Montreal West argues this isn't about building a wall between rich and poor (there's no restriction on pedestrian travel), but the only issue is safety. I couldn't find any evidence of a problem when I checked it out two years ago. But it seems to be enough to convince people that it's necessary. And that's why it's the same argument used by other cities who erect barriers between neighbours.

View Fences among municipal neighbours in a larger map

This Google map shows a handful of examples of traffic barriers that happen to land right on municipal boundaries. They range from a concrete block with do-not-enter sign to a locked fence.

Most cases aren't quite so conspicuous. Look at an aerial map and you can draw boundaries between cities (or former cities) by simply looking at where the roads stop connecting to each other, where two streets run parallel to each other for a long time without any connecting streets. It makes it easier to justify separating cities physically when there are limited access points to block off, as is the case in Montreal West.

And then there are all the connections that aren't built because of a mixture of NIMBYism and other fears: the Cavendish extension, the second bridge to Nuns' Island.

We won't solve these issues through lawsuits. We'll solve them when people in their suburban fortresses realize that road safety will be achieved by traffic calming, better urban planning, increased public transit and more transportation options.

Putting barriers between neighbouring cities only serves to divide us.

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When they voted to break up One Island, One City, 15 municipalities on the island of Montreal, mostly in the West Island, argued that local democracy was one of the big reasons why. Their voices would get overruled in the larger city of Montreal.

Now, of course, these reconstituted municipalities have virtually no say in so-called "agglomeration" matters like public transit. Instead, the city of Montreal calls all the shots.

And as nominations closed Friday for mayor and city council positions, it seems healthy local democracy isn't on the agenda either. Of the 15, six won't have a vote for mayor on Nov. 1 because only one person (the incumbent, except in Westmount where it's a friendly transition to a former mayor) applied for the job. In only one city (Beaconsfield) are there more than two candidates for mayor. And in only three (Beaconsfield, Montréal-Est and Mount Royal) are all council seats contested.

In Baie d'Urfé, they won't even hold an election because not one position has more than one candidate.

Here are the preliminary numbers from the government:

• Baie d'Urfé: Mayor Maria Tutino re-elected by acclamation. 0/6 districts contested
• Beaconsfield: Three candidates for mayor: incumbent Bob Benedetti, Hela Labene, David Pollock. 6/6 districts contested (each by at least three candidates).
• Côte St. Luc: Mayor Anthony Housefather re-elected by acclamation. 3/8 districts contested.
• Dollard des Ormeaux: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent Ed Janiszewski, Shameen Siddiqui. 6/8 districts contested.
• Dorval: Mayor Edgar Rouleau re-elected by acclamation. 3/6 districts contested.
• Ile Dorval: N/A
• Hampstead: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent William Steinberg, David Sternthal. 4/6 districts contested.
• Kirkland: Mayor John Meaney re-elected by acclamation. 3/8 districts contested.
• Montréal Est: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent Robert Coutu, Yvon Labrosse. 6/6 districts contested.
• Montreal West: Two candidates for mayor: Beny Masella, Emile Subirana. 2/4 districts contested.
• Mount Royal: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent Vera Danyluk, Andre Krepec. 6/6 districts contested.
• Pointe-Claire: Mayor Bill McMurchie re-elected by acclamation. 1/8 districts contested.
• Sainte Anne de Bellevue: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent Bill Tierney, Francis Deroo. 5/6 districts contested.
• Senneville: Two candidates for mayor: incumbent George McLeish, Christopher Jackson. 5/6 districts contested.
• Westmount: Peter Trent elected mayor by acclamation. 6/8 districts contested.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, six candidates for mayor and every single district has at least three candidates (one from each of the major parties). A total of 400 people are running for 103 positions.

It's possible that people in these suburbs are just really happy with their current government. In the few places with opposition, like Beaconsfield and Hampstead, there are actual races. But a lack of even token opposition leads to politicians getting lazy, and that inevitably leads to corruption.

So tell me, who's more democratic again?

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Without any warning and while still in court, Mtl West put them up in the middle of the day. People came home greeted by a security guard and the barricade. Quite military like. Lots of emotion on Hillcrest yesterday. Lachine has not had their appeal read yet (deadline was May 30th, we submitted on time), so Montreal West had no business putting anything up as we are still in court.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, Montreal West put up a barrier on this street leading downhill to Ville-Saint-Pierre (it's one of only two road links between the two neighbouring but elevationally unequal towns). Lachine protested, then sued, and a judge ruled in Montreal West's favour. Now it's in the appeal stage, and Montreal West wasn't supposed to put up a barrier until the appeal process had been exhausted.

Looks like that's not the case.

Instead, Montreal West put up three "do not enter" signs marked "emergency exit only" (the fact they used "exit" instead of "entry" says something too) in both directions, and Lachine is taking them to court ... again.

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The dispute is over concrete barriers Montreal West put up at the border between the two towns in March. MoWest said it was to curb dangerous traffic that speeds through town as a shortcut to Highway 20 West. Lachine/VSP said it was class warfare, designed to separate the rich residents of Montreal West from the poor working class down the hill.

Of course, they're both right.

The barrier will stay down until the appeal is decided.

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Residents of the southwest sector of Montreal West have been subjected to an increase in high-speed, dangerously aggressive traffic as more cars, trucks and semis use these residential streets as a shortcut.

Semis? Really? OK, then. I'll give anyone $20 who can take a picture of a semi or other large, non-local truck barrelling down Broughton St. at high speed recently. These trucks couldn't even navigate these streets, much less race through them at high speed.

The opinion piece makes a very valid point that it's hypocrtical for the city to argue that fire trucks will take longer to get there when they're closing the closest fire station. Of course, the solution to that is not to close the fire station.

Finally, the one question that's been nagging me and that MoWest's apologists haven't answered: if this is all about traffic flow, why was the barrier exactly on the border? Why not cut off Ainslie and Easton streets from Westminster, like they did Broughton? Why not get VSP to cut off its access to Highway 20 through Norman St.?

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James Shaw Street in Beaconsfield, the Cavendish extension, and now residents of Montreal West are upset because one of their roads is being used by people who are not them. And their arguments just don't hold water.

Here's the story: Montreal West put up concrete barriers at Broughton Rd. and Easton Ave. to prevent traffic from crossing their border with Ville St. Pierre. According to the MtlWesters, it's because people are using Devil's Hill (Broughton/rue des Erables, depending on what city you're in) as a shortcut to Highway 20. According to the VSPers, it's nothing but class warfare, separating the less affluent Lachine residents from the rich homes that are literally at the top of the hill.

A quick look at the area and it's hard not to take Ville St. Pierre's side on this. First of all, while going through this area does indeed lead to Highway 20 via Norman street, I'd hardly call it a shortcut. First you have to get to Broughton, which is difficult because the intersection of Broughton and Westminster is now a raised sidewalk (the red mark in the map below). Then you have to navigate the forced turns and one-way streets designed to make driving through these parts as difficult as possible.

Finally, even if you make it through to VSP, you immediately hit another forced turn (on weekdays) from which there is no escape but back where you came from.

The only solution is to take Avon Rd. (which everyone else calls St. Jacques) down to Milton and then through to Norman St. This route isn't blocked by MtlWest's plan, because it doesn't go through their residential streets. It's also silly, since just continuing down Avon/St. Jacques leads you straight to the highway through the other part of VSP.

Today, with the barrier out of the way, I passed by that area to see what the traffic was like during the afternoon rush-hour. It was non-existent. Anyone who knows the area knows you can't get to the highway for the reasons listed above, and anyone who doesn't isn't going to bother wasting their time trying to find a shortcut.

So giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they're not hallucinating anything, how is it that cars are taking this route? I have a few suggestions:

1. Bad signage. Coming down Westminster or through other streets in that area, you see a sign that reads "Aucun acces autoroute 20 / No access highway 20 / via Ainslie ou/or Easton". To someone not intimately familiar with Montreal West's geography, the sign is meaningless. Wouldn't it be simpler just to tell people where the highway is? If they don't follow that instruction, it's their own fault for getting lost.
2. Bad intersection. The corner of Avon (St. Jacques) and Westminster is a 5-way intersection. Someone heading west on St. Jacques sees signs for "Westminster S", "Avon", "Brynmor", "Easton" and "Recreation" (not a street name, but it looks like one). Easton, the bad street that leads into this secluded paradise, sits right next to Avon, the good street that leads into Highway 20. Because the two are parallel and right next to each other, drivers are easily confused about which leads to the highway. Especially coming down Westminster, you're told to turn right, but there are two rights and despite their best attempts at signage, it's not intuitive which is the correct one.

But hey, I'm not a civil planner, what do I know? Keep using our roads and not allowing us to use yours. Keep driving by my apartment at all hours of the night and then yelling at me when I so much as sneeze in your neighbourhood.

Montreal West is already surrounded on three sides by railway tracks. Aren't they gated enough?

P.S. To Lachine mayor Claude Dauphin, who asked: "Where else in Canada have you heard of a municipality that erects barricades to cut itself off from its neighbours?" -- have you never driven down Acadie Blvd.?

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