Petition to push back against changes to Saint-Zotique Street in Little Italy

Saint-Zotique Street used to accommodate traffic in both directions, until it became a one-way street in September 2024.

That change, along with the addition of bike lanes, are city decisions that the Sauvons la Petite Italie group says were made without public input.

The group, along with citizens and merchants of Saint-Zotique Street, have therefore issued an urgent call to action to defend their right to a public consultation.

They are calling on Montrealers to sign a petition demanding a public debate on the future of their street.

Their goal: 15,000 signatures.

“This is a fundamental democratic issue,” said Luciano Recine, spokesperson for Sauvons la Petite Italie, in a press release on Wednesday. “If we do nothing, these changes will be imposed without considering the voices of citizens and merchants.”

“We must mobilize now,” he added.

CityNews reached out the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie for comment and they said that:

“Making Saint-Zotique Street one-way eastbound, between Christophe-Colomb Avenue and Saint-Dominique Street, has been a project that has been known to residents and local residents for several years, and the Borough has been working on it since 2019. The objective of the improvements was to complement the already modified configuration on Saint-Zotique Street, east of Christophe-Colomb Avenue up to De Lorimier Avenue.”

This modification they said aims to calm traffic, beautify the area, and complete the bicycle lane on Saint-Zotique Street –connecting it to numerous busy north-south routes such as the REV Saint-Denis and the Christophe-Colomb Trail.

They also added that this project wont impact on-street parking or drop-off areas, while preserving the summer patios of local businesses.

The borough also told CityNews that the residents’ feedback has been enthusiastic regarding the updates.

“Mobility projects, particularly the one-way system on Saint-Zotique Street, have been the subject of traffic studies by external consultants and the Borough’s mobility team,” they wrote in an email. “The flow of vehicles in the area had already decreased since Saint-Zotique Street was made one-way east of Christophe-Colomb Avenue. The fact that parking is also located on both sides of the roadway now reduces pressure on traffic when looking for parking and when turning.”

They added that to effectively communicate the project’s content, an information session for merchants was held on April 30, 2024, and another for the general public was held on May 7.

“We would also like to point out that through presentations to merchants, field meetings, and a presentation to citizens,” added the borough. “We noted a favorable reception for these measures from both merchants and residents.”

The petition was launched in December 2024 and the 90 day signing period is soon coming to a close.

Montrealers have until March 18 to sign it online.