Streets where people triumph over traffic

Dec 22

In Montreal, pedestrian-only streets are a proven hit with residents and a tourist magnet. Photo credit: Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher

By Abdul Matin Sarfraz

Car-free roads where residents and tourists are free to roam, shop, sip on outdoor patios and easily avoid traffic are steadily gaining popularity across Canada.

In many cases, this pedestrian-only trend took off during the COVID-19 pandemic as cities strived to offer more outdoor activities to their cooped-up citizens.

Experts note there are environmental benefits as well. Pedestrian streets help combat summer heat islands, promote walking and bicycle use, and reduce reliance on cars, thereby cutting planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions.

Now, Montreal, Calgary and Banff are among the cities and towns that continue to see popularity increase for pedestrian-only routes. Even outside urban centres, some spots have experimented with the idea. In Alberta, for example, part of a popular tourist drive through the mountains (Bow Valley Parkway-Highway 1A) is now closed to only bicycles and hikers for part of the year. The tourist town of Banff in Alberta also now bars a section of its main road to cars during summer.

Peter Allan

Streets where people triumph over traffic

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