The City Of Montreal Is Building All-New Protected Bike Path On Maisonneuve Street
Photo cred - Thomas Nosal for the Westmount Walking and Cycling Association
By August of this year, cyclists in Montreal will be fully protected and separated from vehicular traffic, at least for one stretch of street. From Decarie to Claremont on de Maisonneuve (near the Vendôme metro) the city of Montreal has committed to building a two-way protected bike path.
Currently, because of sewer work and a constant flow of cars/buses/taxis, the Vendôme metro piece of de Maisonneuce has been deemed a hazardous zone for cyclists by several advocacy groups, one being Velo Quebec. Over 2, 000 cyclists use the path per day (according to the Gazette), so good thing the city is jumping on this before any accidents happen.
Russell Copeman, mayor of Côte-des-Neiges—N.D.G., cites the new configuration as the "safest and most practical solution." Several changes will be made to the road and traffic flow, including:
- a new layer of asphalt for the street
- parking to be prohibited on de Miasonneuve
- creation of a reserved bus lane
- one traffic lane for cars travelling in either direction
The path will be set up in August, with plastic posts serving to separate cyclists from cars. A much more legit concrete curb will then be built next year to better divide the bike path from cars and the new reserved bus lane.
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