The City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is implementing a pilot project that aims to encourage better sharing of the street between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and facilitate better social distancing in the context of the current pandemic.
Starting July 10th , part of rue Sainte-Anne, the main commercial artery of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, will turn into a user-friendly street until the end of the month. Thus, for three weeks, pedestrians will have priority at all times on rue Sainte-Anne, between rue Saint-Pierre and rue Christie. Unlike a pedestrian street, motorists and cyclists will be able to continue using this lane, but the speed limit will be reduced to 20 km/h.
To ensure the safety of users, road signs, speed bumps and other measures will be installed to encourage slowing down. The on-street parking spaces in this part of the artery will be transformed into drop-off spaces, for a maximum stopover of 15 minutes.
Flower boxes, street furniture and other temporary installations will also be set up to encourage passers-by to enjoy the area in complete safety.
“With this pilot project, we want to encourage residents and visitors to take advantage of rue Sainte-Anne, take the time to walk there, visit local businesses, stop for an ice cream cone and enjoy the public space to the fullest, indicates the mayor of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Paola Hawa. It is an invitation to discover or rediscover rue Sainte-Anne and the core of the village as we are all happy to resume our summer activities. It is also the first street of its kind on the West Island of Montreal and we are very happy to introduce this innovative concept here.”
A busy area this summer
Parallel to rue Sainte-Anne, the Promenade du canal also promises to be busy this summer with the return of street artists and Wednesdays shows from July to September. In Parc Lalonde, the merchants of Marché Ste-Anne welcome epicureans every Saturday in the summer, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by musical performances between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
As for the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site, regulars will be happy to find the newly renovated upstream jetty which offers a splendid view of lac des Deux-Montagnes.
