Bringing Bikes On The Montreal Metro Is About To Get Easier — Here's What You Need To Know

Bringing your bike onto the Montreal metro is like an eco-friendly transit turducken, and soon it'll be even easier to cart around your ten-speed while travelling across the city. Thanks to changes that will go into effect on April 15, 2023, cyclists will be able to carry their bikes on the metro more often with more "relaxed" regulations, according to a recent press release from the STM.

There will be extended hours, meaning that bikes can be brought into the train throughout the entire day on weekends and holidays, and during select periods Monday to Friday: from the metro's opening to 7 a.m., from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to the metro's closing.

Even better, during the summer (from May 20 to August 20), bikes will be allowed all day, every day, except when the STM temporarily restricts access during high-traffic events, during which specific metro lines may be bike-restricted during specific times during the day.

Also as of April 15, you'll be able to bring your bike into any car on the metro, with a limit of two bikes per metro car.

The STM is also warning cyclists to avoid the first train car, "as it is to be prioritized for use by school groups, daycare services and people with certain functional limitations," the release says. They also recommend a limit of one bike per door so that metro passengers can easily board or get off the metro without being trapped by your fancy mountain bike.

"With these relaxed regulations surrounding the transport of bikes in the métro network, we are pleased to offer greater flexibility for cyclists who would like to use both modes of transportation in tandem," Éric Alan Caldwell, Chair of the STM Board of Directors said in the release.

"This pilot project is just one way that we intend to remove barriers to using public transit, promote sustainable, integrated mobility and make the métro into a space that can be shared peacefully by cyclists, wheelchair users and dog owners alike."

The pilot project is set to end on November 15, after which the STM will assess the new rules' impact on metro services. For this summer, at least, cyclists can enjoy more freedom to travel, with the hopes of continued access following the pilot project.