What Boston can learn from Montreal's car-free summer

Montreal’s “open streets” program is giving cities like Boston a clear example of what happens when cars are temporarily pushed out. The article describes a 1.5-mile stretch of Mont-Royal Avenue free of cars, lined with large wooden planters featuring kale, tomatillos and wildflowers, where pedestrians and cyclists fill the area—cars return in fall. Since 2020, Montreal has expanded closures to about 4.3 miles across six boroughs, including busy commercial routes like Sainte-Catherine Street East, with some closures lasting for months. By contrast, Boston plans one-day closures totaling 2.2 miles across four neighborhoods, plus recurring Newbury Street closures on 10 Sundays. A two-day walk-around highlights how the closures create space for dining, retail, and lingering discovery.