Increasingly popular since the pandemic, the concept of shared streets, a type of development aimed at reducing the speed of motorists to give priority to pedestrians, has also seen a small emergence in several cities in Quebec. If pilot projects for these so-called “friendly” streets were quickly set up in Montreal or Quebec, that of London Street, carried out at arm’s length for five years by citizens of Sherbrooke, is stalling.
“We may be diehard Gauls, but we are starting to weaken. We no longer have the means. » A citizen committed to his tightly knit neighborhood around the Ancienne-Caserne park — also known as London park — Louis-Philippe Renaud does not hide his discouragement at the stalled status of the shared street project, which he launched with others in 2018. At the time, reducing the speed limit to 20 km/h and building sidewalk projections or installing garden boxes to encourage motorists to slow down seemed so simple.
Five years later, he and his accomplices see themselves more like Asterix and Obelix who struggle in the crazy house. “We were often told: “The ball is in our court, be patient”. But afterwards, we learned that the ball was in OUR court,” he says. “We believed in it. We always got on board because we had good will. But we were naive, deep down. »
This tightly knit neighborhood in a residential area in the heart of Sherbrooke, but surrounded by major arteries, would nevertheless be the ideal place to carry out — or at the very least test — such a project, according to him. “There is a very lively community atmosphere around London Park, where a lot of children walk and cycle. There is an outdoor and friendly life like you rarely find elsewhere. »
The feeling of belonging has even strengthened during the pandemic, argues Louis-Philippe Renaud. “I took out my speaker outside, people came to see us. There was a magic,” he says. “The shared street is exactly what we should have had during COVID! » underlines his companion in struggle, resident of the neighborhood, Jérôme Theau.
Testing during the pandemic
Several cities have in fact taken advantage of the pandemic to set up pilot projects. In the summer of 2021, the City of Quebec launched a call to everyone, and around twenty shared street projects were tested, half of which were renewed the following year. At this same time, Gatineau also adopted a Friendly Streets Policy. Montreal, which today has around a hundred, has had for several years a Program for the implementation of pedestrian and shared streets to support the boroughs.
Defined as “all or part of a public road on which pedestrian traffic is prioritized”, the concept of a shared street was first officially integrated into the Road Safety Code in 2018, which opened the way for municipalities . The following year, the Ministry of Transport published a guide to inform the different network managers who would like to implement them of the procedure to follow. However, it does not keep a register, their development falling under the power of the municipalities.
In the summer of 2021, a pilot project was also set up in Sherbrooke, on London Street. A masquerade, according to many. “We were allowed to put in street furniture, but we had to bring it in every evening. If there was an accident with the flowerpot that you had put in the street, you were the one responsible,” explains Jérôme Theau. The sign limiting the speed to 20 km/h was barely visible, laments Maude Boisvert, another member of the group. “And we had to chase [la Ville] for follow-up. »
Another obstacle
Another obstacle arose a few months ago: the mayor of Sherbrooke, Évelyne Beaudin, demanded the creation of an NPO for any shared street project. For her, it was a question of having a single interlocutor who would have the legitimacy to speak on behalf of the people concerned and who could be, in some way, the guardian of social acceptability. But it was also a question of fairness, towards all those who would like to set up such a project, she explained to the media.
For the London Street group, after so much time invested voluntarily in the project, meetings with elected officials and city officials, it was like hitting a wall. “The purpose of an NPO is to provide a service to your community. But that’s not our goal. We don’t want to become the managers of the shared street,” explains Jérôme Theau.
“We do not want to become a one-stop shop for all citizen requests,” adds Maude Boisvert. “And we can’t speak for everyone. We don’t represent our neighborhood because there are five of us creating an NPO. » For her, the question of social acceptability had been resolved during a citizen consultation previously carried out, in which a lot of time and money were invested. “Tackling the automobile is a real hot potato. »
We believed in it. We always got on board because we had good will. But we were naive, deep down.
The project may have taken the City of Sherbrooke by surprise, recognizes Jérôme Theau. “They didn’t know which box to put this in and they said to themselves that it was a citizen request, just like a citizen who wants a stop sign or a sidewalk in front of his house,” he notes. “Whereas, in fact, it is an urban development project, so it is up to the City to take charge of it. »
Hope at the end of the road?
The deputy mayor, Raïs Kibonge, says he has always supported shared streets in London. “It’s a promising project. But we have to agree on why we are going to do it and how,” he said in an interview with Duty. “We don’t want a single shared street in a favorable neighborhood, which would be an exception. We want a program that will be extended throughout the city. »
He also announced that in 2024, a sum of $100,000 would be devoted to “one or two” shared street pilot projects which would meet certain criteria, yet to be defined. “This is the first time that there is money on the table for this,” he rejoiced.
As for the London Street project which is slow to come to fruition, it is because, in fact, it seemed difficult to find the right place for it. “The Ministry of Transport has its definition of shared street, and that was blocked at the municipal administration level. We wondered whether it would serve as a community development tool or a road safety tool. It’s there that [le projet] wandered from one division to another,” admitted Mr. Kibonge, who met this fall with those responsible for shared streets for Quebec City.
The deputy mayor also recalled the importance of the support of the residents concerned. During public events around the project, opponents came forward, he noted. Despite everything, he remains positive and hopes that Sherbrooke will have several proposals for shared streets, when the criteria are determined. “At that time, everyone will be able to submit an application. And the most favorable applications [pour un tel projet], they are the ones who will have the pilot project. » The ball may not have finished changing sides.