Saint-Eustache is an off-island suburb located west of Montreal on the north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles. The City is home to historic buildings and landmarks, and is a popular summer destination.
Saint-Eustache
Saint-Eustache and Saint-Louis Streets
The case study conducted on Saint-Eustache Street 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
- Year of implementation: 2018-2019
Background
This project aimed at the redevelopment of Vieux-Saint-Eustache focuses on Saint-Eustache Street and the intersection with Saint-Louis Street. A small segment of Saint-Louis Street near the intersection will be renovated while Saint-Eustache Street, between Saint-Louis Street and Du Moulin Street, will be converted into a shared street. The City of Saint-Eustache wishes to encourage the coexistence of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, strengthen commercial vibrancy and increase the sector’s attractiveness.
Before
Projected
Pedestrian infrastructure
The improvements will include sidewalks and pedestrian crossings surfaced with paving stone. Removable bollards at intersections will increase safety and provide flexibility to accommodate public events such as the weekly public market held during summer.
Universal accessibility
The sidewalks along Saint-Eustache Street and around the intersection with Saint-Louis Street will be brought to street level and tactile warning plates will be installed to facilitate travel and navigation for persons with impaired vision.
Cycling infrastructure
There will be no infrastructure devoted specifically to cyclists. The shared street design will encourage users to better share the roadway in the absence of defined lanes.
Public transit
The bus stops on Saint-Louis Street and Saint-Eustache Street will be outfitted with benches and waste bins. The city is aiming to install bus shelters in collaboration with Exo.
Traffic calming
The presence of trees bordering the road will help reduce the field of vision of motorists, who adjust their driving accordingly. The street will also be surfaced with paving stone.
Landscaping and furniture
Plants in containers and vegetative strips will add to the greening. Urban furniture such as benches and waste bins will be added, and streetlights with built-in speakers will be installed to improve the street’s lighting and soundscape. In addition, bollards with integrated solar lighting will be positioned so as to protect the vegetative strips.
Participatory process
Citizens and merchants participated in 2014 and 2015 in consultation meetings regarding the Programme particulier d’urbanisme du Vieux-Saint-Eustache.
Key element: “Shared space” urban laboratory
Between 2014 and 2017, the city experimented, by means of urban laboratories featuring temporary, transitory and animated facilities, in order to test potential redevelopment options in collaboration with citizens, merchants and visitors. A campaign to promote buying locally (Nos portes sont grandes ouvertes) was launched to support businesses affected by work at the site.
Cross section: Corner of Lemay Street
Total pavement: +/-15 metres