In 2025, the city will offer “a completely new 4th Avenue East to citizens”. The municipality will repair the underground infrastructure, “at the end of its useful life”, and will take the opportunity to add modern “permanent” facilities to the surface, between 22nd and 55th Street. In particular, it will widen the cycle paths, which will be elevated. Same thing for sidewalks, “which will cross intersections without going down or almost”.
Thus, we will upgrade the existing unidirectional cycle lanes “at mid-height”, that is to say above the roadway and below the sidewalk, so as to delimit the space reserved for these three modes of movement.
Photo credit: Thomas Verret
Crossing sidewalks, a novelty in Quebec
For the first time in the city, a continuous concrete pedestrian crossing will be raised on the roadway. This way, it is the automobile that will cross the sidewalk, and not the pedestrian who will cross the street.
Established in certain cities such as Montreal or Mont-Saint-Hilaire, crossing sidewalks provide greater comfort for pedestrians. This type of arrangement also encourages motorists to slow down and ensures better compliance with stops at pedestrian crossings. It will only be found at intersections without traffic lights, where there are already mandatory stop signs.
“If we have the green light, we do not want to create a vertical difference, if cars have fluid circulation. These are really the places where we have to stop,” said transport engineer and head of the Viva Cité team, Jérôme Nadeau, Wednesday evening at the Marchand Community Center, during an information session on the entire redevelopment of this 1.7km section, located straddling the Lairet and Saint-Rodrigue districts.
“Basically, we are going to keep the pedestrian away from the automobile,” summarized Mr. Nadeau.
“Raised sidewalks, which also means fewer puddles of water on the pedestrian route, less ice, we will ensure better drainage (…) We will have slopes in the roadway and a crossing sidewalk made of concrete, which send a signal that this is a space where pedestrians can circulate. Drivers will really have the impression of crossing pedestrian infrastructure. »
“As the sidewalk is only slightly lowered”, it will be less visible for people with visual impairments. The municipality will therefore install tactile tiles “so that these people are aware that they are crossing an infrastructure where cars can pass”.
New bus boarding platforms
What’s more, new boarding platforms will be built for RTC services, in this sector which has 17 bus stops; regular routes, as well as Express and Métrobus types.
“We are going to reduce the width of the cycle path, so as to encourage cyclists to slow down to respect the pedestrian crossing, which will be between the buses and the sidewalk. At this location, the path will be raised to the height of the sidewalk for universal accessibility, so that there are no steps for pedestrians. We will have the same level across the entire width,” described the transport engineer.
The width of the boarding platforms will allow people to wait or disembark from their bus in an area dedicated only to pedestrians.
“They will not land in a cycle path,” explained Jérôme Nadeau.
“The pedestrian crossing will be marked by yellow bars across the width of the path, and there will also be additional signage at this location to encourage cyclists to respect the pedestrian crossing. »
There too, tactile tiles will be installed to help people with visual disabilities.
Greening and demineralization
We also plan to plant 28 overhanging trees distributed along 10 intersections, near 4th Avenue East, on cross streets.
“The location of the sidewalk area will be replaced and moved, which will increase the areas of green areas between private properties and sidewalks [la bande verte derrière les trottoirs] », indicated the head of the Viva Cité team.
The local drainage network will be greatly improved, according to Mr. Nadeau.
“Our green infrastructure will allow water to be received naturally (…) it will relieve our aqueduct network and reduce the pressure on our networks. These developments will also help reduce heat islands. »
Loss of parking
No changes are planned to the current traffic pattern. One car lane will be maintained in each direction. On the other hand, this redevelopment will result in the loss of 48 parking lots, i.e. 28 spaces at intersections and 20 others in the northern portion of this segment of 4th Avenue East.
Currently, the speed limit is 50km/h in this sector, but given all these upcoming changes, the city will analyze the possibility of lowering it.
“We have to think about the speed limit as part of this development,” revealed the director of the Viva Cité team, David O’Brien.
It is impossible to know the total cost of the project, because the municipality is currently calling for tenders. The construction mandate must be given around mid-April. The work will then begin in the spring and will last until fall 2025.
A site information office will be set up during the work. Moreover, neighboring property owners will receive a postal communication from the city inviting them to share their specific needs.
What they said
“These are important projects, which bring a different, sustainable and necessary mobility to ensure the development of our city. »
– Pierre-Luc Lachance, advisor responsible for transport and mobility on the executive committee
“It is a project that harmonizes well with the current fabric and needs of our neighborhood. It’s a nice bonus. We see the effort that has been made (…) At this stage, I find it interesting and I hope that it will be well received by citizens. »
– Claude Villeneuve, councilor of Maizerets-Lairet
Finally, yesterday’s presentation is available on the City of Quebec website.
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