Mountaintop traffic mayhem?

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Regular visitors to the summit of Mount Royal may have noticed more automobile traffic than usual on Olmstead Path, the dirt ring-road that leads to the chalet and the cross. Olmstead Path is supposed to be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists only; motorists require special permission to drive the road. What gives?

One reason is the increased use of the chalet for private purposes. The City of Montreal rents it out for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events at $1,500 a pop. The location has been gaining in popularity--so much so that parks officials want to stop renting it out unless the event holds some prestige value for the city. "We've proposed the change to city council, and we're waiting for their approval," says parks spokesperson André Lessard.

But another cause of increased car traffic is that since January, the police are no longer in charge of issuing car permits for Olmstead Path. "We used to have better control over who went up there," one police officer told the Mirror. "Now, if someone shows up looking for a permit, they have to go all the way down to St-Antoine and back again. You think a guy won't just take his chances and drive on the road anyway?"

The cops are, however, still in charge of issuing tickets. Park defenders can join the fight by ratting out any permitless cars on Olmstead Path to the nearest Mount Royal mountie. :

--Philip Preville

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