The new permanent pedestrianization of a section of Notre-Dame Street is causing a lot of congestion in the local streets of Old Montreal, denounce merchants, who believe they have never been truly consulted by the City.
“It takes 35 minutes to go three blocks. People take one way, or they take the small streets and flood Old Montreal in desperation. Notre-Dame Street is the main artery to cross this neighborhood,” says the owner of the restaurant Chez Delmo, Benoît Dessureault.
He deplores that the City’s pedestrianization plan was done “without real planning”. “We are not at all against making streets pedestrianized, but we still need to do it well, with evacuation routes, a real plan, not just improvisation and a municipal decree. There, we are killing my business. My vegetable seller and my fishmonger don’t even want to deliver to me anymore, it’s such a mess. »
Since September 19, Notre-Dame Street has been pedestrianized between Place d’Armes and Saint-Sulpice Street, as part of the “pedestrian kingdom” project that the City wants to establish in Old Montreal. Three other sectors have been or will be pedestrianized: Place Jacques-Cartier, Rue Saint-Paul and Rue de la Commune.
At the end of April, The Press revealed a survey by the local SDC according to which 54% of traders, residents and workers surveyed were unfavorable or very unfavorable to the idea of significant pedestrianization of the sector. Already, the vast majority of the 142 individuals surveyed by the SDC were particularly concerned about the “risk of congestion”.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Traffic is heavy in the area.
“We knew it would be like this. Thursday lunchtime, I only had 12 people, although I have 50 seats in the dining room and 25 at the bar. Normally, here, at lunchtime, you don’t come in without a reservation,” illustrates Mr. Dessureault, visibly irritated by the situation.
A large preoccupied building
500 Place d’Armes, not far from the basilica, is also worried. The building management has just requested the services of the law firm Spiegel Sohmer. The latter sent a letter this week to Mayor Valérie Plante, deploring that his client was surprised “not to have been consulted in order to ensure harmonious implementation”.
“All the tenants and users of the Building have been able to see, since the implementation of the announced pedestrianization, the major impact of this implementation, in particular on the fluidity of traffic, and this until the “intersection of McGill and Notre-Dame”, we read in the said letter, that The Press obtained.
In its missive, the law firm adds that “it is urgent” that the mayor comes “to see on site the negative impact of the measures put in place for your new pedestrianization project, in order to find a realistic solution to this problem , which should allow smooth circulation.
Montreal swears it is proactive
In the mayor’s office, we respond that the City and the borough “are working closely with residents and businesses to adapt this pedestrianization project, aimed at calming Old Montreal, in order to make it more welcoming for Montrealers and residents.” visitors.”
“It is normal that questions persist, the project on Notre-Dame having started recently. We reassure the manager of 500 Place d’Armes that access to parking is maintained. We also met the occupants, like the National Bank, several weeks ago and took their needs into account,” says press officer Béatrice Saulnier-Yelle.
She adds “that by limiting through traffic with pedestrian zones, we are creating a friendly environment without restricting access to Old Montreal.” “We are proud of this transformation and will continue to adjust based on feedback from citizens and merchants. This project is evolving and improvements are always possible,” assures the firm.
However, for the independent municipal councilor for the McGill district, Serge Sasseville, “the City simply should not have pedestrianized this location.” “It’s next to the Palais des congrès, it gives access to Old Montreal. Access to a key neighborhood is completely blocked, without consulting the business community. I’m quite stunned to see that,” he said.
“At the moment, we are putting several institutions in danger. We need to sit down and talk about what can be done, it’s urgent,” concludes Mr. Sasseville.