Pedestrian Streets

Last updated March 28, 2024

Pedestrian and shared-use streets, whether permanent or seasonal, provide a safe, enjoyable walking environment in the heart of the city. Try one out and you’ll discover new meeting places and opportunities for relaxation and entertainment in the heart of your favourite neighbourhoods.

Montréal is a great city for walking and enjoying public places. The city is capitalizing on the great potential of local streets to create new neighbourhood public places where people can meet. Converting streets to pedestrian malls is part of this process and encourages appropriation of public spaces, discovery of local neighbourhoods and interactions between those who make them come alive.

Pedestrian or shared: what's the difference?

In Montréal, there are several types of streets that prioritize pedestrians and foot traffic:

  • The pedestrian street, which as the name implies is reserved exclusively for use by pedestrians.
  • The pedestrian street with a slow zone, which may be used by cyclists, skateboarders, scooter enthusiasts and in-line skaters, provided they ride slowly and give priority to pedestrians at all times.
  • The shared street, which is a space where pedestrians, bicycles and motor vehicles coexist – but where pedestrians have priority! They can go wherever they want, in any direction they choose, and may cross the street at any time in any place. The speed limit for vehicles is 20 km/h and the street must be laid out in a safe manner.

Find a pedestrian street

Walking is the best way to enjoy Montréal’s neighbourhoods and discover the local atmosphere and cultures.

To find a pedestrian or shared street in Montréal, you can either:

Discovering Montréal on foot

Pedestrian streets are very popular in Montréal and are part of the urban landscape, especially during the summer season. They encourage people to connect with places, and ensure the vibrancy of neighbourhoods and their businesses. 
Their safety is also a big plus. With cars prohibited or tightly controlled, pedestrians feel much safer and the risk of accidents is much lower. Nuisances caused by vehicle traffic, such as stress and air and noise pollution, are also greatly reduced.
Finally, the more spacious layout of these streets allows each walker to choose his or her own pace, regardless of physical condition, and encourages active mobility.

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