The summer pedestrianization of commercial arteries in Montreal during the pandemic seems to have had a positive effect on the customer experience, even if restaurants and bars benefited more from these new urban developments, which were resumed again this summer.
This general finding emerges from a summary report commissioned by the Economic Development Department of the City of Montreal from the firm Arpent. The document of about forty pages of which The duty obtained a copy dated December 2021. It offers findings to “improve pedestrianization in the coming years” by focusing on three main themes: the ecosystem of the artery and local economic development; accessibility and uses of the premises; fittings and design.
A dozen initiatives for car-free shopping streets were developed during the 2021 summer season. The objective was to help local businesses to revive after the difficult first months of the pandemic, but also to facilitate the maintenance of sanitary measures. . The list of reconfigured areas includes Bernard, Masson, Wellington, Saint-Denis, Crescent and Sainte-Catherine streets and Mont-Royal and Duluth avenues.
The majority of people surveyed in the 12 arteries say that the urban transformation has encouraged them to visit their transformed streets more often and to spend more there. Respondents on rue Wellington, in Verdun, were even more in this direction, unlike those on rue Masson. The urban development efforts were generally appreciated.
On Mont-Royal Avenue, visitors said they spent more, whereas, in fact, merchants report a drop in average purchases of $60 to $45 per person between the start and end of the experience.
In total, 83% of the establishments surveyed have seen an increase in their sales thanks to the walkers. The advantages provided vary according to the types of trade. Restaurants and bars have a higher satisfaction rate (7.4 out of 10) compared to service establishments (5.1 out of ten). The thoroughfares with the highest satisfaction rate (Wellington, Sainte-Catherine East and West, Duluth, Latin Quarter) also have a greater concentration of restaurants and entertainment establishments.
The majority of businesses surveyed (57%) actually attribute the decline in their customer base to the pandemic rather than to pedestrianization (15%). Online sales have also exploded over the past two years, especially for restaurants.
The transformation has also upset transport habits. Pedestrians and cyclists appreciate it, while the delivery of goods or the parking of vehicles for shop employees becomes more complicated. The developments multiply the obstacles to universal accessibility. It was also necessary to divert 18 bus routes.
The users surveyed also recommend improving the public transit service around the transformed streets. The report suggests better informing public transit users of bus detours, developing a better coexistence of pedestrians and cyclists and encouraging delivery upstream of periods of intense pedestrian traffic, even by cargo bikes.