General goals
- Intensify and diversify employment activities
- Improve access to and traffic flow within the area,
for freight transportation as well as for passengers traveling by automobile,
public transportation, foot or bicycle
- Improve the image of the area through increased
design quality in the public realm
- Mitigate the nuisances generated by industrial activities on adjacent living environments
Planning issues
The L’Acadie / Chabanel area, currently being redeveloped, includes more than 1,500 businesses and 22,700 jobs in three different sub-areas. Sub-area 1 is located between Boulevard Saint-Laurent and the railway and includes many businesses in the fashion industry as well as a residential area to the south. Many premises are unoccupied or underused. Sub-area 2, the former site of the Central Market, is under development with the construction of large- and medium-sized retail outlets. Sub-area 3 is situated between Autoroute 15 and Boulevard de l’Acadie and includes a concentration of clothing and food-processing factories. The vacant lots in that sub-area cover a total of almost 14 hectares.
Access to and traffic flow within the area is difficult, especially for freight transportation. The addition of a service road on the east side of Autoroute 15 in the Jean-Pratt corridor would help increase its accessibility.
In an effort to improve public transportation, a light rail transit system is being considered in the Parc corridor to Rue Jean-Talon Ouest and eventually to the L'Acadie / Chabanel area. Another option under study involves the construction of a commuter train station on the Montréal-Blainville line at Rue Chabanel. In addition, the extension of the Route verte bikeway in the Canadian Pacific right-of-way is projected.
The narrow sidewalks, scant vegetation and poor street furniture in the area make pedestrian and bicycle travel less appealing. In addition, the interface between the residential and industrial areas is difficult. No buffer zone mitigates nuisances, including the through traffic, dust and noise generated by some industrial activities. Similarly, the interface between the L'Acadie / Chabanel area and the expressways should be improved in order to increase visibility of businesses and enhance the area’s image.
