Pedestrian, bike paths on the way
Montreal will add 327 kilometres of bicycle paths and pedestrian lanes, while some thoroughfares will be closed to motorized traffic this summer. It is part of an effort to open up the city — and its businesses — to residents after months of COVID -19 lockdown.
However, the head of the official opposition at city hall said the plan was short on details and didn’t seem to have considered the businesses it is supposed to help. And Lionel Perez wondered about the motivation behind Mayor Valérie Plante’s announcement on Friday.
“What I’m concerned about is that they are using the pandemic as pretext to push forward their political agenda” instead of promoting physical distancing, said Perez, referring to the administration’s record on lessening the number of cars on city streets. “The mayor said today the bike paths will be temporary, but she didn’t say as much about the pedestrian corridors.
“We know that because there’s going to be reduction in the use of public transit, more and more people are using their cars to do their purchases. And if we’re removing more parking spots (because of bicycle paths), it’s going to make it more difficult.”
Over the course of the summer, Montreal will temporarily close Mont-royal Ave., Wellington St. and de la Commune St. to motorized traffic, although access for delivery vehicles and bus service is expected to be maintained.
Beginning in June, the city will increase pedestrian and cyclist access to St-laurent Blvd., St-denis St., Christophe-colomb Ave. and Gouin Blvd., although motorized traffic will be maintained.
Dubbed the “safe active transportation circuit,” the changes to the road network will add cycling and pedestrian thoroughfares that will connect five parks: Mount Royal, Maisonneuve, Jarry, Frédéric-back and Île-de-la-visitation.
The temporary network — which will be in operation until the autumn — will also connect with commercial streets.
The network will address the concerns of merchants who worried there was insufficient space for them to resume operations while respecting physical distancing, Plante said.
Asked to address the concerns of trucking and delivery companies, which said they were not consulted, Éric Alan Caldwell, executive committee member responsible for mobility, said he had spoken Thursday night with the head of Quebec’s trucking association.
“I reassured him, telling him that we will adapt. Deliveries are essential to local businesses, and in planning the network we’ve kept trucking routes for every (part) of the island.”
Caldwell acknowledged the network would have an effect on the number of parking spots, but noted the level of vehicular traffic has plummeted since the crisis began. He said that whenever possible, some parking spots would be available on streets parallel to those where they were eliminated.
Plante noted that merchants’ associations had sought help in opening up commercial streets and the network is not “something we are imposing on anyone.”
News of the network was welcomed by the Association des Sociétés de développement commercial de Montréal, which represents business communities of 17 commercial streets and four districts. But the association said Montreal should be prepared to change or cancel elements of its plan.
Plante said “robust measures” were required.
“To do nothing would be completely unacceptable,” she said. “When we have a critical situation, strong action is needed, as much for the physical and mental health of citizens as to help our businesses get through this.”
The mayor said the city will soon announce what facilities will be open to the public this summer.
“I’m thinking about pools, I’m thinking about libraries ... but now I need to ask for the approval of public health authorities for (the reopening) of any of those installations.”
Plante said an element of the network would be to try to involve cultural and arts organizations in finding a way to “have fun and enjoy our city.”
“There are so many possibilities, but we need to think outside of the box.”