Lower Speed Limit Across Montreal Coming Into Effect

From The Montreal Gazette:

The city of Montreal has begun to phase in a 40 kilometres per hour maximum for automobile traffic on residential streets.

The 10 kilometre per hour reduction will go into effect in the boroughs of Lachine, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Saint Laurent, Rosemont La Petite Patrie as well as two districts of the downtown district of Ville Marie between Dec. 27-31.

Boroughs that have yet to reduce to limit are expected to do so over the course of 2010.

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Parking Tickets Invalid? One Lawyer Thinks So

A local lawyer says the new electronic tickets are invalid if they are not signed.

From CTV:

A local lawyer is set to appear before the courts to contest tens of thousands of parking tickets not signed by Montreal's parking inspectors, thanks to the city's new electronic ticketing system.

Marie-Helene Lamoureux will face the Quebec Superior Court in November to argue that the city's new parking tickets are unlawful because they are not signed.

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Montreal To Cut Speed Limit To 40 km/h

File photo: Traffic lights in Montreal.
Photograph by: Marcos Townsend, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

MONTREAL ­ The city of Montreal is planning to reduce speed limits to 40 kilometres an hour from 50 kilometres on residential streets.

The lower speed limit is already in effect in some boroughs and the city says it will work on harmonizing common streets and changing signage.

Safety is the main reason, said André Lavallée, the executive committee members responsible for urban transport.

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Parking Meter Privatization A Boon For Montreal

A Université du Québec researcher and the city of Montreal agree the privatization of parking meters and parking lots in Montreal in 1994 has created a cash cow for the city, raising almost $57 million in revenue last year. Photograph by: Phil Carpenter, Gazette file photo

From The Montreal Gazette:

But lose the third party and save money, UQAM researcher says.

A Université du Québec researcher and the city of Montreal agree the privatization of parking meters and parking lots in Montreal in 1994 has created a cash cow for the city, raising almost $57 million in revenue last year.

But could the city have done as well or better had it not signed a 30-year deal with Stationnement de Montréal to operate the network?

The city’s parking authority is run by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

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Anti-Mask Bylaw Off The Agenda

May Day in Montreal: The wording of the controversial new anti-mask bylaw is so broad, says city councillor Warren Allmand, a former federal solicitor-general, that it could be used to arrest somebody in the Santa Claus parade. Photograph by: PIERRE OBENDRAUF THE GAZETTE, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

Montreal's executive committee has sent its controversial new anti-mask bylaw back to the drawing board.

On the lip of a city-council vote over the proposal scheduled for Monday night, it chose instead yesterday to quietly move the measure to a back burner.

But this is only a partial retreat - and far from sufficient, a coalition representing 20 community and other groups declared.

"We want this proposition totally withdrawn - period," said lawyer Denis Barrette, speaking for the Ligue des droits et libertés and 19 other groups.

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