Whether you refer to yourself as a cyclist or a biker, have your own bicycle or ride a BIXI, prefer e-bikes or keep it classic, 'tis the season to hop on a two-wheel pedal-powered vehicle and cruise the streets of Montreal — ideally taking advantage of the city's many pathways.
However, while there are numerous benefits to cycling — from skipping traffic to exercising to environmental sustainability — it can also be dangerous. Between 2021 and 2022, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reported 1,183 cases of injured cyclists being hospitalized in Quebec, and just as recently as this month, a cyclist was seriously injured after colliding with a car in the Plateau Mont-Royal.
If you cycle, you probably have your own most hated roads to bike on. Even if you drive, there could be parts of streets that fill you with fear due to close calls with bikers because of how an intersection is laid out.
According to a new survey by Transportation Research at McGill University (TRAM), cyclists say these 10 Montreal intersections, which span 18 different streets, are the most dangerous in the city:
- Rue Ontario Est & Rue Berri
- Avenue Parc & Avenue Mont-Royal
- Boulevard Saint-Joseph Est & Rue D'Iberville
- Avenue Papineau & Boulevard Crémazie
- Boulevard de Maisonneuve & Boulevard Décarie
- Boulevard de Maisonneuve & Rue Berri
- Rue Saint-Urbain & Avenue Président-Kennedy
- Avenue Sainte-Croix & Chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse
- Rue Dickson & Rue Notre-Dame Est
- Boulevard de la Vérendrye & Rue de l’Église
"Intersections are the most vulnerable areas for crashes involving cyclists, pedestrians and cars. The ones highlighted in this survey need to be redesigned to improve safety and comfort for everyone,” said Hisham Negm, a TRAM Research Assistant and PhD student in McGill’s School of Urban Planning, in a news release.
"Designing for cycling is not solely about adding bike lanes. To ensure safety for all road users and ease of movement for cyclists, these lanes must be well-designed and connected."
As a result of these findings, TRAM suggests policy changes to analyze zones where bicycles come into conflict with vehicles and pedestrians to identify reasons for collisions and near-misses. It also says preferred routes taken by cyclists should be collected and studied, and dangerous intersections should be redesigned in a way that prioritizes safety and ease of movement, proactively preventing crashes.
For now, take caution when you're approaching any of the aforementioned intersections.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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