Seasonal pedestrianization - Montreal announces the return of key pedestrianizations for the next three years and offers merchants greater predictability thanks to an innovative call for projects.

With pedestrianized streets becoming a must in the metropolis, the City of Montreal is proud to announce that it is renewing its financial support for seasonal pedestrianization until 2027.

Given the growing success of pedestrianization projects, the city will now offer greater predictability to SDCs and merchants' associations, guaranteeing them stable funding for three years, with envelopes considerably increased for the largest pedestrianized streets.

A total of $12 million will be invested in pedestrianization projects over the next 3 years. Of this amount, more than $10 million will be dedicated to renewing the 9 existing pedestrianization projects (Mont-Royal, Duluth, De Castelnau, Wellington, Ontario, Saint-Denis, Sainte-Catherine Est, Saint-Hubert and Bernard), which will no longer have to requalify annually for this new, simplified and improved call for projects. Now that their success has been demonstrated, the pedestrianization projects concerned will be able to benefit from an improved, recurring envelope.

Among the improvements proposed by the new program is a significant increase in the funding ceiling, from $375,000 to $700,000. This has a major impact on the funding of certain pedestrian streets, such as Mont-Royal, Wellington and Ontario East, which see their funding greatly increased, without any reduction in the amount allocated to smaller projects.

Approximately $1.1 million has been earmarked for new pedestrian streets, which will make it possible to fund new projects without reducing the amounts allocated to existing pedestrian streets.

“A few years ago, we dared to innovate when we introduced the first pedestrian summer shopping streets. What seemed audacious at the outset has become indispensable. Today, people and retailers can't do without pedestrian streets. Requests for pedestrian areas are multiplying, proof that this initiative has become a pillar of our urban life. Following the tremendous success of the past few years, we are today announcing the consolidation of Montreal's pedestrian streets, thanks to an improved and stable program that will offer SDCs and merchants' associations the predictability they have been calling for, while strengthening the appeal of our streets and our metropolis,” said Luc Rabouin, President of the Executive Committee, responsible for finance and economic development.

“Every year, traffic statistics show the popularity of pedestrian streets, and these initiatives contribute to the economic vitality of our metropolis. In light of this enthusiasm, we sat down with SDCs and retail associations to define a program that better meets their growing expectations. I'm delighted to announce that the main summer pedestrian precincts will certainly be back for the next three years, and will benefit from greater financial resources to meet the needs of visitors. Pedestrianization has the wind in its sails, and we're proud to give it the means to continue to shine,” added Alia Hassan-Cournol, Associate Councillor for Economic Development, Commerce and Design on the Executive Committee.

“ASDCM welcomes the renewal of the pedestrianization program and applauds the City's commitment to supporting these initiatives. We are delighted that our members' concerns have been taken into account, building on their experience over the past four years. Driven by the growing number of visitors and residents, this program will consolidate projects in the field, offering greater predictability and sustainability. This will enhance the local experience and ensure sustainable prosperity for our neighborhoods. We look forward to the details of the program and how it will be rolled out, in collaboration with the boroughs,” said Sébastien Ridoin, Interim General Manager of the Association des sociétés de développement commercial de Montréal.