Montréal — In September 2022, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough council mandated the firm EXP to conduct a study on the implementation of a bike path on Rue de Terrebonne. Today, the borough is publishing the results of the study and unveiling the redevelopment scenario for Rue de Terrebonne.

An exhaustive study of the target area

The study was conducted from September 2022 to September 2023 at a cost of $150,000 (before taxes). EXP has worked on several major projects in Montréal, including the redevelopment of the area around the Canora station, the Peel EBN, the reconstruction of the Turcot Interchange, and the extension of Montréal’s bleu metro line. It bears recalling that that borough received a grant of $50,000 from Infrastructure Canada’s Active Transportation fund. The study features three components:

- Overview of the current situation 

- Elaboration of development concepts

- Technical feasibility assessment and comparative analysis of scenarios

The area under study includes the territory between Avenue Somerled to the north, Avenue Monkland to the south, Avenue St-Ignatius to the west, and Avenue Girouard to the east. The firm EXP carried out new counting operations (vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians) at 17 intersections within this area, in addition to characterizing and studying more than 1,100 parking spaces. The parking counts and surveys were completed in October 2022.

A protected cycling infrastructure for safer active mobility

The primary objective of the Rue de Terrebonne redevelopment project is to ensure the safety of cyclists by implementing a protected two-way cycling infrastructure along the length of Rue de Terrebonne. Among the three scenarios proposed, the third, involving dispersion at Boulevard Cavendish, is the one that best meets the needs of all users. Under this scenario, Rue de Terrebonne would become one-way eastbound between Boulevard Cavendish and Avenue Girouard, and one-way westbound between Boulevard Cavendish and Avenue Belmore. This scenario also calls for maintaining a parking lane. Cycling infrastructures would be located along the sidewalk, protected by bollards on one side and a parking lane on the other. Visual clearance would also be added at all intersections to ensure visibility as well as cyclist and pedestrian safety. The study shows that the impacts on traffic would be minimal. Based on the occupancy rates for the parking spaces surveyed, residual parking capacity following the redevelopment should meet the needs assessed during the study. Finally, vehicle traffic on Rue de Terrebonne should decrease by about 40 to 50 per cent.

In addition to adding cycling infrastructure, the redevelopment of Rue de Terrebonne should ease traffic significantly on this local street, where several schools and institutions are located.

Upcoming discussions with the community

The borough plans to meet with local residents and institutions affected by the project so that they can share their perspectives and recommend adjustments to ensure the success of the project.

Discussions with various institutional partners in the area studied will take place in the week of November 20, and a meeting with local residents, open to the general public, will be held on November 30. 

Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa said: “Today, I’m proud to unveil a solid plan for the redevelopment of Rue de Terrebonne. The results of the survey on the Local Transportation Plan for CDN–NDG completed in 2022 showed that more than half of the 1,300 respondents said that they would use their bicycles more often if cycling infrastructures were made safer. I’m certain that the addition of a safe new bike path in the heart of our borough will encourage more people to choose active mobility.”

City councillor for the district de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Peter McQueen, added: “The installation of a safe bike path on Rue de Terrebonne is long overdue. Due to its location in the heart of the borough, de Terrebonne is a key transit corridor in CDN–NDG. Cyclists already use the street often, and I’m among them. With this redevelopment of the street, cyclists will be able to travel safely on Rue de Terrebonne. It will also allow them to access the stores on Avenue de Monkland by bicycle, and those businesses will in turn benefit from a larger cyclist clientele.” 

“Our new bike path will connect the existing cycling infrastructures on Avenue Walkley, Boulevard Grand, Avenue Girouard, and Rue West Broadway, alongside the Loyola campus. This is excellent news for students at the Loyola campus. The redevelopment of Rue de Terrebonne will allow families in Loyola to get to Parc Benny more safely by bicycle or on foot. As well, this new cycling infrastructure will make transit safer for all people using Rue de Terrebonne to get around, and that includes pedestrians, cyclists and motorists,” said Despina Sourias, city councillor for the district of Loyola. 

“We welcome this initiative, as Rue de Terrebonne desperately needed to be reconfigured, not only for people cycling to work or school, but also for pedestrians, who don’t feel safe crossing the street. A safe and permanent bike path on Rue de Terrebonne will improve safety for everyone,” said Jason Savard, President of the Association of Pedestrians and Cyclists of NDG.