Expected expansion of Montreal express bike lane praised by cyclists, merchants despite some pushback
The dedicated bike path along St-Denis street in Montreal has become so popular that it's expected to be expanded, but not everyone is thrilled with the idea.
With more than a million rides a year, the Réseau express vélo (REV) bike path along St. Denis street is being hailed as a success and talks have started to expand the network.
"We want more people to try new methods, they have to have options, the REV is an option," said Catherine Boundjia, the Quebec Liberal party candidate for the Mercier riding.
Just like sidewalks, some people believe bike lanes should be offered on more streets. Severine Lepage from the ghost-bike organization Vélo fantôme said the city has to rethink its road system.
"There's not enough cycle paths on main arteries. There's enough room on all our streets to have a REV on all major arteries if we want to, it's just a matter of sharing space. Enough space for sidewalks, bike lanes, parking and cars to travel," Lepage said.
Jacques Nacouzi, a REV rider and merchant on St. Denis, said the bike path is good for his business, Les Ateliers Kikicode.
"If you compare my 2019 to 2022, my revenues have doubled. Is it only because of the REV? No, there are many factors, but the rev definitely has helped," he said as families cycled past him on the bike path.
Boundjia added that a greener future for travel is the way to go. "It's important our neighbours understand the long-term vision," she said, which is "to reduce the effect of climate change and to increase active mobility."
Some shop owners contacted by CTV News on Monday who did not want to be interviewed on camera said that they didn't think the REV led to an increase in their sales.
The St. Denis Merchants' Association wrote, however, that the occupancy rate on the stretch between Roy and Gilford is about 81.5 per cent — the highest rate since the association started keeping records three years ago.
Nacouzi said he has some advice for business owners who may be faced with a bike path in front of their own storefront
"Ask for it and ask for it quickly," he said. "It will definitely help you, it will bring new customers, it will change the experience of the street."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.