Beloved by cyclists but reviled by some drivers, Tour de l'le strives for peaceful co-existence - Action News
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Montreal

Beloved by cyclists but reviled by some drivers, Tour de l'le strives for peaceful co-existence

The Tour la Nuit and Tour de l'le cycling events on Friday and Sunday will bring road closures and parking restrictions to several neighbourhoods. Organizer Vlo-Quebec says it does everything possible to minimize inconvenience.

Organizers of annual cycling event advise people to plan ahead this weekend

thousands of people biking
Tens of thousands of cyclists are expected to participate in the Tour la Nuit Friday night and the Tour de l'le Sunday. (Vlo Qubec)

Tens of thousands of cyclists will take over Montreal streets this weekend for the annual Festival Go Vlo Montreal, featuring the Tour la Nuit event Friday night and the Tour de l'leSunday.

The Tour de l'lewill see closures in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, RosemontLa Petite-Patrie, Outremont,Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce, Sud-Ouest, LaSalle, Lachine, Verdun and Ville-Marie boroughs, as well as in Westmount.

The route for Sunday's Tour de L'ile stretches through several neighbourhoods, mostly in the area around Mount-Royal and in the southwest.
The route for Sunday's Tour de l'lestretches through several neighbourhoods, mostly in the area around Mount Royal and in southwestern Montreal. (Vlo-Quebec)

For the the Tour la Nuit, roadswill be closed in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, Ville-Marie and Sud-Ouest boroughs.

The Tour La Nuit Friday night is concentrated in the Plateau Mont-Royal, Ville-Marie and Southwest boroughs.
The Tour la Nuit Friday night is concentrated in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, Ville-Marie and Sud-Ouest boroughs. (Vlo Quebec)

Parking restrictions for the Tour la Nuit begin Friday afternoon in some areas as of 1 p.m. and continue until midnight. More parking restrictions for the Tour de l'lewill begin at 12:01 a.m.Sunday and last until 6 p.m.

The events start and end at Jeanne-Mancepark.

"We do everything in order to make sure it's going to be a fiesta for every cyclist in town, but we also want to make sure that motorists know about these events," city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said at a news conference Tuesday.

"Our objective is to have the least impact possible," Vlo-Quebec president Jean-Franois Rheault added.

Rheault said people planning their routes for the weekend can consult velo.qc.ca/infocirculation for maps and schedules of road closures. He also suggested downloading the Waze mobile application for real-time updates on street closures and traffic conditions.

"There will be options to move around by car Friday night or Sunday. It might be a different option than you're used to," Rheault said.

"So take five minutes to look at the map and you might avoid many minutes or hours of traffic."

Organizers say benefits of event outweigh inconvenience

Rheault said Vlo-Quebec gets complaints every year from drivers who are upset about inconvenience caused by the events.

He said that's why organizers spend months working to minimize traffic disruptions and ensure road closures are well-publicized in advance.

A man speaks into microphones while standing outside
Vlo-Quebec president Jean-Franois Rheault says the Tour de l'le is a life-changing event for some people that inspires them to take up cycling on a regular basis. (Steve Rukavina/CBC News)

Ultimately,Rheault said the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences, and extend beyond just a day of fun.

"Some participants will be experiencing the city by bike for the first time," Rheault said.

"By allowing families and kids to experience the city streets, it can change their lives. When we ask participants, 'Do you cycle more after the Tour de l'le?' They say yes," he said.

One of the challenges for people trying to get around the city on Tour de l'leweekend is that the routes change every year.

Rheault said that's the most fair and practical system

"We don't want to have negative impacts on the same citizens every year," he said.

"The city is dynamic. There's a lot of things that are changing road works, construction, festivals," Rheault said.

He said Vlo Qubec takes all this into account as it plans its routes, both to reduce the festival's impact and give participants a better experience.