By Avleen K Mokha
Yesterday the City of Montreal announced the Safe Active Pathways circuit, a plan to make streets pedestrian-friendly and to connect residents to major parks. Click here to read the full story.
Today, the Villeray – Saint-Michel – Parc-Extension (VSP) borough announces its plans this summer to develop public spaces.
Here’s an overview of the borough’s plan:
- Sanitary corridors will be set up in three locations
- Streets in Park Ex and Saint-Michel will prioritize physical activities and families
- De Castelnau street will be pedestrian-only
- Villeray street will receive a bicycle path
Sanitary corridors
Sanitary corridors are a way to increase the space available to pedestrians. Corridors are made by widening sidewalks using fences or cones.
The city of Montreal first installed a sanitary corridor in neighbouring Plateau Mont-Royal during the Easter weekend. Currently, eight boroughs have sanitary corridors.
VSP borough recently installed a sanitary corridor on Jarry street East, between Boyer street and Saint-Laurent boulevard.
The next three sanitary corridors will be installed on:
- De Louvain East, between D’Iberville street and Saint-Michel boulevard;
- Jean-Talon East, between 17th Avenue and Shelley Avenue;
- Saint-Roch street, between Stuart steet and Les Terrasses Saint-Roch.
“The new corridors and public spaces will allow us to offer the population pleasant and safe spaces to stretch, have fun and visit local businesses during the summer period,” VSP mayor Giuliana Fumagalli said.
The installations should also help residents keep social distance this summer. Social distancing refers to the 2 meter distance people must keep in public during the COVID-19 emergency, as mandated by public health officials.
The borough plans on setting up a dozen more corridors in the coming weeks.
“Active and family” streets
Active and family streets will priority to residents bicycling or walking. The borough will close traffic on these streets to make them safer for families.
Local traffic will still be allowed and parking for residents will be maintained.
The borough will target these two streets, starting this weekend:
- Birnam street, between De Liège West and Stuart street;
- 53th street, between Pie-IX boulevard and 25th Avenue.
Almost 10 other streets will follow in the coming weeks. The borough has not yet announced which ones.
De Castelnau East to become pedestrian-only
De Castelnau street will be pedestrian-only this summer, between Casgrain avenue and Saint-Denis street.
Residents can enjoy walking in the area and stock up from local merchants.
Traffic will be maintained at street crossings. Businesses on the street will continue receiving deliveries.
Bicycle path on Villeray street
The City of Montreal has announced the addition of a 1.1 km bicycle path on Villeray street, between Saint-Laurent boulevard and Christophe-Colomb avenue.
The borough will extend the bike path to 24th Avenue.
Cyclists will be able to travel the borough’s territory from east to west once the extension is completed.
See the borough’s map by clicking on the image. English translations added by Parc-Extension News.
