After reducing the speed to 10 km/h in its alleys last year, the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie will partially close about thirty of them to traffic this summer, to “offer a more safe” to residents.

“We have all been shocked by the accidents that have taken place in the streets and alleys of Montreal in recent years. It is urgent to act to prevent such events from happening again, “hammered Thursday the mayor of the borough, François Limoges, affirming that “the alleys should not be used as transit routes, or shortcuts “.

A total of 32 alleys will be partially closed. Most of them are “H-shaped”, in other words “they have four access points leading to residential streets”, recalls the borough.

The latter claims to have selected them “according to the transit traffic observed, comments made by the population”, even the proximity of a school, a daycare, an activity center or a park. . A list including all of the alleys concerned was also published on the City of Montreal’s website on Thursday.

By “partially closed”, the borough means above all that for each of these alleys, “two out of four accesses will be closed by concrete flower boxes, rectangular or circular”, after which vegetation will be planted there. The stated goal is to prevent cars “from crossing the lane in a straight line and using it as a shortcut, without impeding pedestrian or cyclist traffic.”

That said, motorists will be able to continue to access said alleys through two other entrances. Local parking will therefore remain accessible. To request the partial closure of an H-shaped alley, citizens are invited to contact 311 or fill out an online form.

In April 2022, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie became the first Montreal borough to impose a maximum limit of 10 km/h in its alleys. The announcement then came a week after the driver of a delivery truck driving out of an alleyway hit and ran over a man near the corner of Beaubien Street and 9th Avenue.

This summer, the borough also plans to install “new stop signs” and proceed with “the development of speed bumps” in various sectors.

On Tuesday, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie announced that the bill for obtaining a parking sticker will now depend on the weight of your vehicle. As vehicles get bigger and bigger, the district says it wants to set up pricing that better reflects the space they occupy.