McTavish Street will be a pedestrian zone as of May 28

McGill University and Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough are working together to make McTavish Street a pedestrian zone as of May 28th.

As of Friday, May 28th, the section of McTavish Street between Sherbrooke Street and Dr. Penfield Avenue will be transformed into a pedestrian zone.  At a recent council meeting, the Ville-Marie borough approved a by-law that will allow the urban space on McTavish Street to be turned over to the McGill and local Montreal communities. The planned changes will create a greener, convivial, people-friendly environment that is safer for pedestrians.

As of May 28th, parking will be eliminated, vehicular traffic substantially reduced and deliveries restricted to between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Emergency vehicles will continue to have full access. Vehicles transporting persons with disabilities and local residents will continue to have access from McTavish Street to the alley located between the Bronfman Building and the University Bookstore.

The preparation and landscaping work to transform McTavish into a greener and safer pedestrian street should start on Tuesday, May 18th.  As of this date, metered parking will no longer be available and public vehicle access will be phased out. McGill personnel are currently working with building occupants in the area to establish delivery procedures for the university buildings located on this street.

The creation of a pedestrian zone on McTavish Street is complementary to McGill’s Greening Lower Campus initiative, designed to enhance the University’s natural environment, increase green space, decrease paved areas, improve landscaping, minimize motorized vehicles on the lower campus – and ultimately create a pleasant, green oasis within the downtown urban core.

This project also constitutes concrete action by the borough, and is one of a series of sustainable, sound measures that help make it an urban, environmental leader.

For more information, visit www.mcgill.ca/masterplan/lowercampus