55 bus to get its own lane on St-Urbain Street

The 55 bus line in Montreal. (STM)

Montreal wants to revamp St-Urbain Street to make it safer and more efficient for public transit.

The main change will be the addition of a reserved bus lane for the 55, which commuters often say is unreliable despite running on a key artery of the city and stopping by major institutions.

Eric Caldwell, president of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), said the 55 bus route is one of its busiest.

“The addition of a reserved lane will enable buses to be more punctual and reliable ... reserved lanes represent a concrete and cost-effective solution for improving our services,” he said.

Saint-Urbain Street is one of few straight paths to downtown Montreal west of St-Denis Street shared by drivers, cyclists and public transit commuters — but is often congested.

The city also said there have been a high number of incidents reported on St-Urbain in recent years, and that having the street accommodate more traffic while improving active transportation is key.

In addition to the bus lane, the city will make the existing bike path wider, install bollards and concrete curbs, upgrade traffic lights and add bus platforms over the next few years to create a “sustainable mobility corridor.”

To make this possible, 447 parking spaces will be removed from Saint-Urbain Street. Parking spots on neighbouring streets will be adjusted to make up for it, including 257 reserved for residents, said Béatrice Saulnier-Yelle, a spokesperson for the city.

She stressed no resident will lose their parking spot and the city is looking at where it can add some non-reserved spaces.

The work will be done in phases, starting between Bernard Avenue and Milton Street this summer.

The city said it has been consulting key stakeholders in the area since December 2023 and a public information session will take place May 1.