Clair to be reimagined as a complete street that makes vulnerable road users the priority instead of automobiles.

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Wider Sidewalks Now video opening image

Wider Sidewalks Now Video

In 2020, the Avenue Road Safety Coalition made a video to illustrate the safety issues posed by the narrow sidewalks in the 6-lane section of Avenue Rd. between Bloor Street and St. Clair Avenue. We spoke to many residents, business owners and local residents’ association members about the problems and potential solutions.

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