MONTREAL -- While main arteries running through Hampstead and Cote-St-Luc are becoming increasingly clogged at rush hour, one traffic analyst believes he has the solution.
The streets in question run east-west and lead to Decarie Blvd.
According to traffic analyst Rick Leckner, the worst offenders include “Vezina, Plamondon, Van Horne – they regularly back up badly.”
Compounding the issue is the construction along the Decarie corridor. Leckner said he's studied the area and believes the issue could be at least partly solved by banning parking on some of those streets.
“It's crazy, there should be no parking,” he said. “That street should be as clear as possible.”
Leckner proposes instead that cars be allowed to park overnight at Decarie Square.
He also believes that extending the time the turning green light on Vezina stays on could make a difference.
“Maybe seven cars can get through,” he said. “Also, don't let cars turn left out of the Decarie Square parking lot during rush hour.”
He acknowledged that there are obstacles to implementing his idea; namely, politics.
“The people who are inconvenienced come from Hampstead and the City of Cote-St-Luc,” he said. “The solution lies within the City of Montreal.”
Hampstead Mayor Bill Steinberg said the traffic is a long-standing and urgent issue that Montreal has been unwilling or unable to fix.
“What happens if somebody has a heart attack, an ambulance has to get there? Or if there's a fire?” he said. “I mean, you can't get through.”
Jimmy Zoubris, an advisor to City Hall, said that city services received Leckner's proposal and, while it appears good at first glance, it requires further analyzing before anything can be implemented.
