Arrondissement de Rosemont−La Petite-Patrie
Charter file
The OdM appreciates how strongly the City strives to increase the greening of its territory, including alleys. We are very aware of the positive impacts that these interventions create on air quality and the citizens’ quality of life. We believe, however, that these projects should not result in depriving citizens of their rights or cause safety problems.
This file concerns a complaint from a retailer who finds it difficult to access his parking space ever since the Borough has partially blocked the alley located at the back of his building. A green island has namely been installed in the centre of the alley, preventing vehicles from crossing it.
We conduct several site visits. We observe the way the retailer has to manoeuvre his vehicle, in the presence of Borough representatives. We actually perform these manoeuvres ourselves using one of the Borough’s vans, and in the presence of a municipal staff member. At our request, the Borough also conducts an analysis of the turning radius.
We meet several times with the Borough (management and Mayor’s Office): the Green Alley Committee and other concerned residents attend one of these meetings.
In the middle of the enquiry, the Borough reduces the size of the green island: unfortunately, however, this does not resolve the access and safety issues that, in our opinion, remain unacceptable. All our undertakings confirm that, in order to park his vehicle, this citizen must manoeuvre it forward and backward several times to avoid a lighting post located on the alley, near his parking space.
The Borough does not question our observations, nor our assessment of the difficulty level of the retailer’s manoeuvres. It deems, however, that since the retailer is technically capable of accessing his parking space, the situation is acceptable.
Ultimately, we issue a formal RECOMMENDATION basically asking the Borough to:
Review the layout of this alley in order to restore easy, unhindered and safe access to the retailer’s parking space at the back, both when entering in and exiting out of it.
Failing to review the layout, the Borough should relocate the post so as to no longer hinder the retailer’s parking manoeuvres.
This RECOMMENDATION draws on, among others, Section 26 of the Montréal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities, by which the City has committed to: “a) Developing its territory in a safe manner; c) Taking measures to ensure citizen security in public spaces, notably in parks and community and recreational facilities (…); and e) Protecting people and their property.”
We also emphasize the fact that the existing configuration may prompt delivery truck drivers to back up into this alley in order to avoid manoeuvring their vehicle around the post; in our opinion, this could threaten the safety of people in the alley at that time, including children.
Unfortunately, the Borough entirely rejects our RECOMMENDATION. We regretfullyclose this file, knowing that win-win solutions were at hand.
