Montreal spending $15M on new, existing bike paths

Montreal will spend $15 million in this year to add 57 kilometres of additional bike lanes to its 733-kilometre-long network and maintainwhat already exists.

The additionswill cover 13 boroughs and four cities on the island.

Among the projects:

• Prolonging the bike path on de Maisonneuve Boulevardbetween Berri and Alexandre de Svestreetsand connect the Jacques CartierBridgeto downtown.
• Creation of a bike pathon Lapierre Streetin LaSalle and the construction of a bridge that will link the Lachine Canal bike path to thebike path along the Verdun aqueduct.
• Upgrading the Clark Streetbike path between Arcade Streetand Laurier Avenue, which includesmaking it accessible yearround.
• Adding a dual direction bike path on Elm Boulevardin Beaconsfield between Montrose Driveand Brown Owl Lane.

'Vlorues' pilot project

The city has also started a pilot project it's calling "vlorues,"or streets dedicated first and foremost to cyclists.

"Once you have lots of cyclists on it, cars do not overtake, they'll go the speed of the bikes," said Marc-Andr Gadoury,who isresponsible for bike safety for the City of Montreal.

It's still a bit of patchwork, but they are getting there.- Vlo Quebec's MarcJolicoeur

Motorists who drive on St-Andr and Mentanastreets between Laurier Avenue and Cherrier Street will have to reduce their speed to a suggested 20 km/h.

"Allowing cyclists to go all the way north-south on that access while drivers will have to turn to other streets will make for a very quiet street,"saidMarcJolicoeur, spokesman forVloQubec. "It will be a nice addition."

The project is also an attempt to address the lack of north-south options designated forcyclists in the city.

"It's still a bit of patchwork, but they are getting there," Jolicoeursaid.

The next phase of a pilot project that created a counterflow bike lane on Esplanade Avenue will also begin this year. The change affects Esplanade between Rachel Street and Duluth Avenue.

Bike boxes

The city will create four new bike boxes, paintedin green at intersections to designate a space for cyclists to await ahead of motorized vehiclesat a red light.

There will be two such boxes at BerriStreet and de MaisonneuveBoulevard, one on Laurier Avenue at St-Denis Street and a fourth at the intersection ofSt-UrbainandVigerstreets.

Falling short

Despite the additions to the network, the city is still 547kilometres shortof its goal to have a network of1,280 kilometres of bike paths on the island.

"We've given ourselves 12 years to put that plan into place.We are at more than 50 kilometres a year now,57 this year, so if we keep the pace we might even [reach the goal]a year or two in advance," said Gadoury.

Projet Montralsuggests much of the existing network needs improvement: It says too many kilometresof bike paths aresimplypainted lines on a road and not specifically designated for cyclists.