Calls for REV-like bike path in Montreal's west end
A group of cycling advocates are calling for an express corridor connecting Saint-Laurent to downtown Montreal.
The idea is to create something similar to the REV express bike path that runs along St. Denis Street.
Cyclists like Olivier Labreche, who commutes from his home in Saint-Laurent to his job downtown, say the current commute isn't safe.
"When we look at the infrastructure in the west end of the city, we see it's really not on par with what people have in the centre and more towards the east," Labreche told CTV News. "Particularly for the north-south route, there's no continuous corridor to come between, let's say, N.D.G. and Ville Saint-Laurent."
Labreche is the spokesperson for the Association pour la mobilité active de Saint-Laurent (AMASL), one of several active transit groups that wrote a letter to the city calling for a new protected express bike path that is maintained year-round.
They suggest the route extend from Gouin Boulevard to the De Maisonneuve bike path, connecting Cartierville, Saint-Laurent, the Town of Mount Royal and N.D.G.
A proposed express bike lane in Montreal. (Coalition mobilite active Montreal)
"It's not just cars that should be allowed to have straight routes; pedestrians and cyclists should be able to move as straight as possible when they commute," said Labreche, noting that the proposed route is also close to Metro stations, CEGEPs and hospitals.
According to the group Vélo Québec, more than 1.5 million people used the REV on St. Denis last year. The organization's president, Jean-Francois Rheault, said having something similar in the west end is an interesting idea.
"Its design helps cyclists cross barriers like Highway 40 and Highway 15. We know it's always difficult to cross highways, so securing crossings is interesting," he said.
In an email, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal said, "Our administration is speeding up safe travel for all users by continuously improving the cycling network to better connect outlying neighbourhoods and relieve congestion on the road network."
The city also said it will analyze the proposed bike route.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Remaining wrongful death lawsuit filed after deadly Astroworld concert has been settled, lawyer says
The one remaining wrongful death lawsuit filed after 10 people were killed during a deadly crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld music festival has been settled, an attorney said Thursday.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Rapper Sean Kingston's home raided by SWAT; mother arrested on fraud and theft charges
A SWAT team raided rapper Sean Kingston's rented South Florida mansion on Thursday and arrested his mother on fraud and theft charges that an attorney says stem partly from the installation of a massive TV at the home.
Hidden risks: Why ultra-processed food may be hurting our brains
Ultra-processed foods are quick, convenient and hard to avoid, but there is growing evidence that eating these products can have an impact on brain health, leading to cognitive decline and stroke.