Denis Coderre vows to remove half of Bellechasse St. bike path if elected
If elected, Denis Coderre's Ensemble Montréal party will re-work the Réseau express vélo (REV) bike path on Bellechasse St. to make room for parking spots.
At an afternoon press event, the mayoral candidate said the paths have hindered local businesses and have made it challenging for delivery trucks to park legally.
"If we leave it the way it is, [some] businesses will close. We need cohabitation and respect," he said.
Bellechasse, a westbound one-way street, is currently sandwiched between two one-way bike paths. Should Coderre be elected, the westbound path will be replaced by parking spaces, with the eastbound path staying intact.
The path is a connector — it links St. Denis and points east to a popular Canadian Tire and a heavily used car-free path along the railroad.
MOTORISTS VS. CYCLISTS: THE AGE-OLD BATTLE
Coderre's announcement was met by mixed reviews.
"One day [Coderre] is the defender of public safety and this morning he is ready to sacrifice the safety of Montreal families to make electoral gains," wrote François Limoges on Twitter, who is the Project Montréal candidate for Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie.
But, according to Coderre, in some regards, the paths are hindering safety. He said delivery trucks are forced to park in the bike lanes.
"That's good, isn't it? It's very safe," he said sarcastically.
"And when seniors are trying to disembark, and there are bikes left and right, that's not co-habitation," he added.
One longtime resident of Petite-Patrie told CTV News he wasn’t too impressed by the idea. For locals, the bike lane is useful, said Gilles Michaud, 67.
“I don’t know if I was a driver, if I’d appreciate it,” said Michaud, who has lived in the area for 40 years and uses a bike to get around.
But “if we put all the cyclists back in cars, one person per car, that’s not better either,” he said.
When it comes to striking a balance, “perfection doesn’t exist,” he said.
He doesn’t have the impression that parking is particularly difficult for locals, since newly added lanes on the north-south streets, like Saint-Dominique, haven’t removed parking.
Another cyclist using the path on Wednesday said he bikes on it daily for his commute to work and has “definitely” used the street a lot more since a proper lane was put in.
“I think it’s fun to be able to feel safe,” said Choan Marchand, 23, who lives in Mile End and works in Rosemont.
But as is common when it comes to cycling issues, Coderre may find that support for the idea has little to do with its popularity among locals, but has much more to do with people who drive into the area from the suburbs.
Jasmine Rex, who drives in from Cote-Vertu to her work near Bellechasse, said increasing free parking is always a good idea.
“I think they charge $100 for parking,” she said from behind the wheel, pointing a garage nearby. Her coworkers are always circling the blocks, looking for a free option, she said.
In Rex's opinion, it doesn't make sense to use up all that on-street real estate for bikes when it’s barely used for cycling in wintertime.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.