People in the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough will be able to better move around the borough without a car.
The borough is creating shared streets, more pedestrian walkways and expanding its cycling network for the summer season.
“With COVID-19 a lot of families are going to have to spend the summer in Montreal, and as you know, it can get very hot and uncomfortable and we still have to keep our two-metre distance,” said borough mayor Sue Montgomery.
The borough wants people to use the space on shared streets for “ball games, family picnics or drawing with chalk.”
Pedestrians and cyclists will have priority but cars will still be able to use the roads while respecting a 30 km/per hour speed limit.
“Signs and barriers at the entrance of these areas will encourage cars to drive with caution,” read a press release by the borough.
The borough has identified five areas where there will be shared streets:
- Terrebonne Sector: between Cavendish Boulevard and Monkland, Girouard and Somerled avenues
- Sherbrooke Sector: between Sherbrooke Street, Belgrave Avenue, De Maisonneuve Boulevard and Girouard Avenue
- Lemieux street between Nelson Mandela and Mackenzie King Parks and its surrounding streets
- Appleton and de Kent Avenues around Martin Luther King Park
- Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit until Jean-Brillant Street and Louis-Colin Avenue until Decelle Avenue
More pedestrian walkways such as the one located on Monkland Avenue are also coming to the borough at the following locations:
- Chemin Hudson between Goyer Street and Van Horne Avenue
- Jean Brillant Street between Légaré Street and Chemin de la Rampe
- Swail Avenue between Gatineau and Decelles Avenues
- Lacombe Avenue between chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges and Gatineau Avenue
“It’s what we call a compromise,” said borough councillor Marvin Rotrand.
“I’m just happy some of the areas where we would’ve had pushback from Snowdon residents are not in the plan and most of these streets that are included are elsewhere, where it’s most likely socially acceptable.”
The borough is also creating a protected bike path on Terrebonne Avenue, a longtime wish of cycling advocates.
“We are so excited to finally have a protected bike path in NDG,” said Julie Beauchemin, a member of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of NDG.
The project comes at the cost of several parking spots.
“Parking is very precious to a lot of people I understand,” said Montgomery. “But when you look at the amount of space that’s taken up by vehicles, it’s astounding. And we all pay for this public space — all of us.”
Work on the project will begin in mid-July and will continue until the end of the fall.
The mayor says the borough will survey residents to see how they feel about the project and decide whether or not it continues based on the results.
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