Longueuil is a city located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, directly across from Montreal. It is largely classified as a commuter town as many of its residents travel to Montreal for work. 77 bus routes service the city which carry approximately 140,000 passengers per day. The city is also connected to the Montreal metro subway system, connecting residents to Montreal’s core.
Longueuil
Saint-Charles Street West
The case study conducted on Saint-Charles Street West was one of the nine studies included in Montreal Urban Ecology Centre’s report analyzing complete street transformations across the province of Quebec.
Project Information
- Street category: Commercial street
- Project length: 650 m
- Expected Year of implementation: 2021 – 2023
Background
The City of Longueuil is taking advantage of a planned renewal of the underground infrastructure of Saint-Charles Street West, between Chemin de Chambly and Saint-Sylvestre Street, to redevelop the public space and highlight its cultural heritage with the aim of enhancing its attractiveness and drawing more people to the sector. This site of historical, cultural and commercial interest will be divided into three sectors: the triangle of festivities, the commercial hub, and the business and institutional zone. Several small public squares are to be created along this stretch. The project will also create flexible spaces around Parc St. Mark and Place Saint-Jean-Baptiste for holding events.
Before Projected
Pedestrian infrastructure
The sidewalks will be widened and freed of obstacles, and some sections will be covered in paving stone. The pedestrian crossings will be marked and made safe.
Universal accessibility
The redevelopment project will apply the principles of universal accessibility, although the specific interventions have yet to be defined.
Cycling infrastructure
This project includes no dedicated infrastructure for cyclists, but the goal of the redevelopment is to reduce vehicle speeds to facilitate the coexistence of all the street’s users.
Public transit
Bus lines 8, 28, 81 and 88 of the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) service Saint-Charles Street West. New canopy-type bus shelters have been selected for installation. These new bus shelters, with their smaller footprint, will reduce sidewalk obstacles and be universally accessible.
Landscaping and furniture:
The project includes plans for vegetative curb extensions, urban furniture and custom lighting. Place Saint-Jean-Baptiste will be converted into a multifunctional space with water jets. All along the street, the spaces dedicated to commercial terraces will be optimized. In addition, public art will be installed in the Saint-Alexandre, Saint-Antoine and De la Cocathédrale public squares.
Key element: participatory approach
In 2013 and 2014, a community consultation was carried out with citizens, merchants, and the staff and clientele of businesses. In 2016, the street’s residents participated in an improvement workshop. In March 2017, the preliminary design was presented to the population. Currently, the major projects department of the City of Longueuil is developing a strategy for involving the citizens of Longueuil, area residents, merchants, the RTL and community organizations throughout all phases of the project’s implementation.
Cross section: Corner of Saint-Sylvestre Street
Total pavement: +/-20 metres