With the arrival of warmer temperatures, it is questionable whether the city of Moncton will do it again in the summer of 2021 with the pedestrianization of Main Street.
In 2020, the subject had given rise to many objections: traders feared limited access to businesses and a drop in traffic if the circulation of cars on the main artery was prohibited. Remember that 40% of the downtown area is used for car storage. Others welcomed the project rather favorably, pointing out the beneficial effects of taking advantage of outdoor spaces while being able to keep the physical distance possible and comply with health rules. Two professors from the University of Montreal in urban morphology and urban development affirmed that Main Street between Botsford and Church was dense enough for such a project to work, but that it was necessary first of all to attract the population by active transportation and public transportation. A hybrid form of the project was eventually put in place allowing east-to-west vehicle access between Botsford and Lutz with a cycle lane while keeping the rest of the space available for cyclists, pedestrians and terraces. of restaurants.
There is no doubt that with the pandemic, cities will have the obligation in the future to rethink urbanization and improve their resilience in a context of health and well-being linked to the built environment. Many actions can be put forward to meet health needs when the density of the population requires close contact between citizens. In this case, the pedestrianization of the main arteries is one of the immediate solutions that can be implemented quickly and, moreover, is part of the development of a sustainable transport network by promoting the active movement of the population. . After a long period of public health restrictions putting people’s lives on hold, this initiative could have many benefits and should be welcomed by the population. This could lead citizens to revisit their method of travel by prioritizing active transportation, increase the level of daily physical activity in addition to controlling the outdoor pollution brought by car traffic.
In addition to the economic concerns that were raised by the Main Street merchant population almost a year ago, the health benefits of the arrival of a pedestrian street in Moncton had not been identified and this project remains. nevertheless a golden opportunity to incorporate physical activity into everyday life. It has in fact been shown that active modes of transportation are beneficial to health.
Environmental factors of course play an important role in the use of walking or cycling as a means of transportation. Among other things, cycle paths separated from traffic, an increase in population density, short distances to be covered which favor the use of active transport. Even if it is not possible for everyone to get around on foot or by bicycle, given the distance to be covered between home and work, it is possible to use a mixed mode of transport. Walking the last mile by parking the car farther away is a conceivable and easy strategy to implement to increase your level of physical activity and derive benefits for your health, whether physical or mental, and it is precisely what a pedestrian street could achieve. Studies are also clear on this subject: integrating physical activities, whether light or moderate in intensity, into our daily routine is sufficient for us to be able to enjoy the health benefits of physical activity.
It was noted that the level of physical activity and sedentary time can be combined differently depending on a person’s level of physical activity to reduce the risk of premature death. Indeed, accumulating 30 to 40 minutes of MVPA per day was sufficient to attenuate the association between sedentary time and the risk of premature death. However, according to the latest 2016 population health portrait from the New Brunswick Health Council, 49.2% of New Brunswickers were moderately active or active every day according to their level of physical activity. declared.
Since a majority of the population is not physically active, the adverse health effects of a sedentary lifestyle are pervasive and may be associated with a higher risk of premature death. With a project such as the pedestrianization of Main Street, it could be possible to add as little as 10 to 15 minutes of walking per day, allowing an accumulation of 75 minutes of additional physical activity per week and thus reduce the sedentary time that is more harmful in people who are not very active and allow them to derive the health benefits associated with a practice of physical activity. By parking their car a little further and walking a hundred meters to get a coffee or a dinner, the population who frequent the city center could manage to achieve a good proportion of what is recommended in terms of physical activity. , without even having to think about it.
Finally, we don’t have to look too far to find a successful model. Remember that the city of Saint-Jean, in Newfoundland, had put such a project forward in the summer of 2020 by pedestrianizing Water Street in its downtown area. The project had first of all aroused reluctance among the population. No more than a week later, merchants claimed to have seen an increase in traffic to businesses in addition to observing that customers were happy to be able to spend time outdoors and that it was welcome following a spring when COVID-19 restrictions had restricted everyone’s movement. The project was then reported as a great success by politicians and residents and a large majority hoped that the initiative would continue in future years. It was also announced that the project would return for the summer of 2021 by widening the pedestrian zone to include Duckworth Street, since traders felt they were missing an opportunity.
The pedestrianization of Main Street could also be a success, as much for the traders as for the population, it is still necessary to try it and to let the project go ahead before throwing the first stone. Not only will our city reap health benefits, but also the environment and who knows, perhaps economically.
Annie-Pier Fortin, MSc
Member of the Board of the Association de Kinesiologie du N.-B.
Grant Handrigan, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology and Leisure, U de M
Director, Kinesiology, Leisure and Healthy Living Research Center
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