General goals
- Improve the quality of Boulevard Pie-IX as a City gateway
- Improve the quality of residential living environments
- Intensify and diversify activities on underused sites
- Make the boulevard more pedestrian- and
cyclist-friendly
- Improve public transportation service
Planning issues
Boulevard Pie-IX is a major gateway to the City, connecting Montréal to Laval and the North Shore. The heavy traffic and high speeds on this artery have a substantial impact on the adjacent areas. The construction of a bridge in the Autoroute 25 corridor could help to reduce through traffic on Boulevard Pie-IX.
The boulevard is bordered by commercial and residential areas that are largely underused and poorly integrated with regards to the scale of the roadway. North of Rue Monselet, two- and three-storey residential buildings face the boulevard directly, with very little setback. To the south, the presence of huge off-street parking lots, architectural discontinuity, lack of trees and poorly designed public spaces give this City gateway a poor image. In addition to optimizing land use, the intensification and diversification of activities along Pie-IX Boulevard would improve the streetscape of this major transportation corridor.
The boulevard’s current design is inappropriate and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. The interchange with Boulevard Henri-Bourassa Est confirms the dominance of automobile traffic and occupies a site with substantial potential for medium-density construction.
Public transportation service on Boulevard Pie-IX should also be increased, due to the high population density in the area and lack of rapid links to the other parts of the City. In addition to the potential creation of a commuter train station, the Société de transport de Montréal has identified Boulevard Pie-IX as a transport corridor with potential for an intermediate capacity mode such as articulated bus service, a modern tramway or a light rail system.
Bordering the north end of the area, Boulevard Gouin is a segment of Montréal’s waterside roadway. Its most characteristic elements deserve to be enhanced, including heritage buildings and the many vistas of Rivière des Prairies.
