Nearly one hundred years after its inauguration, boulevard Taschereau is about to undergo a major transformation. Catherine Fournier, Mayor of Longueuil and President of the Agglomération de Longueuil Executive Committee, and Doreen Assaad, Mayor of Brossard, unveiled the first-ever pre-project vision developed between the two cities.
Located in the heart of Montreal’s South Shore, the Taschereau corridor is a key mobility axis linking the two urban cores of Longueuil and Brossard. Thanks to the presence of vast underutilized land and a strong potential to host a structuring mass transit project, this area offers an exceptional opportunity for large-scale residential, commercial and institutional revitalization. A total of 221 hectares could be redeveloped to create complete, connected living environments with a rethought architectural identity, where all things concrete give way to a greener, more integrated and attractive environment.
Two cities, one development vision
The revitalization area covers boulevard Taschereau and its commercial surroundings, between the Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke terminus in Longueuil and the Panama terminus in Brossard. The redevelopment of the section between the Panama terminus and Route 116 is based on five main areas of intervention:
- the creation of new neighborhoods along the axis with different topologies (affordable housing, rentals, condos, townhouses, etc.) with a potential for 12,000 new homes;
- commercial revitalization, with more than 55,000 m² of office, convenience store and service space;
- transforming the boulevard into a safe urban thoroughfare with comprehensive facilities for cyclists and pedestrians in line with Vision Zero;
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT);
- planning and financing the municipal infrastructure required for urban development and climate resilience, in particular by upgrading the surrounding water and sewer network.
The SRB, a reasonable structured transport project adapted to the sector
With over 58,000 daily trips between Brossard and Longueuil – making Taschereau Boulevard the 5ᵉ busiest corridor in Quebec – a thorough transformation is called for. The transition to active and collective modes of transport is essential. The challenges of climate change and the unprecedented housing crisis reinforce the need for a structuring link between the two cities. The Taschereau corridor will be designed according to TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) principles, which aim to concentrate housing, services and activities around public transit to build complete living environments. The implementation of a BRT – an efficient, easy-to-deploy and economically reasonable form of mass transit – combined with residential densification, will generate the ridership needed for commercial revitalization, while connecting the existing networks of the REM in Brossard and the metro in Longueuil.
“My colleague Doreen and I regularly note the keen interest shown by residents, shopkeepers and promoters in our two towns in a completely redesigned Taschereau boulevard, with a structuring public transport project at its heart, which nonetheless respects taxpayers’ ability to pay. We’re aware that the redevelopment of Taschereau has been hotly debated in recent years, and that several versions of the project have emerged in the past, but all lacked coherence. With the collaboration that now links our two cities, as well as the support of the Quebec government and our various partners such as the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), we are confident that we are finally on the right track, the one that will enable us to move forward. This project will mark a real transformation for the area, transforming it from a highway to a green, friendly and safe urban boulevard, lined with new neighbourhoods, local shops and office space. While the scale of the redevelopment is considerable, I am convinced that, with the support of all our partners, we will be able to deliver a project of the highest calibre, in keeping with the aspirations of the people of Longueuil, Brossard and the entire region,” declared Catherine Fournier, Mayor of Longueuil.
A steering committee set up
An intermunicipal committee was set up this winter to ensure the project’s governance. Made up of representatives from the cities of Longueuil and Brossard, it will also work closely with the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL), the Autorité régionale du transport métropolitain (ARTM) and the MTMD, responsible for Route 134 (Taschereau). Coordination between these partners is crucial to the success of the two-phase redevelopment project.
“Transforming Taschereau Boulevard is no longer an option, it’s a necessity to reconcile mobility, quality of life, safety and urban attractiveness. By joining forces with Longueuil, we are taking action with ambition and lucidity. This shared vision, supported by two forward-looking cities committed to action, will enable us to transform an aging highway into a lever for urban revitalization, to the direct benefit of families, living environments and local economic activity. Unlike megaprojects that get bogged down, our approach is simple, realistic and ready to be implemented,” says Doreen Assaad, Mayor of Brossard.
Next steps
The cities of Longueuil and Brossard will advance various pre-project studies for the underground infrastructure, begin setting up a project team and formalize partnerships to make the vision a reality until the Mobilité Infra Québec agency, to be set up by winter 2026, takes over the project. The new vision for the project was presented to the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Geneviève Guilbault, and received a very open welcome. The creation of dynamic new living environments will also be accompanied by mechanisms for citizen participation at key stages.
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