Ensemble Montréal calls for review of Sainte-Catherine West pedestrianization project

Soraya Martinez Ferrada, leader of Ensemble Montréal and mayoral candidate, is calling for a review of the project to pedestrianize Sainte-Catherine Street West.

“We have to make sure that the city is for everyone,” she said at a press conference downtown on Tuesday.

The opposition party says the project — which plans to build two pedestrian-only public squares downtown: Place McGill between Robert-Bourassa and Mansfield and Place Concordia between Bishop and Guy — would cause more congestion downtown due to them being car free and have a negative impact on businesses in the area.

“I think for a street as important as Sainte-Catherine, we have to make sure that we’re keeping a dynamic street, a successful street in terms of economics,” said Martinez Ferrada. “But also in terms of where people want to live in and make sure they have the same services that they’ll get anywhere else in the city.”

Ensemble Montréal will table a motion at the next city council meeting on April 14th to propose a development inspired by Phase 1 of Sainte-Catherine Street.

This combines a traffic lane, widened sidewalks, a green corridor, street furniture and a short delivery lane — Phase 1 received an 85 per cent satisfaction rate in the September 2023 consultation report.

The City of Montreal told CityNews that:

“Upon coming to power in 2017, we finally launched this project, which had been postponed for years. The same criticisms were leveled at the first phase of Sainte-Catherine by the opposition, which nevertheless proved to be a real success. It’s clear that when it comes to demonstrating boldness and vision, Ms. Martinez’s party is consistently absent.”

“We have been in close contact with the stakeholders involved, particularly the SDC Centre-ville,” they added. “And we share the same objectives: the redevelopment of the artery and the enhancement of the pedestrian space will bring benefits for all. The data confirms this: pedestrianization stimulates economic activity, which is why it has been increasing in our region over the past five years.”

“We are open to adjusting the project to achieve our shared objectives,” the city said. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing now. Discussions are progressing very positively. This is exactly what a constructive administration does while others choose to “whine” without proposing anything.”

“We need to make sure that we are reinventing the street of Sainte-Catherine’s of the future,” said Martinez Ferrada. “So I think we have to be also open to the future and that means having a street that will be a mix of pedestrian and a mix of yes, traffic on the street.”

“Like you’ll see many other big cities in the world.”