Pedestrianization of Ste-Catherine
A study presented in January claims that pedestrianizing Ste‑Catherine Street would cause traffic congestion in adjoining streets. Interestingly, in this piece, Luc Rabouin is quoted saying the city could have paid better attention to the desires of merchants in the area – an indication that his Projet won’t be Plante’s Projet.
The SPVM is also not keen, TVA also spinning this as the Plante administration keeping this report quiet. Among other things, the cops think Station 20 will be boxed in by the pedestrian sections.
jeather 20:42 on 2025-03-23 Permalink
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
Ian 22:54 on 2025-03-23 Permalink
Yes, I suppose reading studies about Madrid is more relevant than asking locals that know the neighbourhhod what they think.
/s
Kate 09:04 on 2025-03-24 Permalink
Ian, don’t be snide. People drive through the city – they don’t stop unless they have a specific destination. Pedestrians amble along, look in store windows, and follow their whims. Drivers can’t have whims, they need to keep moving.
Anyway, if it isn’t pedestrianization, store owners will complain about lack of parking or something else. Journalists make the most of that kind of kvetching to get a story.
Ste-Catherine still has a captive pedestrian audience of students, office workers, tourists, all of whom will enjoy the pedestrianization and not be in a car.
Joey 13:05 on 2025-03-24 Permalink
LOL as if you could increase congestion even more anywhere in this city. I note, in passing, that the early research on New York’s congestion pricing is incredible – by just about every measure, things are considerably better in Manhattan’s congestion zone: traffic has improved, transit ridership is up, there’s less honking, etc. Drivers are, after all, human beings with the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. We tried car-centric downtown for decades. Nobody liked it. We can try something else.
CE 13:21 on 2025-03-24 Permalink
@Joey, I was just in NYC the other day and now that you mention it, there was considerably less honking than there normally is in Manhattan. Still lots, but less.
jeather 13:49 on 2025-03-24 Permalink
Silly me, clearly Montreal is so unlike every other city that finds limiting cars improves lifestyles that we can only make decisions by asking merchants and cops what they feel will happen.
Ian 17:52 on 2025-03-24 Permalink
I did say /s. Should I have said lol? Maybe included a winky?
Let’s go see what the good folks on the streets of Ulan Bator have to say about it, haha
Much like St Hubert, anyone trying to drive downtown is living in a fool’s paradis. Even just driving there sucks, I don’t know why everyone is so eager to preserve it. We’re never going back to the late 80s cruising up and down St Kitty on a Saturday night. Even then it was more fun to spend Saturday night clubhopping, cars were for hicks.
Kate 09:47 on 2025-03-26 Permalink
We can always use more winkies.