Cyclists and borough mayors alike are urging action after a woman was killed when she was hit by a truck while riding a bicycle under an overpass on St. Denis St. Monday morning.
Ambulance attendants rushed to the scene of an accident around 6:40 a.m. after receiving reports that a woman riding a bicycle had been hit by a crane truck.
The woman, aged 33, did not survive her injuries.
It’s not clear whether the woman was hit by the truck, or fell off her bicycle prior to being hit.
The 23-year-old truck driver told police that he felt an impact and stopped his vehicle immediately afterwards. He was treated for shock.
The cyclist had already died by the time ambulance officials arrived, according to Montreal police spokesperson Daniel Lacoursiere.
Both the bicycle and the truck were heading south under the CP Rail overpass on St. Denis just south of des Carrieres St at the time of the accident.
Three Montreal underpasses now have dedicated bike lanes - but not the one in question.
Some cyclists navigate underpasses with no bike lanes by riding along the sidewalk, which is narrow and on a higher level than the road.
Others continue along the roadway, which descends into relative darkness, then mounts at the exit. The side of the road is in bad shape.
Cyclists passing by the spot told CTV Montreal that they don’t feel safe rolling under the viaduct. However riding on the sidewalk isn’t necessarily a better option, as it could lead to fines, as it’s against the Highway Safety Code, and imperil pedestrians.
The city has placed bars on the sidewalk to discourage riders from using the sidewalk.
“I find that dangerous for pedestrians,” said one rider about taking the higher route. “So I’m prepared to rake the road but I cross my fingers when I go.”
Another rider expressed outrage.
“I was 10 minutes late this morning, so that could have been me and it pisses me off that my bike is not considered a legitimate means of transportation compared to cars,” said Nicolas Zorn.
Cycling advocate Cam Novak says he’ll risk getting a ticket because he feels the laws aren’t being updated fast enough.
“If I see something that's safer for me than the law allows, I'll do it anyway,” he said.
Two borough mayors from the areas bordering the accident site, Rosemont and Plateau – Mont Royal spoke out Monday.
“There were more than 600 cyclists hurt last year, there were four deaths. What are we waiting for” to act, said Luc Ferrandez, Plateau Mont-Royal Borough Mayor.
They've asked the Quebec government to adjust the highway safety code this week.
“We asked to give us the power to just make a zone, an area to protect the pedestrian and the cyclist and the cyclist can pass on the sidewalk, we ask police to not give tickets to cyclists who's passing on the sidewalk,” said Francois Croteau, Rosemont – La Petite Patrie Borough Mayor.
In the meantime, cyclists are being advised to walk their bikes on the sidewalk through the underpass.
