Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a decision accepting all borough councils’ offers to design, coordinate and carry out minor sidewalk repairs on selected city arterial-network streets in 2026. The goal, as described by city staff, is to address deteriorated sidewalk sections; the decision is in force.
- Projects cover 10,982 m² in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Anjou, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Lachine, LaSalle, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Le Sud-Ouest, L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montréal-Nord, Outremont, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Saint-Laurent, Saint-Léonard, Verdun, Ville-Marie and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.
- Repairs must be limited to city arterial-network sidewalks, be minor and localized (10–15% of a street segment), and not be on a street scheduled for redesign in the next five years. Lead service lines must be replaced beforehand, coordinated with the city’s Water Department.
- The city’s road infrastructure service will pay all project costs, including plans and specifications, from its available 2026–2035 investment budget. Boroughs must manage the work, track project budgets and schedules, and use the funds only for these projects.
What it means for you#
- Residents: Sidewalk repairs are planned in all 19 boroughs, but only on selected sections of streets in the city arterial network. The decision does not promise repairs on every sidewalk.
- Boroughs: They must meet the city’s project conditions, obtain required approvals and permits, and report progress when asked. They cannot spend beyond approved credits without authorization.
- Taxpayers: The work is funded through the city’s road infrastructure investment budget; the decision does not set a new tax or fee.
Money#
Estimated total project cost: $5,872,000, net of tax rebates.
- The city’s road infrastructure service will cover the full costs from available investment funds under Program 55859.
- The listed project costs are estimates; the materials do not give final costs.
What is unclear#
- The decision does not identify the specific street sections or work schedules.
- Final costs and whether each project will be completed as planned are not stated.
- The materials do not say how residents will be notified about work in their area.
Case for#
- City staff say boroughs have construction expertise and are well placed to deliver work in their own territories.
- The decision focuses on localized repairs and requires coordination with planned lead-service-line replacement.
Case against#
- The decision does not name the streets, so residents cannot tell from it whether a particular sidewalk will be repaired.
- A possible trade-off is that the minor-repair limits exclude streets due for redesign within five years, even if sidewalk sections are deteriorated.