Improved accessibility through the installation of bicycle lanes, promoting ease of movement for all.
Montreal, Canada — During her two mandates as Mayor, Valérie Plante left a significant mark on the city's transportation landscape. The city saw a shift towards more sustainable and people-friendly options, with a focus on cycling and public transit.
One of the most notable initiatives was the extension of the Blue Line metro, marking the first addition of stations on Montreal Island in decades. This extension, launched during Plante's tenure, aimed to improve connectivity across the city. However, Christian Savard of Vivre en ville expressed reservations about the tramway project presented by Quebec, questioning whether travel times to the city center would improve enough.
Plante's administration also added 277 kilometers to Montreal's cycling network, a 34% increase since they took office. The Réseau express vélo (REV) was created during her tenure, which has been widely adopted by Montrealers. As a result, the city now boasts 1083 kilometers of bike paths, with 216 of them being protected. The protected bike path network length has been multiplied by six since 2017.
The Plante administration plans to develop 17 more protected bike highways, a move that mobility expert Jean-François Bruneau supports. Bruneau believes the planned network is just a minimum and more development is necessary. Christian Savard, on the other hand, emphasizes the need to rebalance public space to make the city safer, with motorized vehicles occupying 74% of Montreal's road space, while bikes take up a mere 2%.
Before the Bixi, Saint-Denis Street was an urban highway. After its transformation, it is now greener and more pleasant for everyone, including pedestrians. Over a million passages were recorded on the REV on Saint-Denis Street in 2024 alone.
However, the pandemic has caused a decrease in public transport services, and the Legault government has been slow to invest in buses or the metro, which needs major renovations. The financial figures regarding the expenses and revenues of Plante's two mayoral terms in Montreal are not publicly detailed in the available sources.
Despite these challenges, Plante's focus on mobility during her tenure has undeniably left a lasting impact on the city. Before her tenure, concerns about dismantling deemed "dangerous" bike paths were raised by Savard. Today, Montreal's bike network is stronger and more extensive than ever. The "structuring network" of transport in the east of Montreal is still taking a long time to materialize, but the groundwork has been laid for a more sustainable and people-friendly future.
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