You design it: The new Rosemont-Van Horne overpass

There's a big makeover coming to the area that connects the RosemontLa Petite-Patrie borough to Mile End.

The City of Montreal has announcedplans to rebuild the Rosemont-Van Horne overpass, at a cost of $90 to $100 million. It's launched a design contest. A key goal is to come up with a design that integrates pedestrians, cyclists andgreen spaceinto the rebuild.

• Montreal to replace Van HorneRosemont overpass

The winning design will be announced in 2018.

CBC's Daybreak asked Montrealers who use the overpass now, what would you like to see?

Bigger, better sidewalks

Victoria Sayko is a McGill University student wholives in Mile End and uses the overpass to get to RosemontMetro station.

"Sometimes, at night, it's kind of scary to get home," she said. "There's not a lot of people, not a lot of traffic. Sometimes you can't see the cars like you want to."

Victoria's solution: wider sidewalks.

"I already got splashed a few times, when it's raining. Especially if I'm going to school and can't go back to change, it's not fun."

Safer crossings for pedestrians

Radwan MoumnehandHeidi Daehlerare two friends who work and live in Mile End. They both say it's dangerous for pedestrians to access the bridge by crossing St-Urbain Street.

Radwan: "Sad to say that it's a typical Montreal bad design for roads. Nobody can cross from this side of the street without risk[ing] getting killed by a car coming around."

Heidi: "I notice a lot of people cross the tracks because there are so few places for pedestrians to cross."

Radwan and Heidi'ssolution: improvepedestrian access to thebridge, including traffic lights and better lighting

A touch of style and greenery

Could Montreal get inspired by New York City's Highline, a raised railway turned public green space?

Catherine Dea, who is 21 and lives in Little Italy, thinks so.

"They used an old railroad to make a park for the people, and they have a lot of art installations and green spaces, and it's a really nice place."

"If they do that with this here, it would be nice, but what would they do with the cars?"

Buffers between cars and people

Many parents take their children toLhasadeSelaPark, wedged betweenSt-Urbain and Clark streets, just at the foot of the overpass.

But some, like Sarah Turner, won't use the overpass to get to the park.

"It's scary. It's fast and high, and there are cars, and there's not a good separation between the stroller and where you'd be pushing it."

Sara's solution:"Certainly, a good buffer between the pedestrians and the cars. And also, a buffer between cyclists and cars is nice, too."