Originally published on Bikocity.
Montreal’s car-free network will continue growing in 2017, with 3 more street segments slated to be added to the network this year.
To be more specific, the city’s mayor, Denis Coderre, has announced that he’s awarding $1.7 million in an effort to pedestrianize the 3 streets in question. The funds will be awarded over a 3 year time span.
Some might be wondering right now why you need $1.7 million to convert a couple of streets to pedestrian use. It’s pretty simple, though: in addition to pavement markets, seating and landscaping is also installed to make the streets more people-friendly.
Streetsblog USA provides more:
Under Montreal’s system, the first year of a car-free street is treated like a trial. The city observes how well the space is used, as well as the effect on motor vehicle traffic and local businesses. If the first year is a success, the city will commit to permanent changes or bring the car-free segment back on a seasonal basis every year.
The city reports that public opinion of the program is very favorable, and most of the pedestrian streets last beyond the pilot phase, either as permanent car-free spaces or seasonal pedestrian zones during the warmer months, according to the CBC.
The new additions under Coderre brings the city’s total number of car-free street network to 45 segments covering seven kilometers reports the Montreal Gazette.
The new allotments follow five in 2016 and five in 2015.
For more of an idea of what’s in store, here are some pics of other car-free streets:
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