Starting this summer, Villeray Street will offer a whole new experience to cyclists, thanks to creation of a protected, user-friendly and safe bicycle path that will be accessible all year round. New features will be installed this year between Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Boyer Street, as the first phase of the reconfiguration of Villeray Street. This was identified as a preferred cycling link during creation of the Bicycle Plan in 2019 by the City.
"We hope that a bike path on Villeray Street will eventually connect the east and west sides of the district, crossing it from 24th Avenue to Saint-Laurent Boulevard and linking Jarry Park, the Route verte and the Bicycle Express Network,” stated Ms. Giuliana Fumagalli, Mayor of the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough. “In order to provide the borough with this determinative, inclusive and pleasant bicycle route for cyclists of all ages, we will soon be initiating a citizen participation process on extending the bicycle path east of Boyer Street."
Starting in May, brief work will begin between Boyer Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard to make way for this new development.
First two sections of an evolving bicycle route
The first section of this cycling facility, accessible as of April 1, is located between Saint-Denis and Boyer streets. The configuration is similar to the one implemented in 2020 as part of the safe active lanes, with several adjustments: universally accessible bus stops and drop-off points, the bike path is now open for all four seasons, and adaptation of parking signage to help local businesses. Bollards will be added in the near future to delineate the path from vehicular traffic.
Bigger changes will take shape on the second section, located between Saint-Denis Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard. A protected bike lane will be created in the eastbound direction. On the westbound side, bicycles and cars will use the same roadway, as part of a bike boulevard (vélorue). A traffic diverter will be installed at the Saint-Dominique Street intersection: its objective is to reduce through traffic in order to optimize the cohabitation of travel modes, without compromising easy access to businesses.
While providing a more bicycle-friendly environment, this sharing of the roadway will still allow for the installation of terraces, which are essential to preserving Villeray Street’s commercial identity. The changes are also designed to improve quality of life in the neighbourhood and will create a more tranquil atmosphere. Compared to the configuration in place in 2020, this project will have less impact on parking, preserving an average of 60% of the existing spaces, up to 85% in certain sections.
Other improvements will be added. The Borough will plant 18 trees on Villeray Street and add bicycle racks on the sidewalks. In addition, the opening of the bike path will coincide with the redesign of the Jarry Park entrance, at the intersection of Villeray Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard, making it an ideal destination point.
Construction is scheduled to begin in May. The two sections of the bike path on Villeray Street should be accessible by the beginning of June.
A citizen participation process will be put in place shortly, prior to deployment of phase 2 of the bike path on Villeray Street, between Boyer Street and Saint-Michel Boulevard. Continue to follow our communication networks. We will be making further announcements in the coming weeks.
