City taking a look at Old Montreal’s pedestrian streets and traffic flow

The Ensemble Montreal administration is looking at Old Montreal's pedestrian zones and traffic corridors.

The city is taking a closer look at Old Montreal. The neighbourhood has several pedestrian streets, which some critics fear may disappear in a drive for motorized mobility.

“When you’re down here, it’s a great experience, but it could be better,” said city councillor Leslie Robers. “There are cars making deliveries, and at the same time, we need to make sure that the people walking on the streets are safe.”

The city has mandated its mobility and urban planning department to look at improving traffic flow and safety in Old Montreal.

Three years ago, former Projet Montreal mayor Valérie Plante wanted to make Old Montreal, in her words, into a pedestrian kingdom.

The current Ensemble Montreal administration, however, says there was no plan in place, so it’s conducting a review of the area because some residents and businesses are not happy.

“We’re now taking a look at the entire district here and saying, ‘where are changes needed? ” Where are improvements needed?’ and that’s what the experts at City Hall will look at,” said Roberts.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s administration says pedestrian streets will remain, but the opposition party, Projet Montreal, says it’s not clear what the mayor’s intentions are.

“Like many major cities, historic centres of major cities around the world, the vision was to move towards a pedestrian neighbourhood, and now, unfortunately, the new administration is questioning that vision,” said Projet Montreal city councillor Christopher McCray.

The Residents Association of Old Montreal points out that there are access challenges when dealing with pedestrian streets.

They want to see better planning when implementing these changes.

“The residents should be able to get home,” said Fiona Ham of the association. “We should be able to go home; we should be able to deliver our groceries. If we lose the residents in the neighbourhood, we lose the complete essence of this neighbourhood.” "

While others hope a fresh take on the neighbourhood will mean more enforcement of the bylaws.

“Any changes that the city makes to the traffic regulations and the traffic flow in Old Montreal need to have some teeth behind them,” said Old Montreal resident John Kennedy.

“There has to be enforcement, so they have to get a commitment from the SPVM that they’re going to enforce these new rules, whatever they may be.”

He points out that it has lowered the speed limit on a section of St-Paul Street, but it’s not clear what other measures will be taken or which streets might be changed.