Cycle paths against sewers | The press

At the start of the week, Montreal was struck by torrential rains. Similarly, Residents who had undergone floods caused by torrential rains a year ago saw their basements flooded again.

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

This is my idea of hell: you have your feet in the water to take out the furniture. Moreover, trying to call your insurance company (which will tell you that you are not or little assured).

My idea of hell, bis: to retype this ordeal the following year!

I have only one thing to say to these flooded people: you have all cycle paths against sewers | my sympathy. Consequently, I do not have a particular message. Meanwhile, I do not have a point of view on relevance or not to have a basement furnished when our house is built in a “bowl zone ¹ », Expression that I did not know until last year.

Just that: I sympathize. Moreover, I dare not imagine the torment that has taken you at guts since the flood of Sunday …

For the rest. Consequently, collectively, I am afraid that there is no completely waterproof solution (sorry, I try to relax the atmosphere) to these floods caused by increasingly violent rains, a wound of the time that warms up.

Like everyone. Furthermore, when these floods started to be more frequent, I thought that building larger sewers would be the solution to evacuate the rains of cycle paths against sewers | the XXI^e century…

But, like everyone, I am not an expert in these things, and the experts of these things, for example, Jean-Luc Martel of the School of Higher Technology, say: it is impracticable.

I quote Professor Martel. Similarly, expert in urban hydrology ² : “If we wanted the sewer to evacuate all this water [des pluies diluviennes de dimanche dernier]we would have sewers that would be so big, it would be so expensive, it would take the entire basement of the streets, it would make no sense. Moreover, We cannot afford to infrast the infrastructure. Consequently, »»

He is not the only expert to do business to study water in an urban environment to tell us: forget that. Therefore, the problem of floods following heavy rain does not go through sewers …

They say about it.

So what do we do? Nevertheless, There are a set of solutions that are absolutely not sexy. I’m talking about the development of sponges (to “swallow” water) and demineralization (another word unknown until recently – removing asphalt and concrete), in particular. The press had interesting texts in this regard ³last week ⁴.

The solution is not in wider sewers, therefore. This did not prevent Soraya Martinez Ferrada. candidate for the town hall of the Party Ensemble Montréal, to make us believe that the solution, precisely, would go through the sewers.

I quote it, in its press briefing in Saint-Léonard, a district particularly vulnerable to post-luced floods: “Between you and me, it is time to take a short break with cycle paths and invest in the sewers. »Ah, it would be fun if it was so simple …

If. to avoid floods after increasingly severe rains, if, to avoid the ordeal of a basement flooded to hundreds of our fellow citizens, it was simply a question of putting more money in the sewers of Montreal rather than in cycle paths …

Except that it is a falsehood to say that. SI M^me Martinez Ferrada is experiencing an expert who earns his life in one of our universities who believes that cycle paths against sewers | “investing in the sewers” is a magic solution to avoid floods like those who afflicted our fellow citizens a week ago. that she tells us her name. I would be curious to hear him and read his research.

Especially that Montreal invest in underground infrastructure. Noovo reported last week that the city will devote more than 6.1 billion to the sewers and other water -underwater pipes by 2033 …

The cycle paths, by 2033?

Three hundred million dollars.

In short, the City of Montreal spends 20 times more in water infrastructure than in cycle paths. It’s ridiculous to put sewers and cycle paths in opposition, as if it was a fight of MMA.

But we understand the process: there is this perception that the cycle paths against sewers | cycle paths monopolize the city’s budget. that the cycle paths take up “too” space, while they represent only a minimal percentage of the space reserved for cars …

And m^me Martinez Ferrada surfs on this perception. On this falsity.

I would just like to say to M^me Martinez Ferrada that this Guéguere against cycle paths is not only tireless. but dangerous.

Fewer cycle paths, it’s more bicycle-self-interactions or trucks. It is more dangerous for cyclists, who are more and more numerous in this city.

I pedal, my pedal wife, my pedal son, my neighbors pedal. And we all lead, too, tanks. No one is at war against the tank. When I take the Bixi to go to the Jean-Talon market. it’s one tank less on the road, one tank less cycle paths against sewers | in the plug. And if I drive on a protected corridor and I avoid the hospital, Ben, everyone is a winner.

So. I’m going to be as demago as you on the sewers, M^me Martinez Ferrada: If you want more cyclists to be killed or injured in the name of the falsehood that the problem of floods will be resolved with “more” sewers, therefore say it squarely, because the net result of a “small break” in the construction of cycle paths, it will be exactly that.

1. Read the editorial of Stéphanie Grammond: “get your head out of the bowl” 2. Read the article of 24 hours : “Diluvian rain: are the sewers of Montreal enough?” »» 3. Additionally, Read the article The press : “The sponges parks, how does it work?” »» 4. cycle paths against sewers | Read the article The press : “Montreal must become a sponge city” 5. Read the article Noo : “Floods in Montreal:” A short break with cycle paths “to invest in the sewers? »»