Overview

Boulevard St. Martin is one the main streets of Laval, QC, a city on an island just north of the Island of Montreal. Laval is largely a suburban city of approximately 440,000 residents but large swaths of the island have agricultural lands. Laval is the largest suburb of Montreal and the third largest city in Quebec.

Originating in the 19th century, Boulevard St. Martin is among Laval’s oldest and longest boulevards. This particular section of the boulevard features numerous retail and commercial establishments, marking it as a significant commercial main street for the surrounding neighborhoods of Laval. Boulevard St. Martin’s connection to nearby highways and other arterial streets results in significant traffic flowing through the boulevard.

Built Form

Boulevard St. Martin is a large and fast arterial road with a built form that primarily serves vehicular traffic. The street includes three circulation lanes in each direction with a speed limit of 50 kmh. Although there are sidewalks and a bike lane on both sides of the street, the number of circulation lanes, speed of vehicles, and number of vehicles make it an unpleasant and unwelcoming place for pedestrians and cyclists.

Most buildings along the boulevard are single-story retail structures similar to strip malls, housing various businesses like restaurants and offices. Some larger office parks or buildings are also present. Many of these structures are noticeably set back from the street, owing to the presence of expansive above-ground parking lots. This abundance of above-ground parking highlights the street's car-centric nature.

In contrast, the adjacent residential streets surrounding Boulevard St. Martin have a suburban feel, with some streets featuring bungalows with front lawns.

Civic Infrastructure

Click on a layer to turn it on or off

Arts and Culture

Government and Community Services

Recreation

Healthcare

Education

Photos 10 Minute Walk Radius

Employment Size

Boulevard St. Martin benefits from essential civic infrastructure, including health and care facilities, and government services. However, it lacks adequate provisions for arts, culture, and recreational amenities. Unlike many of the other case study main streets in Montreal, Boulevard St. Martin primarily serves as a major thoroughfare for vehicular traffic. Consequently, pedestrian-oriented infrastructure such as street furniture, programming, and signage are limited. Nevertheless, the boulevard plays a crucial role in catering to the healthcare needs of the surrounding neighborhoods in Laval, with a notable presence of health and care facilities. Additionally, it hosts important government services, including the Palais de Justice de Laval - the Laval courthouse.

However, according to the Civic Infrastructure Index, Boulevard St. Martin lags behind most other Montreal main street case studies and other residential main streets in terms of its civic opportunity. The street ranks 13th out of 20 Montreal main streets and 29th out of 36 residential main streets.

Business Profile

Click on a layer to turn it on or off

Retail

Local Services

Food and Drink

Photos 10 Minute Walk Radius

Employment Size

There is a relatively equal mix of retail, services, and food and drink businesses along Boulevard St. Martin. Most of the retail and food and drink establishments are large national chains, with little independent food or retail present. Catering to the car-centric nature of the street, many of these establishments have large parking lots and drive-thru’s. Many of the services and service businesses are car related businesses and include gas stations, car garages, and auto care.

As one moves east-to-west along Boulevard St. Martin, the commercial landscape does begin to change highlighting that different parts of the street offer different commercial and business options. The western end of this street segment is dominated by larger malls and higher density office parks compared to the low-density and low-rise strip malls on the eastern end.

According to the Independent Business Index, boulevard St. Martin lags behind other Main street case studies in terms of level of business independence, ranking 20th out of 20 Montreal main streets and 30th out of 36 residential main streets.

Similarly, in terms of business density, the street ranks 19th out of 20 Montreal main streets and 32nd out of 36 residential main streets.

Employment Profile

The majority of businesses on Boulevard St. Martin are retail or food and drink and the employment profile of the street is representative of this. Much of the employment along this segment of Boulevard St. Martin is in the businesses that line the street. This includes a mix of both smaller-scale employers, with just 0-5 employees, to larger employers with over 50 employees.

While Boulevard St. Martin hosts a substantial portion of employment opportunities, the surrounding area also contributes significantly. To the northeast of this segment, non-retail businesses offer significant job opportunities, while to the southwest, civic infrastructure establishments play a key role in the employment landscape.

Overall, Boulevard St. Martin ranks 8th out of 20 Montreal main streets and 7th out of 36 residential main streets in terms of its employment density.

Housing

In general, Boulevard St. Martin’s suburban location in Laval results in a relatively lower population density. As a major arterial road, there is not a significant amount of housing directly on Boulevard St. Martin, but the surrounding areas and adjacent streets do include higher numbers of dwellings. Housing construction experienced steady growth from 2001 to 2021 but has sharply declined since.

While the area is primarily characterized by high-rise and low-rise apartments, there still exists a variety of housing types surrounding Boulevard St. Martin. High-rise apartments are prevalent along the boulevard and in the adjacent southern residential areas. In contrast, the northern neighborhood presents a suburban atmosphere with single detached houses and front lawns.

Local Characteristics

The area surrounding Boulevard St. Martin exhibits notable diversity across economic, racial, linguistic, and educational dimensions. Economically, there's a spectrum of incomes both along the street and in neighbouring areas, ranging from low to high. Racially and ethnically, the neighbourhood includes significant proportions of visible minorities and recent immigrants, although the Indigenous population is minimal. Linguistically, the neighbourhood has balanced numbers of English and French speakers. Furthermore, educational attainment varies, with some areas boasting a high percentage of bachelor's degree holders while others have minimal representation.

Visitors

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the foot traffic on Boulevard St. Martin, with current visitation rates only reaching approximately 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Although the number of visits from residents has shown better recovery, underscoring the street's significance as a local hub, there's a notable lag in visits from both recurring and infrequent visitors. There is also a substantial increase in visitation percentages over the weekend, underscoring the importance of the street's commercial establishments as people tend to visit on weekends to shop rather than for weekday employment purposes.

In terms of overall street resilience and visitor recovery, Boulevard St. Martin ranks 13th out of 20 in visitor resiliency in the region and 29th out of 36 residential main streets.