Full makeover envisioned for de la Savane Street
A stretch of road in Montreal once rated the 11th worst in the province is getting a $14.1-million makeover.
The 1.2-kilometre section of de la Savane St. runs along the northern edge of a mixed-use development known as “Le Triangle.”
Used as a quick connector for motorists zipping between JeanTalon St. and Décarie Blvd., it will be upgraded as part of an effort to enhance a growing residential neighbourhood in Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-deGrâce.
The renovation plan was recently passed by Montreal’s executive committee. It will go to city council for approval on June 12. Once approved, the two-year project is set to begin in about a month, converting de la Savane from a deteriorated six-lane speedway into a quiet, tree-lined residential street with four lanes, a protected bike path and broader sidewalks.
“It’s a road that was made for an industrial function,” said councillor Marvin Rotrand, who represents the Snowdon district where de la Savane is located.
“It doesn’t match with the city’s objectives of it now being a residential area. So we have rethought de la Savane entirely.”
For decades, people living in the surrounding neighbourhood have wanted the street to be improved, said resident Francely Rocher.
The planned bike path is “very useful,” said Rocher, who has a background in urban planning. He has been following the developments closely, attending boroughhosted informational meetings and staying in touch with neighbours.
“We need to be patient,” said Rocher, who moved to the area two years ago. “It’s still a work in progress, and we will see in the next two years how it develops. It looks pretty good, what’s coming in the next two years. A lot of work will be done.”
Rotrand said the city’s investment is worthwhile because Le Triangle encourages people to move into the city from the suburbs. It keeps empty nesters and families in the area, he said, and it attracts young professionals.
“We started with an old and decaying industrial neighbourhood and we are transforming it into a fresh and comfortable, residential neighbourhood that meets the needs of different types of clientele,” Rotrand said.
“It’s working as it is supposed to, and the city has budgeted an enormous amount of money to do this. All the infrastructure is being renewed and a new park is being put in.”
Motorists tend to speed down the connector street because it has multiple lanes and very few stops, he said, so the changes will help slow traffic.
Rotrand said old water pipes will be replaced, a pedestrian walkway will be added, and there will be a new traffic light at Place de la Savane. “The whole configuration will be different,” he said. “This will allow us to better serve this growing residential neighbourhood.”
A CAA-Quebec survey in 2015 ranked de la Savane and Chelsea’s Route 105 as tied for 11th place as worst roads in the province.
De la Savane has since been patched, Rotrand said, but the repairs didn’t address the need for a more residential design.
More projects are planned for the area over the next two years.
Buchan St. will be made more cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly, Rotrand said.
Paré St. will be narrowed, as will Victoria Ave. between Jean-Talon and Paré.
A new park with a chalet is planned for the corner of Victoria and Buchan. That project requires the demolition of a car dealership and decontamination of the land.