I Visited the Best* City in North America
Not Just Bikes・2 minutes read
Montreal is a large Canadian city with a focus on enhancing public transit, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly streets, showcasing a mix of housing types and a vibrant French culture. Despite some progress, Montreal's urban infrastructure still faces challenges like highway congestion, deteriorating highways, and limited surface transit, with areas outside the city center being car-centric.
Insights
- Montreal showcases a robust public transit system with a Metro featuring rubber-tired trains, planned extensions with automated light rail systems, and an extensive network of bike lanes, reflecting a commitment to sustainable urban mobility solutions.
- Montreal's urbanism presents a mix of successes and challenges, with vibrant pedestrianized streets, innovative cycling infrastructure, and a rich historical and cultural backdrop, juxtaposed against shortcomings such as deteriorating highways, inefficient surface transit, and car-centric downtown areas, calling for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to urban planning.
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Recent questions
What is the public transit system like in Montreal?
Montreal boasts a robust public transit system, including a Metro with four lines and 68 stations, offering frequent trains during peak and off-peak hours. Plans are underway to extend the system with an automated light rail system called the REM, featuring driverless trains and platform screen doors for safety.
How extensive is Montreal's cycling infrastructure?
Montreal is renowned for its extensive cycling infrastructure, with over 900 km of bike lanes, including the Rev network of express bicycle routes. The city's cycling infrastructure varies in quality, with innovative temporary solutions like Flexi sticks and temporary bicycle traffic lights.
What are some unique features of Montreal's pedestrianized streets?
Montreal pedestrianizes about 10 streets every summer, some spanning dozens of blocks, adorned with art, quotes, temporary installations, greenery, and fun activities. People of all ages enjoy these streets, although inline skating, skateboarding, and mopeds are prohibited.
How does Montreal address urban transportation efficiency?
Montreal's urban transportation efficiency faces challenges, with highways cutting through the city, diverting traffic onto city streets. The removal of streetcars in the 1950s and 1960s for car infrastructure reduced street capacity, hindering urban transportation efficiency.
What are the main criticisms of Montreal's urban infrastructure?
Montreal's overall urban infrastructure is criticized for its lack of safety, poor public transit outside the core region, and excessive reliance on cars, despite some promising improvements. The city's urbanism quality drops off quickly outside the city center, with car-dependent areas and poor infrastructure.