Pedestrians walk along a closed section of Ste. Catherine street May 15, 2020 in Montreal. The city has announced it will close nearly 200 kilometres of streets to cars, allowing only bicycle and pedestrian traffic.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Montreal is transforming a few hundred kilometres of city streets into bicycle and pedestrian corridors to help residents get around amid COVID-19 public health rules.
The city announced today that nearly 200 kilometres of reconfigured roads will be turned into a temporary, safe, active transport circuit, given many Montrealers may be confined to the city this summer.
With previously announced bike routes, temporary corridors and the city’s existing 900 kilometres of bike paths, cyclists and pedestrians will have access to more than 1,200 km of routes to get around.
Mayor Valerie Plante says the fight against COVID-19 has transformed travel in Montreal.
She says it’s not an easy time for Montrealers but with summer weather coming, a plan was needed to allow citizens to have enough space to get around safely.
In presenting the plan, Plante said “it will be a very different summer for all of us.”
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