The transformation of Old Montreal into a “kingdom of pedestrians” should begin with the Notre-Dame Basilica and Place Jacques-Cartier areas, but the project arouses local opposition, we learned The Press.
A survey carried out until last week by the local Commercial Development Corporation (SDC) shows that 54% of merchants, residents and workers surveyed are unfavorable or very unfavorable to the Plante administration’s plan.
This would consist, according to images from the City of Montreal dating from the end of March included in the survey report, of completely or partially pedestrianizing sections of Saint-Paul, de la Commune, Place d’Armes and Saint-Sulpice streets. . In places, vehicles could still pass at low speed.
Other streets would see their traffic lanes reduced to leave more room for pedestrians with “improved street furniture and greening” as a result.
The vast majority of the 142 individuals surveyed by the SDC are concerned about the “risk of congestion” and “daily operational logistics issues,” the survey indicates. However, several see a positive impact on the perception of the neighborhood by visitors (38%) and a “reduction of nuisances linked to cars” (37%). The survey was carried out from March 25 to April 15.
Withdrawal from SDC
The SDC of Old Montreal preferred not to comment on the matter.
The Press however, learned that the organization officially withdrew from the consultation workshops led by the City of Montreal a month ago. For several weeks, municipal services have been holding meetings of this type with traders and institutions in the sector, rather than carrying out traditional public consultations.
The desire to transform Old Montreal into a “kingdom of pedestrians” was announced in May 2023 by Valérie Plante, following a municipal climate summit.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
A pedestrian crossing Saint-Paul Street, in Old Montreal
“We are lucky to have a real historic district, a very popular, very popular district; we want to make it more user-friendly,” she explained, citing the pedestrianization of areas in the heart of Vienna, Brussels, Amsterdam and Montpellier. She said that a first sector of Old Montreal would be dedicated to walkers from the summer of 2024.
The announcement took the SDC of Old Montreal by surprise, which “learned today, at the same time as the public and the media, of the existence of a pedestrianization project starting in the summer of 2024.” she said at the time.
The organization quickly ordered a survey from a specialized firm. The document, posted online on the SDC website, shows that “70% of the entrepreneurs surveyed would disagree with the pedestrianization of the street where their business is located”.
Consultation “still in progress”
The Plante administration refused to grant an interview to The Press on the subject.
“The pedestrianization project in Old Montreal aims to make it a unique, safe destination, and better adapted to the central role of the district in the tourist attraction of the metropolis,” explained Catherine Cadotte, press secretary to the mayor. “Such a change in the habits of residents, merchants and hoteliers in the neighborhood requires consultation work which is still ongoing and which aims to adjust the project to the needs and concerns that are expressed. »
Taking data from successive SDC surveys, she argued that reception for the project was improving in the neighborhood. “The consultation work is led by the City of Montreal, and has contributed to increasing merchant support for the project by almost 20% over the past year,” she added. “The final version of the project is still being improved as part of the meetings currently taking place with merchants, with a view to presenting the project in the coming weeks. »
The opposition says it is in favor of a pedestrianization project, but criticizes the way the Plante administration is handling the matter.
She “improvises the redevelopment of one of the most important and unique neighborhoods of Montreal,” lamented the leader of the opposition at city hall, Aref Salem, in a written statement.
For months, residents and businesses were in total darkness. The mayor is now trying to shove a botched project down their throats.
Aref Salem, leader of the opposition at Montreal city hall
“This project will completely change the face of the sector and, therefore, it is essential that the citizens affected adhere to it and that all the winning conditions are met to promote its success,” he added, in the absence of which the project should be postponed for a year.