Montreal will have five new pedestrian-friendly streets starting this coming summer.
The pilot projects are part of plans for the city’s 375th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2017.
"This program will ... forge new synergies between residents and their neighborhoods," said Mayor Denis Coderre.
The new pedestrian pathways will be in the following neighbourhoods:
- Ontario St. between Valois St and Bourbonniere Ave. in the Mercier–Hochelaga Maisonneuve borough;
- Beaubien St., between St. Denis and Boyer Sts. in the Rosemont–La Petite Patrie borough (will be shared with buses and bikes);
- De Castelneau St. between Gaspe St. and Henri Julien Ave. in the Villeray–St. Michel–Parc Extension borough;
- Stanislas St. between Londres and Stanislas Sts. in the St. Laurent borough; and
- Park Stanley Ave. between Berri St. and Durham Ave. in the Ahunstic–Cartierville borough.
The city will contribute $43,500 to $100,000 to each borough to carry out the projects.
Rosemont–La Petite Patrie Borough Mayor Francois Croteau, a member of the official opposition, says the $80,000 his borough will receive to carry out their project isn't enough.
"Today we received $80,000 for a project that's going to cost $1.5 million. so like I said, it's not a lot of money to do a very big project," he said.
Croteau also eliminating a route for cars to take during rush hour shouldn't impact traffic on the borough's streets.
"Only 25 per cent of the mobility on Beaubien is in the car. 75 per cent is pedestrian, bus and cyclist," he said.
Each pilot project will be evaluated at the end of this and next year.
No decision has been made on whether the streets will be designated for pedestrian use only all year or just seasonally.
Seven kilometres of temporary or permanent pedestrian streets already exist in the city including Prince Arthur St. (year round) and the section of St. Catherine St. E that runs through the Gay Village (summer/fall only). The new projects will add just over one kilometre to that total.
