City creates new handicapped parking, expands school zone

At council's monthly public meeting last week, a recommendation to establish the first angle parking space on Melville Avenue south of Sherbrooke Street as a reserved handicapped parking was adopted.

Councillor John de Castell, who chairs the Community Safety, Utilities and Environment Committee which supported the measure, said a significant number of people who consult doctors at a nearby clinic and at other professional offices have mobility problems and the closest handicapped parking spaces are two blocks away at Westmount Public Library.

"So, not only for the clinic, but for other professional offices as well, whose clients may have mobility problems, it was deemed to be a good idea, and so this is going forward," de Castell said. "There will be a handy parking space for the handicapped, not only for the professional offices, but also those who wish to visit the park."

Councillor Cynthia Lulham inquired whether the City maintains a master list of where all the handicapped parking spots are. She also suggested that a list or diagram of the locations should be posted on the City of Westmount's web site.

"It isn't always very evident when you drive around looking for them," Lulham said. "It would be nice for handicapped persons to find them."

Regarding the school loading zone, de Castell said it is an expansion of an existing zone used by parents whose daughters attend The Study.

Parking will be forbidden in the zone from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Monday to Friday, from Sept. 1 to June 30. It extends along The Boulevard's north side, between Braeside Place and Clarke Avenue, and on the south side between Braeside and Clarke.

"It's a request from Station 12," said de Castell, adding that City officials consider themselves fortunate to have a Montreal Police officer — who made the request — and whose sole concern is traffic in Westmount. "We've always had a safety issue in that area, and, in fact, it's getting worse."

"This expanded school zone will be in operation an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, and those who are using it now and those who intend to should be aware that they expect vigorous enforcement the regulations regarding the expanded zone," he added.

De Castell said that those who have become especially fond of double-parking in school loading zones "will be vigorously encouraged to stop that behaviour."